Customer Reviews

The Void [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Void is a cheap-looking by-the-book science fiction movie that offers little in the way of originality. The plot focuses on the standard mad scientist (played by Malcolm McDowell) who will not let anything get in the way of his pursuit of cheap energy through the contained use of a black hole. The first time he tried it, many people were killed, and now eight years later, he is out to re-try his experiment on a bigger scale.

Amanda Tapping (of Stargate fame) plays a physicist who's also the daughter of a man killed in the original experiment. She determines that this experiment is not only doomed to fail but could wipe out the Earth in the process. With her engineer boyfriend (Adrian Paul, from the Highlander series), she tries to stop the impending disaster, all the while avoiding killers in the mad scientist's employ.

With a story right out of the Science Fiction Clichés Manual, tepid writing and not much in the way of special effects, this movie is skippable. It has the look of a made-for-TV movie with the exception of some minor nudity (with the use of an obvious body double). In fact, right down to the second-tier science fiction actors, this appears to merely be a cynical attempt to lure unsuspecting science fiction fans into buying or renting a movie with absolutely nothing original.

While I originally watched the movie because I enjoy Amanda Tapping on Stargate SG-1, I was pleasantly surprised. The plot is pretty typical: Will anyone ever invent an alternate energy source that doesn't threaten to blow up the earth?

Though Adrian Paul isn't overly believable as a nerd, with or without glasses, that doesn't take too much away from the overall enjoyment of the movie. Tapping does a pretty good job of playing her save-the-world-scientist character differently from her Stargate SG-1 Major Carter. The two are fairly believable as a couple. Malcolm McDowell gives a standard performance as Adrian Paul's boss, the guy Tapping suspects is responsible for her father's death.

The movie has almost as much violence as one of Adrian Paul's "Highlander" movies, and even a little sex, if you like that sort of thing.

The only reason I bought this movie was because I am a devoted AT fan and was not disappointed with her performance at all. She sucessfully pulls off a seemingly stagnant role without imitating her alter ego Samantha Carter. It was refreshing to see her in a new role.

The movie was fairly good but not fantastic. One that you can only see once or twice. Malcolm McDowell was great, as per usual and Adrian Paul was good. Overall, an unbelievable and unrealistic movie but perfect for that sci-fi junkie.

The plot outcome was predictable but that didn't stop a little angst seeping through. Not edge-of-your-seat but good enough. Almost cliched but good enough performances make it acceptable. However, partly ignre the blurb on the back because I doesn't quite make sense. Who is Kat Hicks?

FYO - In the second sex scene the raunchy parts are actually a body double, not Amanda Tapping, called Miranda Hermanson. Also, for those SG-1 fans, note Dan Shea's name in the credits.

I was able to finish watching this one without too much difficulty; I think one would have to be a disaster movie fan to watch it all the way through. I am one so I could. If you have the opportunity, watch the streaming version first then decide if you want a copy of your own.

It does have some interesting moments and managed to hold my attention reasonably well. If you're a collector you'll want to check this one out and you may even decided to add it to your collection. I'm glad I took the time to watch it.

I bought this movie for 2 reasons: 1) because it has Amanda Tapping in it, and 2) its Sci-Fi. The cover is as B-grade as the movie unfortunately. The acting was awful, and so much more could have been done with the storyline. The science behind the story was very interesting though. I'm not sorry I bought it, I love Sci-fi whether its good or bad. Bad movies help you appreciate the good ones :)

O.k. maybe it is as standard disaster film. However it has Hallmark overtones. It even has Hallmark style background music.

Prof. Steven Price (Adrian Paul) is being used in more ways than one buy vixen, Prof. Eva Soderstrom (Amanda Tapping). While pilfering data from a research facility, Amanda finds that the facility ran by the autocratic Dr. Thomas Abernathy (Malcolm McDowell) is about to "void" the earth.

If it were not for flat screens and cell phones you would think this was a fifty's sci-fi. Oh yes they throw in cuddling scenes with bodies in the au natural. There is a "hole" lot of sucking. But is there a solution?

Can we all just get together and decide that creating black holes of any size just isn't a good idea? One can't help but think of the experiments involving the Large Hadron Collider when watching The Void. The disaster scenario that plays out in this film isn't all that farfetched, as it hinges on the arrogance of select scientists and the reckless determination of a project head more than willing to take any risk to make his decades-long pet project come to fruition. A significant number of scientists in the real world don't play well with others, ignore or dismiss out of hand any criticism - no matter how valid - of their work, and have been caught red-handed tampering with their own data. Yet we're supposed to fully trust these guys when they tell us there is no danger whatsoever - even after repeated delays due to equipment malfunctions - hurtling particles together at extreme speeds. The reality is that one tiny mistake in their calculations could literally kill us all. Needless to say, watching The Void did nothing to ease my concerns about CERN.

Unfortunately, The Void just isn't that good of a movie. I give it exceedingly average scores all around. Amanda Tapping does her best to save the world as academic physicist Eva Soderstrom, but the script doesn't do her any favors. Her co-star Adrian Paul looks and acts like a human punching bag, and his penchant to make jokes during even the most serious of occasions is beyond annoying. Michael McDowell is, of course, quite good as the bad guy, Dr. Thomas Abernathy, but I for one am growing tired of his evil scientist shtick. The man is too prolific for his own good in movies of this type.

The folks at the Atomic Energy Commission are apparently unaware that Dr. Abernathy's project to create a clean and almost unlimited power source has already failed miserably eight years earlier in Luxembourg, resulting in the deaths of everyone involved in the project - except Abernathy, of course. One of those victims was the father of Eva Soderstrom, who has been after the covered-up truth ever since. She finally finds an "in" in the form of Steven Price (Adrian Paul), adjunct professor and high-ranking engineer in Abernathy's new company. After hacking into the data she needs, she quickly sees that Abernathy's computations are wrong, which means his imminent new experiment is going to create an atomic black hole that will either suck the earth into its dense depths or explode - either way, Planet Earth is seriously screwed. Unfortunately, she only has a few days to stop Abernathy and save the world, no one - including her engineer boyfriend - wants to hear what she has to say, and someone seems determined to kill her and anyone who might be helping her.

Don't let the box cover fool you. That huge sucking sound you hear is in fact Abernathy's particle collider, but you won't see it sucking in bustling city streets. That isn't to say there isn't some major damage brought to bear in this film - it's just not as extreme as you might be expecting. In fact, the special effects are one of the more effective aspects of The Void. It's just too bad the script doesn't rise to the occasion. This could have been much more than the exceedingly average film that it is.

Adrian Paul has lost it since his first 5 seasons of Highlander. Hard to believe this is the same actor. He needs to find some cool roles where he is the hero who makes next to no mistakes and comes out on top. Season 6 of the Highlander and the crap movies that followed brought him down. I only bought this because of Amanda Tapping. It seems like the Stargate cast, Highlander, Sanctuary, and various others in the Vancouver film making area are hanging out together and producing whatever they can. This movie had potential, but I am disappointed. I really liked Adrian's old Duncan McLeod character and he just needs to find a role like that again. He has the potential to play the James Bond role. He just needs to find better scripts.

This movie "The Void" keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is about the arrogance of ignoring the warnings regarding the safety of new equipment designed to create a new source of energy, the lengths some would go to prevent those concerns being brought to the knowledge of the government and those who find themselves preventing a great disaster at the risk of their own lives.

I originally bought this because I'm a fan of Amanda Tapping - the female lead. As movies go, it's not bad. Not spectacular or fantastic. The plot is rather standard and has its cliches.

So, not stellar, but not bad. A must have if you are fans of the actors and a decent enough way too kill 90 minutes