User reviews

'Tis true that this one has Grade-Z effects, a dreadful script, and some of the worst acting imaginable, but I kind of suspect that the makers knew this, and a great deal of the cheesiness was intentional. If you love shockingly bad sci-fi movies, then there is a whole heap to enjoy about Alien Apocalypse. It's not a 'great' movie (and I'm not about to give it a ridiculously high rating), but it is a fun film that should ideally be enjoyed with like-minded friends (and plenty of alcohol).

An astronaut/doctor, Ivan Hood (Bruce Campbell), returns to Earth after 40 years in suspended animation, to find that the planet has been overrun by insectoid aliens who are stripping the planet of its wood (which they eat). Together with fellow astronaut, Kelly (Renée O'Connor), and a small group of plucky slaves, he leads a revolt against the alien invaders.

With dreadful support from a multitude of badly bewigged Eastern Europeans (and a leggy babe in a fur bikini), Campbell mugs his way through the lousy script with his usual aplomb. The special effects are rather poor, with the aliens being a mixture of animatronics and rather cheap looking CGI. However, there is a smatter of well conceived gore to compensate a little: the bugs chew off the heads of troublemakers and devour the severed fingers of those who attempt to escape. There are also several juicy shots of the aliens being killed, with green goop squirting from the wounds.

Unpretentious, very silly and worth a go if trash sci-fi is your thang!

I found this movie new for 3 bucks so I figured good or bad, that's a good price. I'll start out by pointing out the obvious: Alien Apocalypse is not a good movie, it's a very poorly done movie. However, I thought it was a lot of fun. It's good for a Sci-fi original, though I know that's not saying much.

We can never go wrong with a starring role by Bruce Campbell, especially in a B-movie. The story is ridiculous and plays out kind of like a bad video game, but some of the lines made me laugh out loud. So-bad-it's-good is definitely relevant here.

Overall, I think this movie is terrible as an actual movie, but great as something to throw in the DVD player and laugh at. You be the judge.

Are you a fan of Bruce Campbell? Don't ask who that is ... or if you do, maybe this isn't for you. But go ahead and search for him and his work ... maybe you'll get to see something you like. So this movie is bad - by any measurement. But it has Bruce Campbell in it ... and him being ... well Bruce Campbell! If you like that you may add a point to my rating I reckon.

Otherwise the very low production values and the "story" will not really entice you. Not to mention the silly jokes. But they are the ones that keep this afloat. Well them and some costume choices of some of the females in here I suppose (depending on your taste of course)

If you are a Bruce Campbell fan, you will likely want to see this whether or not it is against your better judgment. I am a Bruce Campbell fan, and I guess the strongest impression this film made on me is best illustrated by the fact that it took me three sittings to get all the way through it. I am an insomniac, and this film put me to sleep two nights in a row, before I finally finished it this morning. That said, this is not the worst of Mr Campbell's films, as I am sure he would agree.

It's pretty obvious that the film was basically written for Mr. Campbell, as a vehicle for doing a SciFi pictures original with him as the star. So, predictably, it is a return to the the campy, comedic schlock Mr. Campbell is renowned for. This, like much of what the SciFi channel does, is pure unadulterated marketing with no pretense at quality science fiction. I had hoped that Bubba Ho-Tep, something of a genre masterpiece, might have helped to break Campbell out of this typecasting, but apparently not. Campbell is perhaps too identifiable - the voice, the hair, the build, and the unpretentious way he carries himself will probably always convey "Ash" on screen. In fact, from the comments he sometimes makes in interviews, I think Mr Campbell really enjoys being typecast. At times, this film is so much like Army of Darkness, I actually considered titling my IMDb review "Alien Evil Dead Apocaplypse".

Ash, umm, excuse me, Campbell arrives on earth after completing a space probe mission which has kept him in space for 40 years. He was the ship's doctor- actually, he's a chiropractor, not a doctor. His crew learns quickly that all of humanity has been enslaved by what appear to be technologically retrograde human-sized preying mantises with a taste for human flesh. Even more improbably, these creatures seem to have come to earth because they need wood, which they force human slaves to mill using what seems to be 19th century mill technology. Of course, Campbell is having none of it, and (here comes the recognizable plot formula) falls in love with one of his fellow astronauts, escapes the slave camp and garners a few followers who will lead a guerrilla assault against the aliens to rescue his love interest, and you can guess the rest. There is a little bit of Road Warrior voice-over thrown in for dramatic effect throughout the movie which basically gives the entire plot away as well. And fans of the Evil Dead series will enjoy some of the very clever use of props which characterize these early Raimi/Campbell collaborations.

Fine. What did I expect?

This is why I feel the film could have been better. Alien Apocalypse never really gets off the fence between the backyards of comic absurdity and cheesy morality play, so it doesn't really succeed at either. Like many SciFi pictures efforts, the script would have been better if it emphasized comedy more explicitly, and the production might have been improved by giving the actors more than the time needed to memorize their lines. The only characters really developed in this film are Campbell's and O'Connor's, and I am convinced that this has a lot to do with the likelihood that they actually managed to develop interpretations of their roles before the shooting started. This film was very obviously rushed. As such, it might have made a great schlock-comedy, but the soundtrack, pace, and very Army of Darkness-like special effects really detracted from the film's humor.

Having seen too many SciFi productions, I believe I can identify one of the elements which contributed to this. SciFi Pictures tends to make a lot of very dark films (I don't mean metaphorically dark, I mean visually / literally dark). Though I am sure many will justify this choice as a desire to create ominous, tense and scary dramatic effects, I believe it is also very useful in making bad special effects look at least slightly believable. This script, which, as I have said already, wasn't too bad, called for a lot of outdoor scenes, taking place in full sunlight. To their credit, SciFi limited the special effects scenes to an occasional split screen and a number of bug-only shots during the action sequences. I would guess that the special effects budget coupled with Campbell's payment, more or less exhausted the budget for this project and made the production deadlines very stiff.

Here is my bottom line - Watch this film back to back with the very similar but much more serious schlock-fest "Battlefield Earth" and decide which makes the better comedy. This film is slightly more believable to be sure, but I'm not sure I laughed harder.

Now, let's look at the plot line - astronauts come back to earth after stasis and find humans enslaved and the planet being ruled by giant alien cockroaches. To some of us, it just doesn't get any better than this!

Nobody in their right mind is going to take Alien Apocalypse seriously, and those who want to watch it will do so regardless of reviews that deplore plot holes, bad effects, and poor acting. Get a life! It's supposed to be this way!

I thought the effects hilarious (the alien Cockroaches are too much!), and the acting suitably over the top. The film editing is excellent, and the Cockroaches' decapitation of victims as hors d'oeuvres has got to be seen to be believed. This movie doesn't try to be campy, but just silly. It's Larry, Curley and Moe for the boomers!

So grab some pretzels, a brew or two, a couple of good friends and just howl. Hey, it's got Bruce Campbell in it, and it's a hoot! Enjoy! :-)

If your reaction to the first 10-20 minutes of Alien Apocalypse is "It can only get better"--no, it doesn't. That I sat thru the full two hours on SciFi channel last night has me furtively looking up psychiatric clinics today.

Yes, it's that bad. Another reviewer said "possibly the worst scifi movie I've seen," and I'll join that club. The script is unbelievably bad and the direction dire.

Some such movies can be good because they're so bad. Not this one. There are just too many embarrassing moments to find enjoyment in the awfulness.

I'll exempt Bruce Campbell from blame, he tries with what he hasn't to work with. Renee O'Connor was only poor. But the rest of the cast... guys and gals, there's more involved than turning up for your first day before a camera, saying stuff, and going home again. Yes, that's how it seems anyway.

The alien bugs are well done, and take the acting credits too. But if you're hoping for some indication of how they were able to completely subdue planet earth--to the degree that twenty years later, nobody knows what a doctor is--don't hold your breath.

Some nice scenery too at times. Hmm, psychiatrists are damn expensive...

I have to admit, I worship the ground Bruce Campbell walks on. I have enough Evil Dead merchandise to pay for Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3. So when I sat to watch Alien Apocalypse, I wanted to like it so much. I really did. Instead, I kept feeling like I was watching a wannabe episode of MST3K. Nothing about this was good, not the writing, definitely not the acting, nor the directing or the effects. Bruce Campbell came off as the only one who had ever acted before. Too often I just sat in disbelief that someone paid for this piece of junk, especially during the worst Spartacus rip off I have ever seen. Don't waste your time, not even for Bruce Campbell. Personally, I'm going back to my shrine to keep praying for Evil Dead 4.

Astronauts return from far-space probe to find alien bugs have taken over Earth for ...its wood?! Goofy yet ruthlessly homicidal alien bugs are CGI or stop-motion, seldom interacting with live actors. Plot holes abound, plus unexplained motivations, yet not many loose ends. My favorite part is the hillbilly traitors helping run slave-camp sawmills - they are even more clueless than the alien bugs! Meanders toward a predictable conclusion. This low-quality made-for-SciFi Channel flick's only redeeming value is the relentlessly self-effacing humor of Bruce Campbell, still typecast from "Army of Darkness", and if anything playing his role as a doctor too straight here.

You can't expect more in a direct-to-video grade Z movie than a terrible script and some bad acting. Still, it's Bruce Campbell, and he is good for a few laughs.

He and Renée O'Connor (Gabrielle from "Xena: Warrior Princess") return from space after 40 years and find aliens have taken over and enslaved the humans. It was fun watching them bite off heads.

Campbell escapes and leads a rag tag bunch to defeat the aliens. You know how this will work out. Lots of aliens lost their heads thinking they can beat the humans when they are fired up.

Another fun time with Bruce.

But what can I say....it had Bruce Campbell in it and and the aliens had green blood! The special effects were very poor, but amusing, the acting ranged from Monty python over the top poor to campy to very sarcastic from B. Campbell. Still Bruce just oozes charisma it a very weird way and he is always watchable.

The dialog is corny at best.The violence with the exception of a shooting near the beginning is all cartoon-like in its execution.

I really can not recommend this to mainstream viewers, they will not like it. But (B)Si-Fi fans, Bruce Campbell fans and people who like very silly waste of time movies will enjoy this.

This movie is horrible.

Save yourself the two hours and go watch Army of Darkness to see Bruce Campbell working with a much better script. If you are a Xena & Hercules fan, you might enjoy Alien Apocalypse, but probably not.

While the directing and cinematography are comparable to a Xena episode, the writing is flawed, stupid, and, worst of all for a Bruce Campbell movie, not funny. The dialog offers some witty lines that will entertain some people, but overall, it's dull. Does this "comedy" movie save all the laughs for the end? No, the ending is flat; not a single chuckle or smirk.

If you're an Army of Darkness fan, do not watch this movie. It's almost as if the writers didn't know Bruce Campbell was going to star in it. He doesn't have much to work with, and this movie won't appeal to his "cult" audience. I'd rather have watched a repeating loop of Bruce in Spiderman 2, over and over and over and over again, instead of watching this movie.

TV doesn't have to be this bad!

___SPOILERS___ Stop reading if you don't want major spoilers. They are added here to help warn people about some of the major flaws.

1) Renee O'Connor is a major draw for the audience, but they cover her face and she's off-camera or sitting down for a large portion of the movie. Huh?

2) The President-in-hiding is guarded by ZERO Secret Service agents, nor any other guards of any kind! None! Guards could have at least been standing by the doorway, sleeping on their feet. That would have been funnier, while adding a smidgen of realism.

3) The rape of the 2nd lead woman is glossed over LESS than if someone slapped her. Disgusting. Then Bruce's character lectures the rapist about how to treat fellow humans, yet he kills the rapist ONLY after the creep threatens to report them to the aliens. Even if that was acceptable in a movie in this genre (and it shouldn't be), Bruce speaks no funny line of dialog when he kills the guy. To compound the problem, the character later tells an angry mob that this isn't the right time to be executing anyone (without any indication he's had any kind of morality shift).

4) A ragtag group of ex-slaves shoots bows & arrows with more deadly accuracy than the aliens fire their energy rifles. Even the explosive alien rockets don't seem to kill any humans.

5) Humans don't try to pick up the alien energy guns. This is a comedy movie, but it lacks the semi-obligatory humor scene where a human tries to fire one, but can't, throws it aside, and it fires, killing an alien, without anybody noticing. Given the lack of humor in the movie, that goofy scene could have been a laugh-out-loud moment.

6) The aliens don't attempt to duck, cover, or run when they are being attacked. They just stand there. If they had run around like chickens it would have been funnier.

7) After the aliens subdue the humans at the sawmill, the humans recover their senses enough to ... stand in a line where they can be shot-down (instead of fleeing, or continuing to shoot those amazing arrows). However the aliens don't kill them, but instead compliment the humans, and then discuss killing only the leader (Bruce). They talk about it long enough to be mowed-down by yet more arrows from a group of untrained senators (that sounds funnier than it is).

8) The final killing spree has not one twitch of humor. The end of the movie desperately needed something goofy or over-the-top like a Xena episode or, of course, Army of Darkness.

Anything good at all in this movie?!

1) It's nice to see Bruce in a lead role. Hopefully producers will recognize he just needs better material.

2) The Bizzi character was a nice distraction, and she was one of the top 5 actors.

3) Green Gatorade makes pretty decent alien blood. Who knew!

Holly-weird!

OK, OK I know what most people are gonna say, "this movie sucks," and about a month ago I would have whole-heartedly agreed that this was not up to snuff. However, I have since bought this little beauty on DVD and have to say it gets better and better each time I watch it.

Now this is no classic by any means, with some lackluster direction and some pretty bad acting (except your leads). I mean can they help it they had to dub all but 3 actors because they filmed in Bulgaria? I don't think so. But once you get past all that this is actually a fun little film. Bruce Campbell does what he does best, make any movie he's in ten times better. His performance as Dr. Ivan Hood is on the nose as his trademark wit is in high gear. So if your in the mood for some Army of Darkness style fun then just check out this little overlooked gem.

Stay Groovy Baby

Crazy and goofy sci-fi/horror/comedy set in a near future on an earth over-run by human-sized insect-aliens in search for... wood! This movie gains quite some points because of Bruce Campbell, who is at his campy best in this one, playing (in a way similar to his Ash character from "Army Of Darkness") an astronaut/doctor turning into the unexpected hero on a quest to save the earth. All of the supporting cast seem to be deliberately trying to act as bad as possible AND wearing some of the worst long hair wigs in movie history. But the movie itself is pretty fun to watch, never tedious. And very important: It succeeds in what it sets out to do, and its ambitions don't really go beyond anything else than putting a dumb smile on your face. The special effects in general are much better than they ought to be in this type of flick. The only advice I can give: Know beforehand what you're about to watch, then you don't have to complain afterwards.

Since this movie doesn't come close to being a good movie, it's just a shame it's awfulness isn't most inspired. The only thing that is really funny are the aliens, who are so ludicrous that everything they do is pretty funny. They are so bad that one could think they are purposefully making them funny, but since the movie as a whole is so witless I think it is actually possible that they did not intend the aliens to get laughs. Hard to say with a movie like this.

It's a shame Bruce has to appear in this sort of crap. He's a talented guy, and it's easy to think, he should be in better movies, but realistically he probably doesn't get that many offers. Look at Lucy Lawless' recent movies; small parts in bad movies. Bruce went for a large part in a horrible movie. It's a shame talented actors can't get decent roles, and it's a shame completely incompetent filmmakers manage to make these horrible movies when there are certain more talented people who could have done something decent with the budget wasted on this, but it's a cruel world. And maybe there really aren't that many talented people out there, since all the acting and writing and what not is inept.

I'm a Bruce Campbell fan from way back. While I'm not what some would consider a Deadite (rabid fans of Campbell's 'Evil Dead' films by the great Sam Raimi), I am an admirer of those flicks. Bruce Campbell is the best thing to happen to horror-comedy ever. Period.

He must have owed somebody a lot of money to be coerced into putting his name on this.

'Alien Apocalypse,' another in a long string of horrible made-for-cable movies for the US Sci-Fi Channel, is second only to 'Space Mutiny' as the worst science fiction movie ever made. The sets, costumes, makeup, dialogue, acting (God, the acting), and the production values (or lack thereof) all combine to make this so-bad-it's-hilarious. Made for a lunch-money budget, it smacks of public-access cable production values, and acting quality that would embarrass Ed Wood. Bruce Campbell in this movie is like having Marlon Brando in a "Porky's" sequel.

Looking at this film on the surface, it's a mish-mash of 'Independence Day' and 'Planet of the Apes.' Call it, "The Evil Alien Dead," if it helps you. The problem is, not even Campbell is all that good in this movie. A faint echo of Ash (Campbell's hero character from the Evil Dead films), Dr. Ivan Hood is a character best left in the bottom of the trash barrel. Campbell in this role is like a Renaissance painter being asked to create a portrait of dogs playing poker, while sitting naked on toilets. Okay, dogs don't generally wear clothes, but you see where I'm coming from. It's just bad.

Don't watch it on cable, don't record it, don't wait for it to be released on DVD. Believe the hype. It's bad. It's real bad.

Be afraid, be very afraid.

You can thank me later.

• T

I'm a big Bruce Campbell fan but this was not a Bruce Campbell movie. The plot had potential but the supporting cast was REALLY bad and Bruce's typical humor was absent for most of the movie.

The effects were OK but they spent so much on the CG aliens that they had to use fake beards for the slaves! They should have either embraced the cheese factor and laughed it up or gone for the more serious angle. Something was just off about the whole movie.

I was really looking forward to a good ole Campbell flick and was disappointed. The Evil Dead (1981) was made with much less money and was much more entertaining.

Come on Bruce...I know the director/writer is your friend but friends should not let friends make bad movies!!!!

When all is doubted and all seems lost never forget that one man can bring back the pride and that man is a "Space Man" and a doctor. Who later discovers that while meeting a beautiful lady she has the best cure of them all, ale. Not only a great way to heal the sick but a great way for helping to forget your sorrows and remember the past before (they) came…the film is what you expect. Corny funny. The humor is light but it draws you in. The world has changed so much since we last knew it…life is just living everyday and trying to make do with what is left of what you have which is not much of anything. Out of fear even some of the humans have traded sides hoping to be on the right side when the time comes. One mans non-stop courage gives hope and determination to everyone around him…he gathers followers returning faith that has long faded and proves that sometimes you have to take control of the madness yourself and stop relying on someone else that may not even really exist anymore.

Okay, first of all, this movie isn't good. The script is nothing special, the acting is pretty horrid (with the exception of the two leads), the effects are pretty atrocious, the weapons silly and the direction poor.

But hey, it's a Sci-Fi original movie. And a pretty damn good one at that. It must be expected that this film will have plenty of flaws about it just because it is a Sci-Fi channel movie. After all, this is the same studio responsible for Sharknado, Sharktopus, Boa Vs. Python, Lake Placid 2, Lake Placid 3 and more atrocious films. However, they have made decent movies before. Kaw wasn't terrible, The Insatiable was pretty creative and Sabretooth is a guilty pleasure of mine. There have only been a few of these Sci-Fi Channel original movies that have been decent. I mean, they're all so horrid only a few are remotely enjoyable. I think all of these movies were filmed in Bulgaria (which is only famous for producing bad movies), so all of them have bad acting because the actors are foreign and don't know English so their lines had to be dubbed over in post-production. This explains most of the bad acting in this movie. The effects are obviously bad because of the small budget but as bad as they are, trust me, they could have been WAY worse or even CGI, which is as bad as it gets when Sci-Fi gets involved.

The plot of this film is fairly unique, and Bruce Campbell absolutely steals the show. It's certainly fun to watch and even though it is no masterpiece, this film works as a fun way to spend an evening mainly because it doesn't take itself too seriously but also wants to tell an entertaining and enjoyable story. It's worth a watch, or maybe even a few. Like I said, just don't expect a masterpiece like The Godfather or Citizen Kane. For what Alien Apocalypse is, a Sci-Fi Channel original movie, it's not half bad.

Alien Apocalypse falls into that deadly and dull middle ground between those films that take themselves seriously and those that do not. It's clear from the acting, plot (or lack thereof), special effects, and so on that it's not a serious movie, but it never lets loose and embraces its cheesiness. Instead, it falls somewhere in the middle and just looks poorly executed and lame.

Unfortunately, Bruce Campbell fails to save the movie. I'm a big fan of his, but he wasn't given anything to work with in terms of a script. His humor and charm don't come through as much as they should; the part might as well have been played by any other Sci-Fi Channel stalwart, like Antonio Sabato Jr.

Basically, I'd only recommend this to die hard Bruce Campbell fans who feel the need to see every one of his movies, even ones that (like Alien Apocalypse) aren't very entertaining.

This movie was great.......I mean it was terrible.......my son and I laughed 2 straight hours at all the hilarious script comments and everything that makes this movie super fun to watch.When the guy with the humpback said follow me, we thought it was going to be walk this way and everyone would copy him.Everything was classic right down to the crazy looking bugs. The actor Bruce, was so funny and the crazy people around him were just too much. Loved it. Make an effort to watch this movie, with someone who likes to laugh at the stupidest, silliest things ever. Superior to Killer Tomatoes in every way.info@greatscottfilm.com

In recent months, I've discovered the enjoyment of tuning in to dreadful Sci Fi Channel movies while folding laundry or doing other household chores. Lately I've indulged in such gems as "Frankenfish" and "Mansquito." This movie was, unexpectedly, a creature of a different color. "Alien Apocalypse" is completely aware that it's over the top. It reveals its intelligence in such scenes as Bruce Campbell's hilarious defense/explanation of becoming a Doctor of Osteopathy, as well as in its winking references to "The Wizard of Oz" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." The dreadfully unconvincing wigs/beards, the resolute marching single-file across the landscape in quest of The President, the Raquel Welchesque outfit worn by one female character, the fact that there appear to be fewer than two dozen (pretty fragile, as it turns out!) Giant Termite Aliens...are all part of the joke.

And, at the risk of giving too much weight to this light-weight effort, I thought it provided a bit of commentary about those who collaborate with occupying forces.

Before anyone starts condemning me for liking a b-movie. I am fully aware the story is corny, the special effects are horrid, and the director has a direction but I'm sure he knew it be another sci-fi channel b-movie that be forgotten easily. But we can't forget the all powerful b-movie extraordinaire, Bruce Campbell. As much as I want to devalue this movie, Campbell proved that he's a professional b-movie actor and he's great at his craft. I actually enjoyed this movie despite how bad it is. It's a guilty pleasure and I have no problem enjoying how bad it is but I always loved Bruce Campbell so after watching this again after so many years, it made me value Campbell more. So if you want to turn your brain off and have fun watching a b-movie, try this movie and I hope you won't take it seriously but get some laughs too.