Nice icy scenery and a slick visual style can't do much to elevate the fairly poor story. A group of archaeologists are dealing with a strange virus from an ancient site, while being harassed by a deep-voiced deer who tries to manipulate them, have them killed off one by one.
The virus is only briefly discussed in detail, when we're told it turns cells to that of cephalopods. Which means the workers are being turned to octopussies. But that's just a dead end because nothing ever comes out of this plot-point.
The viewer finally gets his hopes up when the last survivor talks back to the deer/octopus thingy, demanding answers. So why does the deer/octopus/alien thingy want them harm? In a rare sci-fi/horror moment, one of the victims asks the alien/monster this question, but unfortunately gets no answer. Instead, deer/octopus thingy cops out by giving some silly speech in which it implies that it is in fact God and would you be so kind as not to ask stupid questions. Very lazy, laughable writing. Set up a mystery but give the viewer almost nothing: that's just doesn't cut it.
Especially when the plot moves so slowly. A poor imitation of "Thing" - where things happen and the viewer isn't treated like a child.
Predictably, everyone in the movie snuffs it. We don't know why, we don't know where the virus originates from, we don't know anything. And we don't know why they didn't film this in the found-footage style because everyone snuffs it. But I guess they would have struggled greatly to give all these characters an excuse to film what's going on. Not that found-footage films ever shy away from irrational explanations for the persistent filming.
The virus is only briefly discussed in detail, when we're told it turns cells to that of cephalopods. Which means the workers are being turned to octopussies. But that's just a dead end because nothing ever comes out of this plot-point.
The viewer finally gets his hopes up when the last survivor talks back to the deer/octopus thingy, demanding answers. So why does the deer/octopus/alien thingy want them harm? In a rare sci-fi/horror moment, one of the victims asks the alien/monster this question, but unfortunately gets no answer. Instead, deer/octopus thingy cops out by giving some silly speech in which it implies that it is in fact God and would you be so kind as not to ask stupid questions. Very lazy, laughable writing. Set up a mystery but give the viewer almost nothing: that's just doesn't cut it.
Especially when the plot moves so slowly. A poor imitation of "Thing" - where things happen and the viewer isn't treated like a child.
Predictably, everyone in the movie snuffs it. We don't know why, we don't know where the virus originates from, we don't know anything. And we don't know why they didn't film this in the found-footage style because everyone snuffs it. But I guess they would have struggled greatly to give all these characters an excuse to film what's going on. Not that found-footage films ever shy away from irrational explanations for the persistent filming.