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Overall Rating : 2.5/10
Directed By : Mark Steven Grove
Jason Coviello
Jennifer Summers
Clay Adams
Cortni Mullin
Supplied By : Lionsgate Films
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : May. 2, 2007
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| PLOT A group of lab technicians and military personnel awaken in a subterranean laboratory with no memory of their identities. They quickly discover that they are sealed in, and the only way back to the surface is through an escape tunnel buried even deeper underground. Hindered by limited electrical power, they struggle through the darkness where they are stalked from the shadows by a hive of genetically mutated creatures. Bred for combat, these monsters are endowed with razor sharp talons and rows of jagged teeth, each one capable of ripping a man apart. As they make their way through the blackness, members of the group begin to regain their memories, discovering the origin of the deadly creatures and the part they played in their creation. |
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| THE REVIEW Well in THE SHADOW WALKERS, a military group lead ny a determined leader, along with a group of lab technicians, are running underground experiments to produce the ultimate breed of genetically altered creatures, for in the use of combat. The plot starts off with a group of the said technicians's waking up from a state of unconsciousness. Predictably the individuals once they are awaken, they have no recollection of who they are or why they are in this underground research laboratory. Soon the once again strangers must stay together as they become under attack by steroid induced genetically freakish creatures, that would love nothing more than to rip them limb from limb. As the battle wages the technicians one by one begin to miraculously remember things about themselves and their roles in creating the creatures they are fighting against. During the course of the film some don't make it, some begin to mutate, themselves and and one of them tries to capitalize on the incident for their personal gain. I have been planning to review this film for about a week now, but things continued to come up, so now I finally had the chance to see it. Now after doing so, I wish I hadn't been so eager about this one. I had checked IMDb on this film and it had a surprisingly decent rating for a low budget feature of this type, but as I know not to do, I never trust anything coming from IMDB.com. I never trust a rating on that site, because their are a lot of conspiracies that go on there - But since the make-up effects looked decent from the film stills posted, I still thought this may have a chance. To be honest the pictures made the film look better than it really is. From the first scene you know, the film is low budget, as the said scene displays scientists being mauled by creatures whom look like nothing more than humans with obvious rubber prosthetics applied to their faces and hands, Yes I am aware that every Horror film uses prosthetics in their special effects - but these look very amateurish or even store bought. The whole scenario of the film is more or less just another zombie, action movie. We have one tough guy by the name of Reeve Bannon(very superhero-like name), who is strapped with a gun and he shows no fear as he battles the flesh eating freaks and the ever clichéd backstabbing teammate. The action is supposed to be exciting, but it just doesn't come of that why, and I think it comes down to believability. As I said the makeup is not believable, just imagine the combat between "Man Vs. Beast" and to make matters worse all of the thrills and spills are accompanied by stock sound effects, such as screams and yells we have heard in countless other films. I have never fully understood the use, or even the desire to use stock sound of effects, just why would you want to use sound effects that have appeared in multiple films, commercials and everything else alike? I understand that this might be a budget issue and whatnot, but I feel this is one of the areas filmmakers should invest in. Because if a viewer hears the same Female or Male scream in 3 different films, it in turn makes your film that much more less believable to the audience. Overall, THE SHADOW WALKERS. is a low budget film, whose quality varies at times, both visually and plot-wise. As someone who expected a decent film, I have to be honest and say that I was really disappointed with it, as the story quickly grows dull and cheesy well before the film's middle point, not to mention the acting, which also, was below average... |
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| GORE
METER 2.5/10 Some flesh ripping, some eye extraction, an impalement and blood splatter, nothing really major. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 4/10 Some traditional scoring paired with a few death metal tracks....I found myself enjoying the music more than the actual film. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM THE SHADOW WALKERS is really nothing new or original, somehow it actually reminds me of the film, WARNING SIGN, which I found to be a better film. Some may like this, but those who are tired of the zombie-type films that keep coming out, will more than likely see this as just another one, with nothing that really sets it a part from the rest. This DVD will be released May 22, 2007 |
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