Today’s quick review: Attack of the Unknown. Vernon (Richard Grieco), Hannah (Jolene Andersen), Maddox (Douglas Tait), Kai (Paul Gunn), and the rest of an LAPD SWAT team are transporting Hades (Robert LaSardo), a freshly arrested drug kingpin, when an alien invasion throws the city into chaos. Taking shelter in the jail, the survivors look for a way to fight back against the blood-sucking aliens.
Attack of the Unknown is a budget sci-fi action movie about a SWAT team caught in the middle of an alien invasion. Attack of the Unknown aims to be a thrilling and violent story of resourcefulness and perseverance. However, it falls well short of this goal. Bland characters, slow pacing, flimsy and misused special effects, and an array of storytelling missteps sap what potential the movie has, leaving it a weak movie with limited appeal.
Attack of the Unknown has a hard time getting to the point. From the long introduction showing the capture of Hades to the time wasted on civilians and their problems to the tangent-filled conversations that slow the action to a crawl, Attack of the Unknown does everything in its power to put off the actual conflict. Even when the invasion gets going, the movie is so stingy with its special effects that it’s hard to tell what’s going on.
Pacing issues aside, Attack of the Unknown suffers from weak acting and a dearth of ideas. Richard Grieco, Robert LaSardo, and to a lesser extent Jolene Andersen do a decent job with their parts, but none of the other roles are particularly likable, interesting, or well-acted. The story has very little to offer. The only relevant fact about the aliens is that they drink blood, and no other thought is put into their invasion.
Attack of the Unknown may catch the eye of a few budget action fans, but even then, there are movies that do more within the constraints of the genre. Apart from some very basic action, a linear plot, and decent acting from the leads, there is not much to latch onto. Most viewers will want to steer well clear.
For an alien invasion movie that makes better use of its special effects budget, check out Skyline or The Darkest Hour. For one with a more engaging story, try War of the Worlds or Attack the Block. For an action movie about police officers trapped in a jail, try Assault on Precinct 13.
[4.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8804580/). I give it a 3.5 for poor craftsmanship and an uninspired story.