Review of Phase IV (1974) by Jason J — 10 Jul 2011

The ants are coming!! This is a true work of science fiction, as two researchers try to stop the 'biological imbalance' caused by ant species unifying and eliminating their predators, an apparent result of 'Phase I' (an eclipse caused by the alignment of three planets). This is a suspenseful, claustrophobic well made movie with an outstanding musical score, and amazing, amazing photography of ants. It's unbelievable the way the director and cinematographer have the ants tell their own story! Using micro photography of the ants in their own habitat, the director shows us how they have increased their ability to communicate with each other and work together as cells following 'a single thought.' They are like the Borg in Star Trek. Particularly amazing is the sequence in which the soldier ants die willingly to carry the yellow poison to the queen ant, so that she can create a new species of ant immune to it! The ant colony photography is beautiful, majestic, and scary.

Most of the movie is 'Phase II': the attempts of the scientists to communicate with the ants and contain them, and of the ants' attacks on humans and the research dome. Nigel Davenport as the 'pure scientist' Dr. Hubbs only gets excited in the objective wonder of his science. We know that a character like this will surely meet his doom. Michael Murphy, as James Lesko, the cryptographer, is the one who displays human warmth for others, as represented by Kendra, the shocked farm girl (Lynne Frederick). As he is the narrator of the movie, we expect him to survive. Some of the greatest science fiction movies take place in closed environments. This is one. We get an ecological message in addition to mind boggling ant photography. The greatest ant movie ever made!