The Fallen Ones (2005)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

More demanding viewers will certainly find this a disappointing or even ridiculous watch. Indeed, the silly plot might cause one to chuckle every now and then, and most events or aspects in it, don't really lead to anything. It does feel somewhat ambitious, and the cinematography, camera-work & musical score all are decent enough. But the poorly drawn-out characters and the lack of many extra's (for the evil clan, for example), makes you think twice about what it is this movie might succeed in on other levels, if any. The (fist)fight scenes are extremely lame and poorly staged. But all the rest of the movie (including the effects) looks okay. AND... it's got a giant mummy, on a rampage, snatching helicopters out of the air and smashing them against a mountain and stuff and all... A GIANT MUMMY, I tell you! Everybody loves giant mummies, no? So switch off the lights (and don't forget to put your brain to bed first) and have some fun with it. Even if only for seeing Casper Van Dien as a third rate Indiana Jones incarnated.

Intriguing story inspired by the line from Genesis 6:4 "There were giants in the Earth on those days." Basically, a team of archaeologists finds one and unleashes an ancient prophecy.Sort of fun... Casper Van Dien plays the pretty-boy archaeologist, who is super smart, but also able to single-handed punch out supernatural beings. Kristen Miller -- who is so incredibly hot that I'd sell my mother to be with her -- plays some sort of authority figure, but, of course, is really just eye candy. She and Dien, of course, begin to have a relationship because they're just so darn good looking. Robert Wagner and Tom Bosley are also on board, and the DVD could be worth watching just to listen to Bosley's horrible accent! Basically, not a bad way to spend 90 minutes. Action, giants, angels, and mummies abound. The plot really doesn't make a lot of sense, but it never drags, and Kristen is hot (and we get a scene with her in her underwear).Like I said, sort of fun.

I came into this movie really wanting to line it. I thought the premise had a lot of potential and was ripe for an interesting movie. Don't get me wrong here, I wasn't expecting Citizen Kane, I was taking this for the B movie that it is. That said, it still fell short of the expectation. The historical aspect of the story is glazed over and the ending left me a bit cold. The acting in the movie was very wooden. All in all I give it 4 for a great idea, but the movie could have scored much higher with a bit more attention to movie making fundamentals. Is it worth seeing? I didn't wish for my two hours back, but I don't know that I'd recommend it to others.

It is a movie which is good enough to watch if there is nothing else and you like the genre. Maybe it is not meant for grownups to watch, but merely for the younger SF-lovers. Most of the scenes have been seen in other movies. The jokes are a little repetitive and there are some questions about the motives of the characters. The positive part is that the violence is not so obvious and taken with a sense of humor. The special effects are OK, but not up to date. Sometimes the scenes are so fast that you need to stop your DVD player to be able to appreciate the scene. Not a movie which you would like to see a second time. All in all a very predictable movie.