Rish's Reviews
MGM/UA was unapologetic in its plan to be the first in a long line of post-Kevin Williamson teen horror films, and thusly moved the release date up to better cash in. It's not a Slasher, and isn't really horror in the strict sense--more a psychological-techno-thriller aimed at teens who hate adults in every way. Still, it was pretty effective (when it worked), capitalizing on our universal fear of losing one's identity. The acting was good, the dialogue above average, the blonde--whoo!, and the ‘Blue Ribbons' were a chilling bunch. Other times, however, it seemed rushed, overly simplistic, and unbelievable. What was up with the subplot about the brother? What was happening with the sister? How about our hero's parents--were they brainwashed too, or innocently damning their children, or simply E-V-I-L as all adults are? It seemed like characters had business that was cut but shouldn't have been, and things ended too tidily for my liking. I think it fell short of being a modern classic for a lot of reasons, but most would've been avoided had they taken their time.
Best Scare: Seeing that damn eye-implant approaching our hero was a bruised forearm moment.
I'd Recommend This To: Teens only.
Note: Remove the cursing, sex, and happy ending, and Provo, Utah would use this as a recruiting film.

The tyranist's thoughts
I like this kind of horror movie (and horror it is, even in the strictest sense). Somehow the "we're being replaced" theme fits well with me. This particular implementation was no exception. I found it intelligently done in spite of the fact that nearly every plot element has appeared before. It did seem too short, but at approximately ninety minutes it is an average length horror film. The only thing that truly annoyed me in the movie was during the standard sequel set up. They made the Gavin character's eye turn red to remind us who he was. It was unnecessary. There wasn't a single person in the audience who had already forgotten that he was one-of-them. Other than that minor little detail (which happened immediately before the credits and therefore stuck in my mind), I really enjoyed the show.