Spectral (2016) User Reviews

A homage to the gaming world

[reaver80808-552-7999 · 7/10 · 9 December 2016]

Not a bad movie. In fact better than some of the huge budget offerings intended for cinema, lately.

Don't get me wrong, it's got all the usual clichés. A heroic scientist, tough American soldiers who don't take no s___ and distrust heroic scientists, and the tough female agent. It's also got it's plot holes and as is often the case with this genre, the heroes always manage to be stood in the right place to not get killed, while "nameless soldier" gets it! They also love a montage, where incredible weapons and sciency stuff can be created in only a few hours! But I could forgive all this, because it was fun to watch and didn't feel like a chore at any point.

Sure, it won't fire your brain cells to their full extent, but like I said, it has nice touches and a very nice feel, visually. It is reminiscent of recent computer games, such as Gears of War or Titanfall, leading me to believe the creators may be gaming fans. They do get that feel right however. I'd even go as far as to say, give Paul W S Anderson (a staple game/movie director) his WELL deserved marching orders and let this team handle the next game to movie conversion. They seem to understand the look well.

It also borrows from previous action/sci-fi movies at some stages. I got a feel of Aliens at one point, and the overall story is VERY reminiscent of Final Fantasy The Spirits Within. There are lot's of little touches throughout, that made me feel I'd been here before, but they never went to the 'ripping off' point, but more a nostalgic tip of the hat to previous sci-fi.

The acting is all solid, aside from moments where the characters don't seem quite troubled enough, considering they may be snuffed out by an invisible force at any moment, but that is often the case with these movies, due to the short amount of time they have to set the scene, develop characters and tell the story, but aside from this, everyone is likable, if a little two dimensional overall. I think this is why serialised tories are taking off so much in recent years.

The visual effects are also very nice and miles better than I expected for a straight to Netflix movie. I can't recall any moment where I cringed at the effects. The war-torn sets were also nicely done.

Don't go in expecting some sci-fi epic that will change your world view. Go in expecting a bit of fun, with some nice effects and a simple story. Not a bad way to spend an hour and forty eight minutes, if you like sci-fi.

I was SO ENTERTAINED by this!! Awesome!

[paulclaassen · 7/10 · 12 July 2019]

'Spectral' has all the trademarks of an alien invasion movie, but this 'Battle: Los Angeles' meets 'The Darkest Hour' film is actually not an alien movie. This is a movie about a science experiment gone wrong.

I enjoyed the simplicity of the film. There's no twists, no frills, no complicated issues. This is a simple story about soldiers in a predicament and trying to stay alive against all odds as they face an 'invisible' enemy. The visual effects are awesome! It is a good script with great dialogue. This spectacular fantasy action film. Is fast-paced, action-packed, suspenseful and unpredictable. It also has the added bonus of very good acting from a veteran cast.

The visuals never ceased to amaze me; it is simply out of this world. This was an incredibly entertaining film. Just wow, wow, wow!

Not Awful...

[chazview · 5/10 · 10 December 2016]

It's not exactly a 'Netflix-Original'. Started out as a joint production between Universal and Legendary Films with a budget of 70-million. After completion, Universal wasn't happy with it, Legendary didn't like their feedback and they had a falling out -- the planned 2016 summer theatrical release was canceled. Chinese-owned Legendary Films shopped around, Netflix picked it up as an already finished movie and branded it as a 'Netflix-Original'.

Not awful. Competent, experienced cast; OK story and decent effects contribute to a production that had some budget to work with. A few plot-holes here and there, like beings that can fly over things, yet laying iron shavings on the ground provides a barrier of protection because they can't step in it. Contrived ending, but so what -- it's an enjoyable watch... :-)

Just lean back and enjoy the action ride...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 11 December 2016]

This is what Hollywood does best; a massive CGI galore that supplements a mediocre storyline that has as many plot holes as a Swiss cheese.

Initially I hadn't heard about the movie, and knew nothing about what it was about, prior to getting the chance to sit down and watch it. I did snoop around on IMDb just moments before sitting down to watch it. And what made me stay in the seat was that IMDb mentioned that it was about a special-ops team dispatched to fight supernatural beings. What is not to like about the supernatural?

So I sat down to watch "Spectral" with literally no expectations. So I was genuinely blown away come the ending of the movie. Wow, this was a special effects movie of massive proportions. Both the visual effects and the sound effects were amazing, and they alone make it worthwhile to sit down and watch "Spectral".

As for the acting, well, let's just say that this is not Shakespearian acting on any levels, nor is it acting that would incur any kind of statue or trophy. However, I will say that James Badge Dale really carried the movie singlehandedly with his performance as Clyne. He was the only one who stood out in this myriad of impressive CGI effects and blasting sub-woofers.

If you sit down to watch "Spectral" and expect a grand story, then you will be sorely disappointed, because this movie is essentially as simplistic as they come. A group of special-ops are trapped behind enemy lines, fighting a deadly enemy that they can't see with the naked eye. And that is it; the entire storyline summarized in a single sentence.

But to make it better, then this simplistic storyline has more plot holes than a Swiss cheese. So many things just didn't make any logical sense, and equally many things just didn't add up. But hey, all these shortcomings were instantly blown away by a cascade of impressive CGI special effects and a constant bombardment of sound waves from the sub-woofer.

"Spectral" is the type of movie that you just unhook you brain and lean fully back in the chair and enjoy all the pretty images on the screen. A perfect choice of movie for a lazy evening or if you are nurturing yourself back together after a binge...

Why all this hate?

[Bob_Sfougkarakis · 6/10 · 12 December 2016]

Is this the best movie of 2016? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Is this the worst movie of 2016? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Spectral is just a decent movie which I wouldn't recommend to everybody. By that I mean, if you are someone who watches 3-4 movies/month, skip Spectral and watch something else, a more 'worth- your-time' movie. On the other hand, if you watch a lot of movies (more than 3-4/week) and you are into sci-fi and a gamer(optional), then watch it.

*Nice special effects: check.

*Somewhat interesting plot: check.

*Decent acting: check. *Is everything plausible or scientifically backed up: NOPE.

*Does plot come without holes: NOPE (but how many movies or series have flawless script and plausible/possible scenes? Especially the sci-fi ones?).

At the end of the day I enjoyed watching this film more than, let's say, hmmm... :

*The Expendables 2,3,4,...,244

*Transformers 2,3,4,...,127

*Fast and Furious #WeLostCount...

Nothing more, nothing less than a solid 6/10. I will definitely watch it after a couple of years.

Decent sci-fi military flick

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 15 March 2020]

Numerous soldiers are killed when mysterious supernatural apparitions invade war-torn Moldova. You can't see them. Bullets seem to have little effect on them. Soldiers with machine guns and high tech rockets are needed to knock this enemy to the ground. Where is the blood? Plenty of fast moving special-ops military savvy in fighting the supernatural.

Plenty to keep yourself busy. Fantastic battle scenes.. Starring are: James Badge Dale, Max Martini, Emily Mortimer, Bruce Greenwood, Ursula Parker and Philip Bulcock.

Sci-fi action rollercoaster ride

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 18 February 2019]

SPECTRAL is another Netflix-made movie, this time a sci-fi action flick focusing around a military crew who find themselves battling a war against insurgents in Moldova, of all places. James Badge Dale, who was once a soldier himself in THE PACIFIC, plays an engineer tagging along, eager to test out some new lens technology to battle the titular menace: ghost-like apparitions that kill by touch and are seemingly indestructible.

The first thing that becomes apparent when watching this is how derivative it is ; the military element feels like BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (with ghosts instead of aliens) while there's a debt of inspiration to ALIENS to boot. However, most importantly, this is enjoyable. The action comes thick and fast and the enemy is quite a spooky presence. The heavy use of CGI comes across well and fits with the general look and theme. The characters are a bit underwritten and thus indistinguishable from one another, but for a rollercoaster ride you could do a lot worse these days.

Rock solid; Enjoyable.

[soundmasteraj-clearwavepro · 8/10 · 9 December 2016]

Loved the performances from the soldiers, their voices were extremely believable; they spoke with clear intent and purpose throughout.

The action was well choreographed. I found the sound design to be well done and matched the FX (visual) and corroborated the story being told.

The dialog made good sense, and there was an excellent focus on information being conveyed back and forth throughout the characters' interplay, and for the story itself.

I found the revelations and discoveries to be quite interesting, feasible, believable, and relatively congruent with science to be satisfying.

The first film (for this individual) which relied heavily on "on- the-ground" military action that I felt was non-offensive, nor hyper-stylized...

I applaud the film-makers here! Rock solid; Enjoyable.

Better than I was expecting

[Sergiodave · 6/10 · 21 November 2020]

Something sinister is killing soldiers in war torn Moldova. A weapons geek is sent out to help. Simple plot, but well executed with a couple of twists. The acting and effects were good, it moved along at a good pace and in general it was a good movie.

Fantastic first half, dismal second half

[williammachin · 5/10 · 10 December 2016]

great budget, well shot, really good CGI, no eye-rolling acting, and an incredibly interesting premise.

The setup and first act built the film into a far more compelling story and premise than you might expect, looking at the poster. I expected this film to be a hardcore version of ghostbusters/ sci-fi action flick. I could just put my feet up and disengage my mind.

The first half was a brilliantly put together military mystery, however, and had me at full attention. Albeit not exactly high brow drama, it was effective and enthralling, seemed well-written and well-designed, and set us up for an interesting conclusion.

As the film progressed, however, the believability and script writing went to heck in a hand basket, and we had polarity reversals, ion compressors, fourth states, and other techno jargon all over the shop.

The kicker was the final act, however, which turned a supernatural sci-fi thriller into a run of the mill storm-the-base piece of science fiction junk, complete with cheesy dues-ex-machinas, rushed conclusions, random changes of heart, and tacky poorly thought-out ultra-chunky and unrealistic Space Marine weaponry/ armour.

What a disappointing end to a super cool beginning.

Great original sci-fi

[welsh_dragon_roar · 10/10 · 9 December 2016]

Netflix have really upped their game with their original titles lately, and this film is no exception. The acting is good, the story is relatively original (considering how many themes are usually recycled ad nauseum in sci-fi) and the special effects were absolutely outstanding.

The pace of the film is perfect and there's never a reason to lose interest, especially as our cast delve deeper into the mystery of what's going on and how to deal with it. The tension themes were similar to Darkest Hour & FF:SW insofar as you never quite knew where the threats were going to come from at any given time, despite the countermeasures in place. Some people have compared the story with those two titles pre-release, and after watching you can see how it could be inspired by them, but only as much as other themes in cinema inspire each other; the story itself is very original.

If you like your action with an original story and extremely well- polished, then you'll probably enjoy this.

So Faaaaaaar fetched,but fun nevertheless)))

[aramt-07935 · 7/10 · 26 June 2019]

So Faaaaaaar fetched,but fun nevertheless)))The plot holes and logic "holes"are the size of an ocean)))but action is good,effects are ok,acting is good too.Ok to watch.

Here's another flashy expensive looking effort to debut on streaming

[AlsExGal · 5/10 · 10 February 2023]

In this military sci-fi from Legendary and Netflix, and from director Nic Mathieu, there's a civil war raging in Moldova, and US troops have been deployed to help bring peace. However, they encounter a strange phenomenon: ghostly beings, invisible to the naked eye, who can kill a person just by touching them. The army summons DARPA engineer Clyne (James Badge Dale) to the warzone to help determine what they are dealing with, and he's teamed with an elite Delta Force squad and CIA agent Madison (Emily Mortimer).

Here's another flashy, expensive looking effort that debuted on the Netflix streaming service rather than receive a theatrical release. The plot is fairly routine, lifting elements from various preceding military sci-fi flicks such as Aliens, while the visual style is a lot of warzone debris, smoke, and grime, with a lot of explosions and gunfire. The nature of the ghost beings is a mystery for the film's first half, but my choice for where to post this review is a minor spoiler in how that plays out. The performances are nothing but perfunctory. In the end, the movie feels like watching someone else playing a mediocre videogame for 100 minutes.

Solid sci-fi action in a war-torn eastern European country.

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 12 February 2022]

A civil war in Moldova sees US forces assisting in the fight against insurgents. They end up facing something far more dangerous. Scientist Dr Mark Clyne is flown there when the hyperspectral imaging goggles he invented capture an image of something that is impossible to explain; a ghostly human figure. Technicians thought it was just a glitch, CIA officer Fran Madison believes that it is some sort of active camouflage used by the insurgents and the locals think it is literally seeing ghosts. A team, accompanied by Clyne and Madison, is sent to get a closer look and hopefully get samples. What they find is like nothing they expected and soon they are fighting for their survival.

I thought this was a solid action film. There are plenty of genre clichés but there are also some decent twists... my early theories about the nature of the spectral images were all wide of the mark. When the truth is revealed I thought it was original and interesting. There is lots of exciting action from start to finish; the special effects are pretty good. The cast is solid with James Badge Dale doing a fine job as Clyne and Emily Mortimer impressing as Madison... she even got to use the Russian she is fluent in. Secondary characters are a little cliché; soldiers who don't initially take to Clyne then bicker when things go wrong. Also somewhat silly is how Clyne acts like 'MacGyver'; repurposing a load of equipment to make new weapons when he realises the nature of the threat. Overall though if you don't want a film that needs to be taken seriously but do want lots of action and isn't too gory or sweary for younger viewers then this is worth a watch.

Cliché after cliché, but entertaining

[siderite · 7/10 · 31 December 2016]

The movie might even make sense if you are not Romanian or Moldovan, but that's a detail that is not really important. The plot is pretty standard: American military group, separated by the main force, fighting for survival against an unstoppable enemy. Kinda like Aliens, but low budget.

I thought the acting was fine, the sound and special effects were OK and the story was decent. It had some "Ugh!" moments, in particular the ending and anything that they were trying to say in Romanian/Russian or about the political situation in the "Moldovan War". Lol!

Other than that, it's pretty obvious what is going on and what is going to happen. The only "wait, this could be cool!" moment was when they were forced to relocate. I thought it was going to turn into some sort of complex story. It didn't. My assessment: average action sci-fi.

If you have seen Aliens you could give this a miss

[fergis · 6/10 · 9 December 2016]

The army is sent in with two advisers to check out a strange enemy.

Advisors: Uber-engineer-scientist guy and a female CIA agent who doesn't appear to know how to fire a weapon but speaks the local lingo. Now if her role could have been more Ripleyish then I would've given the movie another star. How long do we have to keep being fed such uninspiring female roles?

It echoes Aliens very strongly. The adviser in the RV monitors the platoons going in with helmet cams. Soldiers start to flat line. "You've got to pull you people out now!" Army officer ignores the Uber-engineer-scientist... and more guys get killed. They fall back to the RVs. RVs punch it. Knock cars out of the way but eventually fail leaving our people to have to take to foot. Any of this sound familiar? You even have child survivors who fist bump the friendly soldier... An eventually the nest is found... wait for it... in a power station. And once the climax has been had and we are all safe again... breathe out... the Uber-engineer-scientist guy destroys the remaining monsters to stop them from falling into the hands of the company... I mean the military.

No Carter-Burke equivalent. If they copied the rest I am not sure why he was left out.

great special effects and some great facial hair.

I wasn't bored and at least the monsters didn't mostly come at night... mostly.

A very decent fare. Definitely worth a watch

[boratsuckdev · 7/10 · 30 January 2022]

Good: Movie visuals, production design, visual effects, especially near the ending, action set pieces, are really good. Direction and actors were also very good.

Lot of vibes of Aliens (especially at the beginning) and, Gears of War.

Bad: Too many deus ex Machina moments. How can you make extraordinary weapons in a war torn garage? And there is always a shutdown button!

But this movie is definitely worth your time, you wont regret it.

Very eye catching

[bonytony-79020 · 8/10 · 11 December 2016]

Very good movie, I would recommend it to others seeking a new science fiction story. The second I saw the cover to this movie I was a bit interested I watched the trailer and was sucked in. I immediately watched the film, and loved it. Great idea for a movie, excellent CGI and special effects, good story though it was a tiny bit too short and I wish we got to see more details of plot lines and more action, but not much more is needed. Also it did not have a plot like most sci-fi movies today, meaning it was unique, immediately eye catching and did not have a plot that was too "tryhard" or left me lost or confused for half of the movie by putting too many side stories into it. Overall, it was one of the best movies I've seen lately.

Should have been flatus.

[Scunner · 13 September 2017]

The first half of the film is fine, decent action, intriguing mystery, but once the mystery is resolved and we find out what the monsters are all that hard work just goes 'parp' in a sad little cloud of gas.

Because that's what the monsters are, super-cooled, extremely diffuse gas, in a state that wouldn't last a fraction of a second in any temperature much above absolute zero. A fart could destroy these monsters and yet they're smashing up tanks. A mild toot would render them non-existent in a nanosecond and yet apparently they can only be taken out with plasma weapons.

Honestly they should have just made them out of flatulence because that would have been altogether more plausible.

This was a real stinker.

Naked Dementors or Ringwraiths VS US armed forces

[ceedum03 · 6/10 · 28 October 2020]

Pros: Budget on Special effects was well spent. Sets and production art are excellent. Cast for the most part were good in their roles. No standouts but ok. 10 points.

Cons: Lots of plot holes. Questionable science and technology mumbo-jumbo. McGyver style weapon making. A lone female CIA operative only useful as interpreter. -5 points.

Don't Expect Too Much ... and You Won't Be Disappointed

[joe6629 · 4/10 · 10 December 2016]

First, the Good: There is a lot of eye-candy - like a video game trailer. The production design, stunt-work, locations, visual FX (CG AND miniatures), score, and camera work are all very, very respectable - as good if not better than some more "mainstream" movies I've seen. The soldiers (for a change) look like they've actually handled a weapon before (although some of the tactics are kind of silly). The acting is decent -i.e. bland yet not so bad that it's distracting.

The Not-So-Good: The writing is borderline unforgivably bad - with more than a few parts ripped right out of other movies. I felt like I was getting hit with a cliché' club through most of it - and caught myself laughing out loud at how ridiculously BAD some of the dialog exchanges were. There IS one inkling of an original idea here (the genesis of the baddies) but that's about it. Everything else has been done before ... and probably too many times. The Deus Ex Machina factor plus the MacGuyver-esque solutions were really hard to stomach.

Overall, if you're bored and want to shut your brain down for 110 minutes, it's worth watching ... if only for the FX

Priorities

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 15 January 2018]

Do you care about plot holes? Is it important that the story is water tight and has no logical errors or can you enjoy a movie that is made with gusto and has very fine actors in it, enough for you? The argument for style over substance could not be clearer than in this case. And it's something you have to be aware (if you saw the trailer you already are aware of it) before watching the movie and possibly waste your time.

If you decide you want to see this visual extravaganza, then hold onto your seat, because this Science Fiction movie, while not making sense throughout, has a tension level that is high. The visuals are really good and you wouldn't know from the movie that this is the first feature length movie the director has done. A visual thrill ride with good action set pieces

Very original sci fi!!

[kbaxws · 7/10 · 3 January 2022]

Would have given it a 10 based on story concept alone. But unfortunately it was a bit tedious in delivery.

The concept is like none I've seen before! So that alone made it worth seeing.

The action scenes are pretty awesome too. If only the characters and writing were sharper in delivery.

The twist at the end kinda cool too.

The hero tech tho a bit unbelievable in such a short time to save the world. But it's still a very very cool movie regardless.

Excellent effects-Acceptable acting-Plot holes galore

[wcochran · 4/10 · 9 December 2016]

If I were 30 or 40 years younger I'd likely rate this movie higher. But I'm not, so I can't...or won't.

The FX, both visual and sound, are very well done and my hat's off to those teams. Score: A The acting is decent and mostly believable. Score: B- But those plot holes are large enough to sail a modern-day cruise ship through. So I'd have to score the script a solid F.

Summary: this won't be the worst film you've ever seen and if watched with a thumpin' sound system (a big woofer is required)you'll likely get a little pumped in spots. But don't be surprised if you look at your buddies and do a few eye rolls.

How much does it cost to hire a decent translator?

[barosanescu · 11 December 2016]

I am about 43 minutes into the movie, where they find some children in a factory. And they start speaking a very bad Romanian with Moldavian accent.

I had to rewind, I must've heard wrong. No, I was right.

I do not know if it was an editing error or the translator was on crack. Must be both, since one of the "translators" asks the kids some questions, the children answer, the Sargent asks the "translator" to ask them what she already asked, and she replies with total opposite what the children already answered.

Being that was filmed in Hungary, while the action is supposed to happen in Moldavia (the old Russian Moldova), it is understandable.

The cast, I know quite a few of them. Free trip to Europe was the motivation for this ? I wasn't looking for an Oscar nomination performance, but come on!

And since when Moldavia has the resources to create "super" dung? Sri Lanka would've been more plausible.

If it wasn't on Netflix, I'd ask for my money back. How much does a translator make a year?