Review of Area 51 (2015) by Frederik H — 11 Sep 2017

WOW was this bad. The editing is sloppy, choppy and just all around terrible. It comes across like those involved with the film just didn't care. The main characters are your typical found footage douchy bros with a cute female thrown in (Who's only characteristic is she's cute).

The film itself follows many of your typical beats (it goes pretty much exactly where you think it would go. No real twists, turns, surprises, or even scares). You know your movie is in trouble when the douche-iest bro is the only one who starts talking sense.

I wasn't crazy about Paranormal Activity, but at least it used it's minimalistic settings to its advantage (Here we get to explore your typical office, locker room, office staircase, and a few tunnels), was competently made, and actually had some scares.

Not to mention the CGI and effects in Area 51 (when there are any) are super weak. There are a few pieces that could have come across as clever in better hands. In the end, Area 51 is just a bunch of stupid 20-somethings wandering around, doing nothing, with absolutely nothing happening until it's predictable and laughably bad ending finally comes around.

A very unimpressive, boring, and dull film that travels in a straight line from beginning to end. Area 51 could have been a really cool film, and it's premise does hold potential (even if it has been done before).

Unfortunately, this is just your dime-a-dozen, paint-by-numbers, lifeless and listless found-footage style movie. No wonder it never got a theatrical release.