Today’s quick review: Extinction. Plagued by visions of an alien invasion, Peter (Michael Pena) has been growing more distant from his wife Alice (Lizzy Caplan) and daughters Hannah (Amelia Crouch) and Lucy (Erica Tremblay). But when his visions come to pass and high-tech invaders overrun the city, Peter and his family are forced to fight their way to the factory where Peter works, where his visions predict they will make their final stand.
Extinction is a budget sci-fi movie that chronicles one man’s attempts to protect his family through an alien invasion. Extinction follows the sci-fi survival formula with one major wrinkle: Peter’s recurring visions hint at a larger mystery. The movie splits its time between this mystery, the invasion, and the relationship between Peter and his family, resulting in a movie with a fairly good balance of mystery, action, and drama.
Extinction does have a few rough edges. The action and special effects are good enough to tell the film’s story, but they aren’t that impressive in concrete terms. The film uses Peter’s visions for lots of foreshadowing and one good reveal, but it doesn’t explore the concept in any depth. The same goes for the story as a whole: the invasion plotline is not rich enough to support the film’s better ideas, missing out on some of their potential.
Still, Extinction makes good use of the tools at its disposal and earns its spot as a worthwhile pick for budget sci-fi fans. Those looking for top-notch acting, writing, or special effects won’t find anything too impressive in Extinction and may want to skip it. Those who don’t mind the film’s limitations will appreciate its solid execution. For a more elaborate take on a similar premise, check out War of the Worlds.
5.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a good plot and characters, kept from going further by the film’s limited scope.