I like my end of the world post-apocalyptic-y sort of films, and The Colony fits right into that genre, taking obvious inspirations from The Day After Tomorrow and more subtle inspirations from Day Breakers – this time from the humans POV.
Set in the future of 2045 The Colony sees the human race now living underground to escape the extreme cold temperatures that the earth is now engulfed in. The second Ice Age has come about and the human race haven’t faired very well, so much so we’re nearly wiped out, living underground in small colonys. We’re told this from the perceptive of Sam (Kevin Zegers), a young man who hasn’t really known much else other than the big chill. While many theories were thrown around regarding how this all came about, Sam simply states that one day it began to snow and it never stopped. Because supplies are limited, as is their abilities to heal the sick, they have to treat illness’ such as the common cold quite ferociously – if they show signs quarantine, if they don’t get better, death. There’s rumours of a ‘promise land’ out in the world where the sun shines again and the skies are blue – something Sam doesn’t quite buy into. When a near-by colony fails to respond colony leader, Briggs (Laurence Fishburne) takes Sam and a young colony member Graydon (Atticus Mitchell) – who’s eager to prove himself – on the long near 2 day trip to see if everything’s okay. Once they get there however things aren’t as they seem and they need to get back to Briggs’ second in command, Mason (Bill Paxton) – a soldier he served with in – order to keep their colony safe from the dangers that they believe are coming.
We get a fairly weak opening and all the promise seems to fizzle out quite fast. The story is set up through Sam, but we’re never given a reason to care about Sam. We briefly pass over his story about half-way into the film, but it’s so fleeting and insignificant it may as well not be in the film at all. The film really gets going just over a half hour into the film, and all the promise of the thriller with elements of horror come roaring back. The only downside to this is you know what’s coming because of the trailer, a trick missed for the film. Once that 15 minute scene unfolds, it all gets a little predictable and at some points corny. Questions have to be asked such as, if it never stops snowing than how is the helicopter in the middle of nowhere at the stopping point not buried?
While it’s a cast of relatively unknowns, it’s lead by the experience of Laurence Fishburne and Bill Paxton. Fishburne is as good as ever as the wise guiding leader and Paxton as the crazed right hand man – another villainous role that he seems to be getting quite comfortable and rather good at playing.
The film’s end results in a completely underwhelming climax with some truly spectacular cheesy one liners riddled with flaws and plot holes. On the whole, director Jeff Renfroe seems somewhat lost, unsure with what he wanted to go for and what he was trying to have The Colony be exactly. Instead he opts, it seems, to try and be a thriller, action and horror in 3 separate acts of the film. The Colony really does have its good points, some that can over shadow the poor at times, but as an all round package The Colony just falls short of being on the same level as its counter-parts and inspirations.
Rating: With undeveloped characters and a laggy plot, The Colony is difficult to get fully on-board with (5/10).
The Colony is due for released September 20th in the US.
Recent Comments