Armed Response: An AI again, has it gone rogue or just been subverted? A secret military facility goes dark. A special ops team goes to investigate and finds the guards slaughtered. CCTV footage show them being killed by invisible assassins. Most of the action takes place within the base, dark corridors, rooms, ventilation shafts, the killings continue as the team try to solve the mystery and are themselves picked off. Some gruesome scenes with arms ripped off, shootings, stabbings, strangling and torture through sensory deprivation. A few plot holes and things go ridiculous at times in a rather confused script. But it's just about watchable SF/Horror. Directed by John Stockwell. Showing again on SyFy, Saturday 30 May 00.30.
47 Reviews
This was less than mediocre, actually...
paul_haakonsen9 June 2018
"Armed Response" started out alright, but it quickly lost its momentum and settled comfortably into something less than mediocre.
The movie was plagued by a fairly pointless story. Actually, once it was revealed what was going on, then the movie went into a stale mode and just trotted onwards without any ups or downs.
The characters in "Armed Response" were like cardboard cutouts, and you didn't really connect with them. With that being said, it should also be said that there was actually some fairly good acting from the cast.
"Armed Response" had a fairly adequate cast to perform in the movie, with Wesley Snipes, of course, being the big name to pull in the audience.
This was not an extraordinary movie experience in any sense. And I can't really recommend that you spend time, money or effort of the movie, unless you are a fan of anyone in the movie.
The movie was plagued by a fairly pointless story. Actually, once it was revealed what was going on, then the movie went into a stale mode and just trotted onwards without any ups or downs.
The characters in "Armed Response" were like cardboard cutouts, and you didn't really connect with them. With that being said, it should also be said that there was actually some fairly good acting from the cast.
"Armed Response" had a fairly adequate cast to perform in the movie, with Wesley Snipes, of course, being the big name to pull in the audience.
This was not an extraordinary movie experience in any sense. And I can't really recommend that you spend time, money or effort of the movie, unless you are a fan of anyone in the movie.
A Low Budget Action Jumble
nebk6 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Armed Response is a low budget action/sci-fi movie starring Wesley Snipes and Anne Heche amongst others. A special forces team is assigned a mission of going into a highly classified location known as The Temple. The Temple is where a super computer used to interrogate high profile suspects is located. Upon losing contact with the team which was guarding it, a rescue/investigative special-ops group is sent in to assess the situation. They discover that everyone is dead and that there is a wanted war lord locked up in the facility. The plot thickens when it turns out that the super computer in fact killed almost everyone and has now locked the new team in the facility and will not let them out. They have to work out how and why this is happening. From there the movie gravitates more towards sci-fi and horror action.
Overall it's a poor effort. It had some potential but it was wasted as the acting is wooden and the dialogue goes from mediocre to bad. The effects are as one would expect from a low budget production and the big twist is easily predicted and not that difficult to work out. The actors seemed to try but the story and script obviously did not leave much to work with. Not the worst movie out there but its predictable and not really worth the time of watching it either.
Overall it's a poor effort. It had some potential but it was wasted as the acting is wooden and the dialogue goes from mediocre to bad. The effects are as one would expect from a low budget production and the big twist is easily predicted and not that difficult to work out. The actors seemed to try but the story and script obviously did not leave much to work with. Not the worst movie out there but its predictable and not really worth the time of watching it either.
The worst writing and screenplay = a waste of low budget funds
Top_Dawg_Critic5 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
What was WWE Studios, KISS' Gene Simons and Wesley Snipes thinking producing this mess? Did they read the same screenplay I just watched and say "let's do this"?
OK I get it, Wesley Snipes must've pushed this film because he was to star in it (although not the main character), but what was everyone else smoking?
This is the first (and hopefully last) attempt at writing from Matt Savelloni. This film was total nonsense, with more plot holes, missing plots and confusing dialogue than each of the 93 minutes of run time. And of that 93 minutes, I'd say at least 15 mins where the same series of empty corridor shots with dumb bright beams coming from the windowed walls - totally pointless. Someone got bored tying the screenplay and copy- pasted "freeze camera at empty corridor #6 for 1 minute". And the dialogue - worst I've seen in a long time.
The only decent aspects of this film were Matthew Irving's cinematography, and (being very generous here) actor-turned-director John Stockwell's directing - although if he ever does the multiple fast zoom-in zoom-outs (during the war conflict scene) again, he should just stick to acting.
Oh ya, the acting... terrible. This was Anne Heche's worst acting, as if she dreaded being in any scene. And as for Wesley Snipes, he looked so bored in every scene, even the only fight scene he was in was boring.
Had more effort been put into the concept (hired a professional writer to give the screenplay a huge face-lift - for starters), and had the director cracked the whip a little more, there certainly was room for potential.
Instead, I had to watch a film with trained military walking around solo (not in pairs to watch each others '6') with the same gun and flashlight held up, constantly startled, pointing the flashlight around and entire room over and over, and saying "who's there!?". Or someone laying dead with half their skull missing and his buddy crouched over top of him calling his name (as if asking "are you OK?!") expecting him to answer.
Seriously, OK an amateur wrote this garbage, but who wasted their money to fund and yet approved this garbage?
It's only a generous 2/10 from me only for the decent cinematography and a few good acted and intense scenes here and there.
OK I get it, Wesley Snipes must've pushed this film because he was to star in it (although not the main character), but what was everyone else smoking?
This is the first (and hopefully last) attempt at writing from Matt Savelloni. This film was total nonsense, with more plot holes, missing plots and confusing dialogue than each of the 93 minutes of run time. And of that 93 minutes, I'd say at least 15 mins where the same series of empty corridor shots with dumb bright beams coming from the windowed walls - totally pointless. Someone got bored tying the screenplay and copy- pasted "freeze camera at empty corridor #6 for 1 minute". And the dialogue - worst I've seen in a long time.
The only decent aspects of this film were Matthew Irving's cinematography, and (being very generous here) actor-turned-director John Stockwell's directing - although if he ever does the multiple fast zoom-in zoom-outs (during the war conflict scene) again, he should just stick to acting.
Oh ya, the acting... terrible. This was Anne Heche's worst acting, as if she dreaded being in any scene. And as for Wesley Snipes, he looked so bored in every scene, even the only fight scene he was in was boring.
Had more effort been put into the concept (hired a professional writer to give the screenplay a huge face-lift - for starters), and had the director cracked the whip a little more, there certainly was room for potential.
Instead, I had to watch a film with trained military walking around solo (not in pairs to watch each others '6') with the same gun and flashlight held up, constantly startled, pointing the flashlight around and entire room over and over, and saying "who's there!?". Or someone laying dead with half their skull missing and his buddy crouched over top of him calling his name (as if asking "are you OK?!") expecting him to answer.
Seriously, OK an amateur wrote this garbage, but who wasted their money to fund and yet approved this garbage?
It's only a generous 2/10 from me only for the decent cinematography and a few good acted and intense scenes here and there.
Your guess is as good as mine, when it comes to the plot.
Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki22 August 2017
This is the third time recently, I have been the only one in the cinema, and the second time in about a month for a movie which doesn't have a Boxofficemojo page, and with a zero percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
A recently abandoned prison is ... haunted? Alive, ... via artificial intelligence? ... and kills a group of people working there, knowing that a specific military group would be sent to investigate, and it would be the same people who are responsible for a killing in Afghanistan, and this haunted/ alive prison kills them one by one, after having " judged them " , while each person individually plots to double cross and kill each other ... ? I don't know, this makes absolutely no sense, and it genuinely left me feeling disoriented afterward. I'm not joking, I sincerely felt like I was in a fog, and couldn't immediately think clearly after this one, basically speechless as to what I had just witnessed.
Director/ former actor John Stockwell has his moments, but this isn't one of them, but at least he, and cinematographer Matthew Irving, try to make this good looking, but novice screenwriter Matt Savelloni's incoherent screenplay sinks this from minute one. ( Why was the opening scene, of the kid dying, even here? It has no effect on the plot in any way. It seemed like it was going to be yet another film where the lead actor has to rise up, against all odds, and redeem themselves, but happily, that's not the case here. Faint praise that. )
Any Wesley Snipes' fans who may watch this just because he is in it, and featured prominently on the poster, will be sorely disappointed, as he:s just standing in the background during most scenes. There is no real main character here, most characters have about equal screen time, and a lot of it is just them looking in empty rooms, and shouting, " Clear! " for most of the early scenes.
The most baffling moment comes when the building comes to life, and grabs a guy by both arms, and simultaneously rips both arms out of their sockets
A recently abandoned prison is ... haunted? Alive, ... via artificial intelligence? ... and kills a group of people working there, knowing that a specific military group would be sent to investigate, and it would be the same people who are responsible for a killing in Afghanistan, and this haunted/ alive prison kills them one by one, after having " judged them " , while each person individually plots to double cross and kill each other ... ? I don't know, this makes absolutely no sense, and it genuinely left me feeling disoriented afterward. I'm not joking, I sincerely felt like I was in a fog, and couldn't immediately think clearly after this one, basically speechless as to what I had just witnessed.
Director/ former actor John Stockwell has his moments, but this isn't one of them, but at least he, and cinematographer Matthew Irving, try to make this good looking, but novice screenwriter Matt Savelloni's incoherent screenplay sinks this from minute one. ( Why was the opening scene, of the kid dying, even here? It has no effect on the plot in any way. It seemed like it was going to be yet another film where the lead actor has to rise up, against all odds, and redeem themselves, but happily, that's not the case here. Faint praise that. )
Any Wesley Snipes' fans who may watch this just because he is in it, and featured prominently on the poster, will be sorely disappointed, as he:s just standing in the background during most scenes. There is no real main character here, most characters have about equal screen time, and a lot of it is just them looking in empty rooms, and shouting, " Clear! " for most of the early scenes.
The most baffling moment comes when the building comes to life, and grabs a guy by both arms, and simultaneously rips both arms out of their sockets
Wesley Snipes must be desperate to have lent himself to this.
oldvinyl6 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I wish I could have given this movie a zero because it doesn't deserve even one star. It is impossible to spoil the plot, actually, because there isn't one to speak of. The reason I ticked that box is because I am going to tell you how it ends, which is such a stupid ridiculous ending that I wanted to hurl. A bunch of armed characters - it wasn't obvious what 'agency' - arrive at a penal facility of a rather weird kind that has been compromised. Lots of time is spent checking empty rooms and shouting 'clear' before finally one dead body is found. A maniac is found locked inside a sensory withdrawal tank. The team members get bumped off one by one by some mysterious invisible enemy. Why they blaze away at "it" with apparently useless weapons (half of them only have pistols) is just one of the thousands of plot holes. Anyway, they all get killed in the end. And here it comes - what is the "enemy"? It is the building itself!! How a "building" can mangle them up is not apparent. Guy walking down a corridor suddenly starts blazing away and then argh! kabump! He's dead! Perhaps concrete walls can suddenly become space aliens? Do not waste part of your life watching this drivel. All I can conclude is that Wesley Snipes must be on his uppers and desperate for cash to have accepted a starring role in this tripe. I am certainly going to look VERY closely at the reviews of any more Wesley Snipes movies in future.
Meh- it's okay
tdowdfl27 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Not the best movie but not the worst movie.. The plot of an A. I with super-natural powers dishing out punishment for crimes against humanity is a little far fetched. Some will like it and some will not. I can't say that I would ever probably watch this again.
Horror movie in 1990 style
dragoshilbert16 September 2017
We are in 2017, a movie with a plot from 2 decades ago is something that we should not see anymore.
Some actors are trying but the script is not helping. Do not lose time with this, just skip it.
A team of pro is re-joined to solve a situation, situation that it is very clear for the audience from the moment of entering in the building, you will be like "I know what it will happen, I know who did it". So it is no fun, no mystery, nothing new, nothing innovative.
Some actors are trying but the script is not helping. Do not lose time with this, just skip it.
A team of pro is re-joined to solve a situation, situation that it is very clear for the audience from the moment of entering in the building, you will be like "I know what it will happen, I know who did it". So it is no fun, no mystery, nothing new, nothing innovative.
Oh GOD People don't even Bother Wasting Time For This Movie
nikola1722 October 2017
Wesley Snipes i don't blame at him never do because he is their just for paycheck to pay Tax. he is SO bored and burning out of his skull in this movie is such bad weird look of film. director John Stockwell i loved In The Blood, Kickboxer Vengeance i loved it but needs more of effort, Blue Crash, Into Blue good movies but this come on it's Wesley Snipes movie but he is lead actor lead role it say's it on poster and trailer but it's trick the lead role that switch's to Dave Annable god he is not that good of lead actor but he is OK not greatest actor or character in movie i thought this was pointless cheap bad story Fake Stupid CGI bad film very bad i blame director and writers for this movie. Wesley Snipes doesn't care about this movie because he is in the all movie but he doesn't do much action i don't how is this a action movie it's very stupid made movie. It's a crying shame. Wesley got the acting chops and the martial arts skills. He just needs that one right role. I wish Tarantino or Rodriguez could come up with a vehicle for him and Scott Adkins movie i would love to see it but someone gave Wesley Snipes rubbish opportunity of this movie believe me it's terrible you don't want to buy it because i did it for Wesley Snipes i look at cover he is lead actor lead character i am thinking OK what's problem with that. i spend $20 for this piece of this rubbish movie god i wish it was on Netflix or something but i have it in my collection of Wesley Snipes movies but this planning maybe selling it to space movie doesn't exist anymore. Plot is really pointless hard to understand it's confusing it doesn't know where it's going or who is lead hero or lead villain should have kept story simple. A team of highly trained Issac (Wesley Snipes) Gabriel (Dave Annable) and Brett (Colby Lopez) or (Seth Rollins) what ever his name is. Saeed Refai (Eyas Younis), Riley (Anne Heche) they went to isolated military compound they got trapped find themselves trapped inside and it's not creature's or zombies i really wish it was one of another of that not a ghost boring revenge film this all thing in movie is such pointless believe me it's really bad film the action was only little believe me the all movie in hour is just walking and talking to know what's going on i found this such pointless to know what is it. is it creature ?? but no you have main villain in movie actor End of Days, 2 Fast 2 Furious actor (Mo Gallini)Ahmadi who is a terrorist group locked up in prison and he is such pointless boring character in movie.
believe me Wesley Snipes does noting besides he is in movie and talks to know what's really going on. i thought it was weird looking of movie weird looking the acting is terrible but Wesley Snipes has good acting but he wasn't best in movie rest of another are OK but not good actors at all i like wrestler Seth Rollins but it doesn't save movie. Wesley Snipes could not save this movie at all not in 2 feet, come on People are giving really bad Opportunity's for Wesley Snipes just because he is B-Class actor doesn't mean he can't go back as lead actor in a big budget action flick we are in 2017 we didn't need to see a 90's horror style of movie or boring style of actors don't know what they doing the script is SO flat although Wesley Snipes not the main character this movie is tricking everyone crash grab movie for noting total nonsense, with more plot holes, missing plots and confusing dialogue such confusing movie and director between these two don't know what to do or what to write for this is Confusing plot of movie when you follow story all that in every scenes it changes it to one thing to another flat movie can't make choice of writing this movie. later on you have this most confusing Silly plot can't keep things simple A recently abandoned prison is haunted? Alive, via artificial intelligence? and kills a group of people working there, knowing that a specific military group would be sent to investigate, and it would be the same people who are responsible for a killing in Afghanistan and Wesley Snipes Character Issac is turned himself a Bad Guy even he is lead actor he can't be Good Guy in this movie he has to turn into bad guy because he is Simon Phoenix Demolition Man DUMB Twist like movie doesn't know who needs to be lead or villain ?? he turns into a bad guy for no reason he was responsible for killing Afghanistan, and this haunted/ alive prison kills them one by one, after having " judged them " , while each person individually plots to double cross and kill each other I don't know, this makes absolutely no sense at all believe don't waste $20 or $25
believe me Wesley Snipes does noting besides he is in movie and talks to know what's really going on. i thought it was weird looking of movie weird looking the acting is terrible but Wesley Snipes has good acting but he wasn't best in movie rest of another are OK but not good actors at all i like wrestler Seth Rollins but it doesn't save movie. Wesley Snipes could not save this movie at all not in 2 feet, come on People are giving really bad Opportunity's for Wesley Snipes just because he is B-Class actor doesn't mean he can't go back as lead actor in a big budget action flick we are in 2017 we didn't need to see a 90's horror style of movie or boring style of actors don't know what they doing the script is SO flat although Wesley Snipes not the main character this movie is tricking everyone crash grab movie for noting total nonsense, with more plot holes, missing plots and confusing dialogue such confusing movie and director between these two don't know what to do or what to write for this is Confusing plot of movie when you follow story all that in every scenes it changes it to one thing to another flat movie can't make choice of writing this movie. later on you have this most confusing Silly plot can't keep things simple A recently abandoned prison is haunted? Alive, via artificial intelligence? and kills a group of people working there, knowing that a specific military group would be sent to investigate, and it would be the same people who are responsible for a killing in Afghanistan and Wesley Snipes Character Issac is turned himself a Bad Guy even he is lead actor he can't be Good Guy in this movie he has to turn into bad guy because he is Simon Phoenix Demolition Man DUMB Twist like movie doesn't know who needs to be lead or villain ?? he turns into a bad guy for no reason he was responsible for killing Afghanistan, and this haunted/ alive prison kills them one by one, after having " judged them " , while each person individually plots to double cross and kill each other I don't know, this makes absolutely no sense at all believe don't waste $20 or $25
waste of an ok plot
zagagaz26 May 2019
Wow! Nice little gem
SBenoit59 August 2017
OK, Snipe was not playing the best role of the movie, but he was part of a solid team.
I really don't agree with the negatives reviews. It is a low budget movie, but it doesn't matter because they made something really nice with what they had.
The shooting is well done, the soundtrack is also nice, and the casting is really impressive. I mean, all the new faces where really good actors, and during the entire movie we felt that Snipe was really well surrounded. And it felt fresh to see all those new solid faces.
The only negative thing I have to say is about the beginning of the movie. It felt badly written and empty. But after that, you can sit and enjoy the nice work.
I really don't agree with the negatives reviews. It is a low budget movie, but it doesn't matter because they made something really nice with what they had.
The shooting is well done, the soundtrack is also nice, and the casting is really impressive. I mean, all the new faces where really good actors, and during the entire movie we felt that Snipe was really well surrounded. And it felt fresh to see all those new solid faces.
The only negative thing I have to say is about the beginning of the movie. It felt badly written and empty. But after that, you can sit and enjoy the nice work.
Expecting an action movie, got a horror movie.
subxerogravity20 August 2017
So this is not an action movie starring Wesley Snipes, this is a horror movie with Snipes in it. I went to see if cause the way Snipes was all over the movie poster (all by himself) I was hoping for a decent action film with hopefully one stylish Snipes fighting scenes. What I got instead was something I can see people having a hard time advertising.
Snipes leads a team of marines into a prison where a secret government interrogation tool is being held in order to find out why they lost contact with the first half of the team. As the movie progressed, I'm thinking it was going to be some hi-tech, who-done-it mystery as the crew used surveillance to find out what happen to the first team but as Wesley's team gets picked off one by one, I'm seeing it as a completely different demographic. Even though it's not scary, it still had all the elements,similar to how the action movie, Aliens is a horror movie about marines battling monsters, and how Predator is the same thing. This movie is no where near as good as Aliens or Predator, but it is a very good suspense drama about war. The area where the action takes place is a huge prison that looks like a video game. Plus gene Simmons of Kiss ( who now has a bald head) is in it.
Confused cause I did not get what I came for but it does not disappoint.
http://cinemagardens.com
Snipes leads a team of marines into a prison where a secret government interrogation tool is being held in order to find out why they lost contact with the first half of the team. As the movie progressed, I'm thinking it was going to be some hi-tech, who-done-it mystery as the crew used surveillance to find out what happen to the first team but as Wesley's team gets picked off one by one, I'm seeing it as a completely different demographic. Even though it's not scary, it still had all the elements,similar to how the action movie, Aliens is a horror movie about marines battling monsters, and how Predator is the same thing. This movie is no where near as good as Aliens or Predator, but it is a very good suspense drama about war. The area where the action takes place is a huge prison that looks like a video game. Plus gene Simmons of Kiss ( who now has a bald head) is in it.
Confused cause I did not get what I came for but it does not disappoint.
http://cinemagardens.com
TERRIBLE
lukem-5276013 April 2021
Good Idea, Poor Execution
tabuno10 January 2019
29 August 2017. A decent and intriguing concept gone awry. This science fiction movie with occult overtones had great promise but it employed a huge mistake, however, in postponing the use of a major flashback using it instead as a supposedly cute revealing twist towards the end of the movie. Starring the relatively unknown Dave Annable along with Ann Heche and Wesley Snipes, this movie is about a special ops team that goes into a secured facility to investigate the disappearance of other members of their team that were staffing the facility. The movie begins and continues with a strong music track with its thunderous, physically pulsating music in the tradition of The Terminator (1984). It also offers up especially in the beginning good cinematography and visual landscape shots. There is good pacing along with the editing and a nice lack of the usual stereotypical character introductions with the characters being all professional and smart. The director makes great use of the actual location interior set and lighting design for the creepy, isolating sensation to build up the suspense.
Yet from a very promising plot outline, the movie follows a flawed script full of distracting, irritating weaknesses that start to pile up. Instead of just revealing a scene of merciless killing at the beginning of the movie, the script attempts to be overly cute believing using it as a wonderful twist would be a brilliant surprise. Instead the audience is presented with a mini-Alien (1979) outline in one minute from the dining scene to the killing scenes in which all the victims find themselves all alone. We have a crappy truck driver who can't see a small girl out of control on her bicycle barreling towards the truck.? We this amazing military team who supposedly have no immediately access to explosives or to make any when they get trapped inside a secret facility. Why not try breaking down a locked heavy loading bay door with a truck or use it as a potential gasoline bomb? It's hard to believe that this team is really "trapped." Then twenty minutes in a gruesome death of a former colleague is discovered, but nobody seems interesting in assessing what might have happened. Then in the forthcoming minutes more bodies start piling up which aren't examined either for clues. Not only that, but the team members seem to end up searching by themselves and not in two by two formations as ordered by Wesley Snipes leaving each of them stupidly vulnerable.
There's another scene further into the movie involving a discussion about the families of the victims that is oddly out of sequence considering the magnitude of the unknown threat that still exists that could emerge to kill any person still left alive. Overlooked until much later is the video replay of events of the beginning of the movie. Then there's the obvious oversight on the part of the team as to who is responsible for the murderous mystery and again the stupid use of a single team members to conduct important tasks without anybody looking at each other's backs.
The basic theme mind control incorporated into movie might have been borrowed from the Galaxy of Terror (1981) plot, B-rated science fiction movie and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) but again way under used in this movie. Then the movie eventually descends into the typical strained, two-dimensional, paranoid debate between testosterone loaded characters unlike the more captivating and compelling realism of science fiction thriller The Andromeda Strain originated by Michael Crichton's work and adapted into a movie by Robert Wise. It hard to believe that as smart as computer programmers might be having designed supposed the most technologically intrusive lie detector that someone's imagination couldn't extend the logic further, especially with all the similar science fiction movies that have permeated society such as The Matrix (1999) or The Thirteenth Floor (1999), or Total Recall (1990).
As with Event Horizon (1997), this movie appears to take the easy way out with apparent random mysterious happenings without much logical explanation, like a series of Cube (1997) all manner of dying scenes which in Cube's case were connected to a unifying malevolent entity. Strangely even more than half the way through the movie, the team members don't seem to really take serious defensive measure to protect themselves, adding to the unreasonable distracting factor of the movie which continues throughout much of the movie even as things become even interestingly spookier. Yet what seems to work so well for Ridley Scott in Alien (1979) or Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996) or Supernova (2000) in the buildup to and the revelation of the source of the mystery, doesn't seem to have the same ultimately fearful impact. Any why is it that the response to "What is it?" when characters in the movie see something strange they inevitably end up staying "Nothing" of course. The boring, unimaginative clichés have begun to pile up at this point. There's the one death of a character that really doesn't make much sense towards the end of the movie and there's the reality crashing into the mystically science fiction and horror/occult elements like oil and water unsettling the pace and rhythm and tone of the whole movie. Way too much time was spent on the typical violence of most movies instead of the basic more intriguing science fiction theme of the movie. By the end of the movie, the audience has been tossed around like a salad with an unbalanced taste of sweet and sour by a sous chef.
For something that really amazing try the little known science fiction techno thriller The Machine (2013) which is dazzling in its script and delivery.
Yet from a very promising plot outline, the movie follows a flawed script full of distracting, irritating weaknesses that start to pile up. Instead of just revealing a scene of merciless killing at the beginning of the movie, the script attempts to be overly cute believing using it as a wonderful twist would be a brilliant surprise. Instead the audience is presented with a mini-Alien (1979) outline in one minute from the dining scene to the killing scenes in which all the victims find themselves all alone. We have a crappy truck driver who can't see a small girl out of control on her bicycle barreling towards the truck.? We this amazing military team who supposedly have no immediately access to explosives or to make any when they get trapped inside a secret facility. Why not try breaking down a locked heavy loading bay door with a truck or use it as a potential gasoline bomb? It's hard to believe that this team is really "trapped." Then twenty minutes in a gruesome death of a former colleague is discovered, but nobody seems interesting in assessing what might have happened. Then in the forthcoming minutes more bodies start piling up which aren't examined either for clues. Not only that, but the team members seem to end up searching by themselves and not in two by two formations as ordered by Wesley Snipes leaving each of them stupidly vulnerable.
There's another scene further into the movie involving a discussion about the families of the victims that is oddly out of sequence considering the magnitude of the unknown threat that still exists that could emerge to kill any person still left alive. Overlooked until much later is the video replay of events of the beginning of the movie. Then there's the obvious oversight on the part of the team as to who is responsible for the murderous mystery and again the stupid use of a single team members to conduct important tasks without anybody looking at each other's backs.
The basic theme mind control incorporated into movie might have been borrowed from the Galaxy of Terror (1981) plot, B-rated science fiction movie and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) but again way under used in this movie. Then the movie eventually descends into the typical strained, two-dimensional, paranoid debate between testosterone loaded characters unlike the more captivating and compelling realism of science fiction thriller The Andromeda Strain originated by Michael Crichton's work and adapted into a movie by Robert Wise. It hard to believe that as smart as computer programmers might be having designed supposed the most technologically intrusive lie detector that someone's imagination couldn't extend the logic further, especially with all the similar science fiction movies that have permeated society such as The Matrix (1999) or The Thirteenth Floor (1999), or Total Recall (1990).
As with Event Horizon (1997), this movie appears to take the easy way out with apparent random mysterious happenings without much logical explanation, like a series of Cube (1997) all manner of dying scenes which in Cube's case were connected to a unifying malevolent entity. Strangely even more than half the way through the movie, the team members don't seem to really take serious defensive measure to protect themselves, adding to the unreasonable distracting factor of the movie which continues throughout much of the movie even as things become even interestingly spookier. Yet what seems to work so well for Ridley Scott in Alien (1979) or Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996) or Supernova (2000) in the buildup to and the revelation of the source of the mystery, doesn't seem to have the same ultimately fearful impact. Any why is it that the response to "What is it?" when characters in the movie see something strange they inevitably end up staying "Nothing" of course. The boring, unimaginative clichés have begun to pile up at this point. There's the one death of a character that really doesn't make much sense towards the end of the movie and there's the reality crashing into the mystically science fiction and horror/occult elements like oil and water unsettling the pace and rhythm and tone of the whole movie. Way too much time was spent on the typical violence of most movies instead of the basic more intriguing science fiction theme of the movie. By the end of the movie, the audience has been tossed around like a salad with an unbalanced taste of sweet and sour by a sous chef.
For something that really amazing try the little known science fiction techno thriller The Machine (2013) which is dazzling in its script and delivery.
A total mess
r96sk27 November 2020
Woeful.
'Armed Response' is, simply, a total mess. The entire plot makes little to no sense, while the casting, cinematography and dialogue are just as bad. Some of the effects are OK-ish and there are two decent deaths. Otherwise, it all makes for an insufferable 93 minutes.
They attempt to mesh horror and thriller vibes but it just doesn't work, I didn't feel thrilled once and the horror is set up so poorly; despite a couple of alright ideas for the latter. Wesley Snipes is the all-star name attached to this, yet is bemusingly put into a back-up role behind Dave Annable. Why would you not utilise Snipes as your lead?
WWE Studios have done far better. It only avoids the lowest rating from me due to there, somehow, being worse films out there.
'Armed Response' is, simply, a total mess. The entire plot makes little to no sense, while the casting, cinematography and dialogue are just as bad. Some of the effects are OK-ish and there are two decent deaths. Otherwise, it all makes for an insufferable 93 minutes.
They attempt to mesh horror and thriller vibes but it just doesn't work, I didn't feel thrilled once and the horror is set up so poorly; despite a couple of alright ideas for the latter. Wesley Snipes is the all-star name attached to this, yet is bemusingly put into a back-up role behind Dave Annable. Why would you not utilise Snipes as your lead?
WWE Studios have done far better. It only avoids the lowest rating from me due to there, somehow, being worse films out there.
Pathetic for A Wesley Snipes Movie
bandit-8386516 April 2019
I like this kind of Science Fiction....But.....
dncorp6 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Mistakes
A U.S. Army Specialist Four (4) E-4, emblem on hat (Special Four (4) Issac (Wesley Snipes)) not a Leadership Position, would NOT be In Charge of Anything, a Corporal E-4 considered the lowest Leadership Position in rare cases when a E-5 Sergeant is not available, not even in cases of U.S. Military Special Warfare, as there are no "Enlisted" nor Junior NCOs (E-4 Corporal to E-6 Staff Sergeant) due to the Years to almost a Decade just to train new U.S. Military Special Operations Team Members so by the time they are Active Special Operations Team Members they are already E-7s or Higher.
Intelligence Agency types would never wear Enlisted Ranks, at the very least they wear O-1 U.S. Military Officer Grade, so that if necessary they can Order and get some Support from U.S. Military.
You need a better more experienced U.S. Military Technical Adviser.
National Security Assets (Facilities). I am omitting this detailed part, as what an actual "Armed Response" would be, as currently would be used for Real. Let's just say a small "Team" as depicted would not have been sent to investigate.
As far as building a Computer and writing Software (a Program) as depicted, Highly Probable, due to Moore's Law, and the Fact that for quite some time the National Security Agency has been designing and building their Own Computer Processors that far exceed the power, speeds, and capabilities of any Civilian Supercomputer.
A U.S. Army Specialist Four (4) E-4, emblem on hat (Special Four (4) Issac (Wesley Snipes)) not a Leadership Position, would NOT be In Charge of Anything, a Corporal E-4 considered the lowest Leadership Position in rare cases when a E-5 Sergeant is not available, not even in cases of U.S. Military Special Warfare, as there are no "Enlisted" nor Junior NCOs (E-4 Corporal to E-6 Staff Sergeant) due to the Years to almost a Decade just to train new U.S. Military Special Operations Team Members so by the time they are Active Special Operations Team Members they are already E-7s or Higher.
Intelligence Agency types would never wear Enlisted Ranks, at the very least they wear O-1 U.S. Military Officer Grade, so that if necessary they can Order and get some Support from U.S. Military.
You need a better more experienced U.S. Military Technical Adviser.
National Security Assets (Facilities). I am omitting this detailed part, as what an actual "Armed Response" would be, as currently would be used for Real. Let's just say a small "Team" as depicted would not have been sent to investigate.
As far as building a Computer and writing Software (a Program) as depicted, Highly Probable, due to Moore's Law, and the Fact that for quite some time the National Security Agency has been designing and building their Own Computer Processors that far exceed the power, speeds, and capabilities of any Civilian Supercomputer.
Not bad but...
Scar3830 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Yes, I was enjoying this, I found it quite tense and well acted, and I'm a big fan of Wesley Snipes so I had a feeling I would like it, but one scene ruined it all. A van reversed and smashed a man's head against a wall and the next scene we see the same man with half his head missing and his brains on the floor, yet one of his colleagues are trying to wake him up, I mean seriously wtf.
Can't do it
flatbeat-084732 June 2018
No response
kosmasp5 February 2020
I have to admit, something a different reviewer stated is quite right. This could easily be a Seagal movie. Now he can't act in stark contrast to Snipes, but everything else ... I can see that. Actually I'd prefer not to see that, but you get my point. I guess one of the main differences would be that the newer Seagal movie would have (female) nudity included, whatever that means to you.
Now the movie at hand does not make much sense, there's not backup plan and no real plan either I guess. I don't think this will stay with you, technically though I cannot fault it. Do the effects and some stunts elevate the viewing experience? Probably not, but you be the judge
Now the movie at hand does not make much sense, there's not backup plan and no real plan either I guess. I don't think this will stay with you, technically though I cannot fault it. Do the effects and some stunts elevate the viewing experience? Probably not, but you be the judge
Extra ordinary low budget
KonradMoklev4 August 2017
Simple movie, but worthy. Kinda have this sci-fi horror action thriller feel to it, but u don't know what it is... Simple movie, with old timer Snipes back in the game... Movie don't feel cheap nor expensive, Just like an 90ties classical action. I liked it, different and new... So go ahead, open pack of M&M, heaten upp your pizza stone and enjoy this simple flick with that classical feel to it.
Wooden Actors
melady-2879918 November 2019
If you would like to be bored into involuntary autism, please watch this film. Snipes is, well......Snipes but old, Seth Rollins may as well be a cardboard cut out, and Anne Heche looks like she's been living in a house made of painkillers and cocaine that are being washed down with tears from not being invited to the Emmys anymore.
The lead actors lithp start grating about 13 seconds into the film, and he uses severely techy phrases to make you believe the whole thing, like, for instance...
"The discombobulator is malfunctioning because the staffitiotronic embazzinator is cojoining"
One of the Worst movies I've ever seen
Shellser176 August 2020
Before seeing the movie I thought it might just be a Wesley Snipes action film, but it turned out to be a twisted A.I horror film with a premise not based in reality. Actors were good, but the script wasn't well thought out. Terrible ending and the predator of the film was anti climactic. Recommend not watching.
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