This sci-fi thriller is available on DVD April 3rd. Courtesy of eOne Films
Alien invasion movies are a dime a dozen, with most of them landing at the bottom of the trash pile. Even with an estimated budget of $30 million, The Darkest Hour gives off a strong smell of a “B” movie.
In this sci-fi action a strange race of aliens with electrical energy force-fields have destroyed most of the world’s population leaving a few survivors struggling to defeat them.
With a weak script and retro-worthy special effects (the aliens), there is no reason to expect very much from this movie. Not all is lost however.
What keeps this movie from being a total disaster are a couple of good performances from Emile Hirsch (Milk, Into the Wild) and Olivia Thirlby (Being Flynn, No Strings Attached). Both actors managed to keep every line of their dialogue convincing.
What is troubling about the script is that writer Jon Sphlaints has also worked on Prometheus, one of the highly anticipated films of 2012. We can only hope he shows more talent there than he did in The Darkest Hour.
For the DVD home release, there is a good set of special features for fans to enjoy. A short film Survivors gives a brief look at the continued battle against the aliens after the movie’s events. Visualizing an Invasion is an interesting featurette showing how the stunts and special effects came to life. There are also four deleted scenes and an extended scene that you can watch with commentary, as well as a full length commentary for the film.
Bottom Line: If you’re looking to get your money’s worth, stay away from this film.
DVD Release Date: April 3, 2012
Movie Grade C-
DVD Grade B-
Runtime: 89 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.4:1
