4th Kind review

Comments: 12
terometer
70%
Strike Back below!
by: Mike Sampson Aug. 28, 2009

When the trailer for THE FOURTH KIND debuted, it wanted to be very BLAIR WITCH-y with its premise. This is all real and if you Google it you'll find the answers. I haven't done much in the way of Googling all this alien abduction stuff but it seems that for every site that would support this things in this movie, there's another that debunks it. I'm not gonna get into a debate on all those things here (at least not now) but a JoBlo.com reader was lucky enough to catch an early screening of THE FOURTH KIND and wrote in a review. He keeps it mostly spoiler free and what little spoilers there are are noted as such. Take a read...

I recently caught a screening of "The Fourth Kind" starring Milla Jovovich as Dr. Abigail Tyler, a psychologist living in Nome, Alaska. The film is stated to be based on facts that occurred during October 2000, and has real, never-before-seen footage of interviews with her patient sessions. All of her patient's claim to be seeing and doing the same thing: waking in the middle of the night to a white owl perched outside their window. As Dr. Tyler investigates further, she believes that it may be the work of alien abduction, thus the title "The Fourth Kind", which is a series of different encounters with non-human occurrences. The First Kind being sighting of a UFO, Second Kind being observation of a UFO, Third Kind being encounter, and the Fourth being abduction. That's basically all I can tell you without giving away any major spoilers, and I will notify you before revealing anything that might spoil the story.

This film has been stated to be a true story of accounts, but I have tried looking for any sort of link to it, but have not found anything yet. Anyways, even if this is a fabrication, it is a truly SCARY film. Probably the scariest I have ever seen. The tension is very, VERY high during the scenes of actual footage and film adaptation. There are many scenes during the archive footage of (**POSSIBLE SPOILER**) possible demonic possession, abduction, and murder-suicide (**END SPOILER**).

Milla Jovovich does a very good and believable job as Dr. Tyler, but its nothing Oscar-worthy. She is supported by a some good performances from Elias Kotas and Will Patton, yet Will does get a little never-believes-you-till-the-end type of guy, but still does it well. The photography is pretty well done by Olatunde Osunsanmi, protege of Joe Carnahan (who produces), for his debut film. Whether or not this was a true story, they did a good job of covering it up. What makes me believe it is true is that some big name stars have put their careers on the line saying that it is true.

All in all, this film was VERY, VERY SCARY. The archive footage will be very disturbing, I must warn you. So to recap: good performances, some pretty scary stuff, and good direction. This film gets an 8.5/10 for me, 9.5/10 if you're into films like Blair Witch Project (has same type of archive film style) and Fire in the Sky.

Source: JoBlo.com

Extra Tidbit: Will Patton was also in another creepy alien movie THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES.

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Cobra_Commander
5:10PM on 11/03/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Way scarier. The reviewer is right - scariest movie on the subject I've seen (and I've seen a lot).
Way scarier. The reviewer is right - scariest movie on the subject I've seen (and I've seen a lot).
 
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Miguelito
10:06AM on 08/30/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I appreciate this review because it validates that the film is actually what I was hoping it would be. If it's even a fraction as scary as Mothman then I will be satisfied.
I appreciate this review because it validates that the film is actually what I was hoping it would be. If it's even a fraction as scary as Mothman then I will be satisfied.
 
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abrooks
12:12AM on 08/30/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
J. Burton
you seem like a very angry person. get some fresh air. your mom's basement can get a little stuffy, i'm sure.
you seem like a very angry person. get some fresh air. your mom's basement can get a little stuffy, i'm sure.
 
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J. Burton
7:23PM on 08/29/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Nonsense
"What makes me believe it is true is that some big name stars have put their careers on the line saying that it is true."

Career on line!? Nonsense. That is such a stupid statement, that it physically hurt to read it. This entire review is B.S. Anytime I read a review and someone says it's "the scariest movie I've ever seen" I know it's B.S. Unless this was reviewed by a ten year...
"What makes me believe it is true is that some big name stars have put their careers on the line saying that it is true."

Career on line!? Nonsense. That is such a stupid statement, that it physically hurt to read it. This entire review is B.S. Anytime I read a review and someone says it's "the scariest movie I've ever seen" I know it's B.S. Unless this was reviewed by a ten year old.

Alien abductions. I hope it is true.
 
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peter_dickinson
11:57AM on 08/29/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Maybe a good film...
This might be entertaining, but the above review reads like it was written by someone who has never seen a film before...just sayin.
This might be entertaining, but the above review reads like it was written by someone who has never seen a film before...just sayin.
 
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randomerratum
2:07AM on 08/29/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
@Red 4 and @Skellington
I think we're all in the same boat- I've always been scared shitless of aliens, UFOs, abduction but fascinated all at the same time.... never aliens like District 9 or the Thing- it's the big heads. Big black glossy eyes. Short little fuckers, long limbed, going through your refrigerator, hiding in your closets... *shudder* hate those fucking guys. Fire in the Sky left it's mark on me like no o...
I think we're all in the same boat- I've always been scared shitless of aliens, UFOs, abduction but fascinated all at the same time.... never aliens like District 9 or the Thing- it's the big heads. Big black glossy eyes. Short little fuckers, long limbed, going through your refrigerator, hiding in your closets... *shudder* hate those fucking guys. Fire in the Sky left it's mark on me like no other film- Unsolved Mysteries was most likely the reason for my insomnia growing up. Spent many evenings with friends on UFO watch. Well, I'm a skeptic these days, but there sure is a place in my heart for Mr Grey. *shudder*
PS- Red4, my favorite film of all time is Jurassic Park. If you at all love Apollo 13 then I think we may have been separated at birth.
 
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Red4
5:46PM on 08/28/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
@Skellington: Fire in the Sky really is excellent. Except I was first creeped out by those kinds of aliens when they were introduced to me via Unsolved Mysteries. I used to watch that show really often when I was a little kid.
@Skellington: Fire in the Sky really is excellent. Except I was first creeped out by those kinds of aliens when they were introduced to me via Unsolved Mysteries. I used to watch that show really often when I was a little kid.
 
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MrKong
5:25PM on 08/28/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Paper trail
So here's Dr Abigail Tyler: [link]
So here's Dr Abigail Tyler: [link]
 
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kungfujoe
2:48PM on 08/28/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Call fiction fiction!
This movie looks pretty darn good, and really scary, but I wish they'd stop pushing the "true story" angle of things that are COMPLETELY fictionalized. I love fiction, and I enjoy stories about history, and I even enjoy historical fiction, but when you produce fiction and call it "true," that's simply a lie, and it really does convince many people that it actually is true.
This movie looks pretty darn good, and really scary, but I wish they'd stop pushing the "true story" angle of things that are COMPLETELY fictionalized. I love fiction, and I enjoy stories about history, and I even enjoy historical fiction, but when you produce fiction and call it "true," that's simply a lie, and it really does convince many people that it actually is true.
 
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deja vu
2:14PM on 08/28/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
any film gets an 8 just for having Milla in it.
any film gets an 8 just for having Milla in it.
 
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Skellington
12:11PM on 08/28/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Ever since I saw FIRE IN THE SKY at age 10, Ive been scared shitless of aliens. Im not talking about the one in movies that look like creature, but more X-Fils style, and abduction stories fascinate me. This film may be no good, but Im going to watch it, and for once, I'll be scared, rather than laughing at the people being scared. Looking forward to it.
Ever since I saw FIRE IN THE SKY at age 10, Ive been scared shitless of aliens. Im not talking about the one in movies that look like creature, but more X-Fils style, and abduction stories fascinate me. This film may be no good, but Im going to watch it, and for once, I'll be scared, rather than laughing at the people being scared. Looking forward to it.
 
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drexxell
12:02PM on 08/28/2009 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Actually sounds kind of cool!
Actually sounds kind of cool!