SCI FI PI

Starring Carlos Bernard, Rockmond Dunbar, Courtney Ford
Director Ben Rock
Rated MA15+
Out Now



Obviously saved money on the Cover Art. Never mind, the movie's quite good.


Alien Raiders comes from the Raw Feed people, so you'd be forgiven in thinking that a DVD called 'Alien Raiders' was going to be a low budget, schlocky papfest, at best.

You'd be forgiven, but you'd be wrong.

Alien Raiders joins the rich heritage of Sci Fi films that 'look like they're going to be crap, but aren't'.



What do you meeeeaaaan you're out of Twinkies? Humaaaaaaaan give meeee Twinkieeeeeeees!


A combination of a decent cast working well and a smart script that sticks to its guns means this twist on a very tried and tested Sci Fi theme becomes quite the surprise package, well worth the look for the ardent Sci FI hunter. Sure, it's a low budget flick - but it's a good one!

You'll start off watching it and go 'oh, here we go again', but what looks to be a familiar plot line becomes far more interesting than it initially appears. Ultimately, Alien Raiders is a riff on The Thing, but if we already knew The Thing existed. It's not a big leap, but the the cold-hearted logic that our main characters deal with the situation (ably lead by Carlos Bernard, who plays Tony Almeida on smash hit TV show, 24) is what gives this plot a steely spine. Logic and Sci Fi aren't often comfortable bedfellows, but in this case, they're sleeping together.



Yes. An alien monster exploded out of his chest. It's alien-flu.


So - here's the plot. A crummy supermarket is shutting down for the night. Late night browsers are being herded out. A strange truck filled with well armed baddie types breaks in, and hold the whole place hostage. Retarded, right? How much money could you possibly get from a supermarket? At midnight?

But no.

These guys do not care for produce, nor cash. They want the evil alien invaders hiding within human bodies - and there's got to be at least one at the Hastings Supermarket in sleepy Buck's Lake.

Now, if you were part of a small group of people who were fighting aliens, would you give a toss about 'the law'. No, you would not. Would you stop at nothing to stop these icky things feeding on us? Of course! If someone dies along the way - well, that's just a casualty of war. These guys mean business.



Jack Bauer? Who the hell is Jack Bauer?


When one of the team members dies and they have to wait for a replacement (with crucial skills necessary for hunting down the monster) a traditional hostage scenario takes place - with cops, lights and guns and megaphones on the outside. Inside, however, it's the plot from The Thing, with our 'heroes' trying to find out just who exactly is the alien, before it eats another of them or another really unlucky customer or staff member.

The action heats up nicely, the 'well, it's not that guy, is it?' list-crossing-off plot is handled with aplomb and when we do see what we're dealing with - it is a satisfying hoot. The backstory and the secret alien hunting world that the characters inhabit is drawn up succinctly, and without labourious expositionary dialogue. Either you get it, or you don't. The way this kind of thing is handled is a good example of what happens when you take a fairly dumb idea but you don't dumb it down for the audience. That way, a 'classic' theme gets a new lease on life. If only 'big budget' Hollywood would be so bold.

Don't be fooled by the DVD cover. This is solid, well made Sci Fi, with committed performances and a touch of style. Sure, it is very low budget, and there are some 'moments' that you'll have to forgive, but the same determination shown by the characters is mirrored by the director, Ben Rock, who follows his vision all the way to the end.

See it, and be rewarded.



That's why I'm a vegetarian...