Review of They Live (1988) by Bryan W — 19 Jan 2011
Like many of Carpenter's post-'Thing' films, this one lacks focus in storytelling, but enough gusto to leave any genre buff more than satisfied.
Appropriately, the movie begins as something of a cipher, with the movie's title misleading the audience as much as the focus on indigents in the opening fifteen minutes. After that, the film changes gears and settles into a free association narrative that draws the protagonist along a path of intrigue for which every first-person shooter would base their plot for the next ten years.
Like the best science fiction, the story's concept combines a basic precept in disassociation with criticism of society's excesses, enabling an instant connection on both a personal and societal level while providing the visceral impact of violence to generate the broad spectrum appeal of science-fiction, horror, and action.
Not everything works; one easy example is an unnecessarily long fight scene between the two protagonists before the plot is allowed to continue. Even with this distraction, the film packs a powerful enough punch to lend it a deserved status in the pantheon of classic genre filmmaking.
This review of They Live (1988) was written by Bryan W on 19 Jan 2011.
They Live has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
