There are worse SyFy original movies than Jet Stream, though that is very little consolation as from this viewer's perspective it wasn't a good movie at all. It's not entirely without redeeming qualities, the best aspect is the scenery which is really quite lovely and eye-catching. And actually the music also has its moments, not a great score with not much that is unique about it but less generic and sluggish-in-tempo than other SyFy movies of its type and any other genre. They're all that Jet Stream has going for it. Regardless of whether it shows an inaccurate representation of the military, from memory the military have been represented far worse than here(from a movie seen in the past three months or so Sea Viper comes to mind), or not, that was among the least of Jet Stream's problems if so. Jet Stream is badly hindered by budget, the movie just looks drab with editing that suggests either somebody with little experience or one with little interest for the movie and special effects that are at best slapdash and rushed through. The script is riddled with tired clichés, the cheese factor and parts that will leave people confused as to whether it makes sense or not. Another one of those movies that could have done with a proper read-through. The characters are cardboard stereotypes with personalities that are not interesting or engaging in the slightest, while there is a sense that the actors were not connecting with their characters or material at all.
Few of them seemed to be even aware of the situation their characters were in and there is a lot of phoning-in and embarrassed-looking body language going on. But the aspect that came off worst of all was the story. Some may find spotting the many scientific errors fun to spot, others will be too infuriated to be entertained. Either way, with errors this many and so confused in nature it gets increasingly difficult to take things seriously. There are some decent enough ideas on display, the problem is- and sorry to anybody who considers this a tired criticism- Jet Stream either under-develops these ideas or doesn't do anything with them. Not just that but it tries to incorporate several plot elements and neither come off successfully. The disaster elements lack excitement and is too ridiculous to properly swallow with the cheapest of the production values. The conspiracy thriller elements feature Jet Stream's most stock characters and most unfocused dialogue and just don't thrill or engage, instead any scenes involving this are dull. The satire lacks bite, sharpness or acerbic wit and while the media can exaggerate or twist things at times the satire here can border on heavy-handed and preachy and almost too much of an attack. And the romantic elements descends into mawkishness and overwrought melodrama, and has the movie's most toe-curlingly clichéd dialogue. In conclusion, there is worse out there than Jet Stream but there are no thrills or sense of fun, and the cheap production values, bad dialogue and acting and a story that does very little with any potential it had sees to that. The scenery and to a lesser extent the music are the best things about it, everything else is a failure, by all means if you like it go ahead but if anyone does dislike it it is very easy to see why. 3/10 Bethany Cox
Few of them seemed to be even aware of the situation their characters were in and there is a lot of phoning-in and embarrassed-looking body language going on. But the aspect that came off worst of all was the story. Some may find spotting the many scientific errors fun to spot, others will be too infuriated to be entertained. Either way, with errors this many and so confused in nature it gets increasingly difficult to take things seriously. There are some decent enough ideas on display, the problem is- and sorry to anybody who considers this a tired criticism- Jet Stream either under-develops these ideas or doesn't do anything with them. Not just that but it tries to incorporate several plot elements and neither come off successfully. The disaster elements lack excitement and is too ridiculous to properly swallow with the cheapest of the production values. The conspiracy thriller elements feature Jet Stream's most stock characters and most unfocused dialogue and just don't thrill or engage, instead any scenes involving this are dull. The satire lacks bite, sharpness or acerbic wit and while the media can exaggerate or twist things at times the satire here can border on heavy-handed and preachy and almost too much of an attack. And the romantic elements descends into mawkishness and overwrought melodrama, and has the movie's most toe-curlingly clichéd dialogue. In conclusion, there is worse out there than Jet Stream but there are no thrills or sense of fun, and the cheap production values, bad dialogue and acting and a story that does very little with any potential it had sees to that. The scenery and to a lesser extent the music are the best things about it, everything else is a failure, by all means if you like it go ahead but if anyone does dislike it it is very easy to see why. 3/10 Bethany Cox
