CAPTIVE STATE will have your heart beating to the tune of the revolution, it’s directed by Rupert Wyatt and written by Erica Beeny and Rupert Wyatt.
First I will say this, I really enjoyed the film. Does it have plot and technical issues? Yes, but goddamn the mood was there, and I found myself saying I would be part of this revolution. I also watched, thinking that this would have been better as an episodic series that could have been fleshed out more.
CAPTIVE STATE takes us ten years into Earth’s Future. One that has us occupied by an extra-terrestrial force. Many folks have put one foot in front of the other and fallen in line, but there is also a resistance brewing that once sparked hopes to light a fire that the whole world can see.
I’m a huge fan of alien films, which is funny considering I have an irrational fear of being abducted. When I watch these films I want my aliens like a good haunting, glimpses here and there but never really getting the full image. I want to know the Alien is there but never fully see it. The opening sequence really had some strong potential to lay the groundwork for this mysterious race of Aliens, but then for the rest of the movie I couldn’t get the image of a Northern, and long Spined Sea Urchin out of my head. Look it up and you’ll understand what I mean.
The problem with CAPTIVE STATE is that it has so much content being shoved into such a short amount of time that it’s easy to get bogged down in it all. Were presented with these really amazing characters played by John Goodman, Vera Farmiga, Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors, Alan Ruck, and James Ransone. They along with the rest of the really well-casted characters never really get to take a full and deep breath into their characters. This is why I still think it would have been an amazing series. It would have given the story time to really unfold in an organic way.
With all that being said, the action was really fun and I found myself being drawn into the resistance, and wondering to myself, “Who in my current life would conform or fight the power?” I guess we don’t really know who we are until we’re forced to face our very survival. CAPTIVE STATE is worth checking out, the intention is there, maybe it’s not fully realized, but you will definitely leave wanting to ignite a flame.
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