Ah, what would we have to give to bring
back “Mystery Science Theater 3000”? They would have a field day
with the completely embarrassing “The Human Race,” an inept
sci-fi film that seems like a throwback to incompetent
straight-to-video cheapies of the 80’s, the kind of time-wasters that
would employ Robert Z’Dar and maybe an Estevez.
The intro to this slab of tacky genre garbage is foggy, muddy, nearly
monochrome, as the victims of the title event are forced to follow a
single path to victory. Without warning, we see these strangers look
to the sky, as an unseen voice transmits the rules of this “game”
straight into their heads – you must get to the end of the path, or
you will die. And if you’re lapped twice, you are dead. Also, try not
to walk onto the grass that surrounds this complex of an
arbitrarily-chosen jail, school and home, because your head will
explode. It’s not clear what’s funnier – the fact that aliens
invent games with the imagination of a five year old, or that as soon
as they are told not to venture onto the grass, we see a couple of
curious people immediately walk into the forbidden zone, followed by
a head burst.
One of these decapitations belongs to a
young woman whom we meet at the beginning, first caring for her dying
sister, then defeating the same genetic disease. She has a real life
until abruptly being ported to this other world, so it’s something of
a surprise that she’s the first one to die, literally ten minutes
into the movie. It’s also cheap storytelling and a twist for the sake
of a twist, burning ten useless minutes of screentime that could have
been spent explaining why these aliens have invented such a
transparently idiotic game that ultimately proves nothing. The end
credits features a Special Thanks given to Damon Lindelof, which explains plenty.
The job of hero falls onto the
shoulders of real-life amputee Eddie McGee as war vet Eddie. The
character walks on crutches during the entirety of the film, though
at one point he displays his easy athleticism and physical skill
during a fist-fight. The concept of giving a real-life amputee a lead
role – McGee is missing his left leg – is lost in the novelty of
a movie about a foot race starring an amputee. Another gimmick? Your
movie is about a race and you called it “The Human Race.” You
were drunk. We know. That’s always how that sort of thing happens.
Even with a limited but colorful
location, “The Human Race” bizarrely limits itself to indoor
skulking. This allows for cheap character dynamics to play out
among a colorful, international group of victims. When one man, a
Muslim, responds to the bloodshed by kneeling and praying, a white
woman shows her aggravation and begins berating him for being part of
the problem, not the solution, a real and literal “you people”
moment. As if racism in 2014 involved people falsely ascribing
omnipotent superpowers on oppressed minorities.
In the film’s third act, we end up
spending a considerable amount of time with two deaf characters
played by Trista Robinson and T. Arthur Cottam, who are apparently
deaf in real life. It’s a unique idea, with their dialogue conveyed
by subtitles, but they have such generic things to say about their
disabilities that the subplot ends up being insulting in spite of
itself. McGee has the lead role, but the digression involving this
two deaf couple, which segues into an attempt at guilt sex, is almost
avant-guarde in its flagrant disregard for common sense and good
taste. Even more upsetting is the brazen cruelty that sneaks into the
picture halfway through, as a small kill cult forms within the
eighty participants, gleefully working together to toss people onto
that deadly grass. Have you ever wanted to see a very pregnant
woman’s stomach completely explode across the room? You will!
Hilariously, “The Human Race” ends
with not only the skimpiest explanation as to what it all meant, but
also the threat of a sequel. Not to say the core idea is empty; the
possibility that aliens would want to pit us against each other in a
scenario that rewards teamwork but tempts our cruelty and selfishness
is a decent one. As a metaphor, economic or otherwise, it never makes
any really biting observations. At one point, there is a dialogue
about the innate, and hypothetical, evil of man, and you think that
the movie’s going to reveal there’s a monster inside us all. Then a
couple more heads explode, and if you were wise enough to sneak
alcohol in the movie, take a big swig, and plan for the future: this
is a laughably bad movie, but an amazing drinking game waiting to
happen. [F]
…And this is why I don\’t read review until AFTER I see a movie. First sign of a bad reviewer – "I didn\’t like this movie myself, so I don\’t care if I try to ruin it for others." Additionally, he had some facts of the film wrong – useless review.
I also thought the film was shit
I liked it
The only thing outrageously terrible or embarrasing here is this damn review. this film is one of the best I have seen in recent times, certainly beats the crap out of the typical big budget hollywood tripe that is chruned out month after month, all those lovely interesting and predictable thrilling action filled plots eh ;). stick this review where the sun don\’t shine sir, this film was meant to break convention…like it or leave it!
I thought it was a good movie. I'm looking forward to a sequel. It was scifi/horror that didn't break its own rules because it didn't try to explain why.
A lot of hate from the comments but I must say… this film looks AWFUL. Just violence, pure exploitation, the plot's a mix between "Cube", "Saw", "The Hunger Games" and King's "The Long Walk". I can see it beeing a bad film, but I probably won't ever confirm if that's true, because after the trailer I'm done with The Human Race ;).
Surprise, surprise – Gabe Toro picking on a low rent flick and still finding time to jab at Damon Lindelof. Playlist, you can do better than trading on these terrible snark filled reviews. No one cares to hear you pat yourselves on the back.
I know nothing about this film or the filmmakers, but this reviewer doesn't deserve to be credited as such. It's a shame that you get off on hate reviewing other people's work. And it's disturbing to see how much you revel in writing negative reviews. How is your own film career going, I wonder?
If you're curious how to right a tactfully worded negative review maybe you should read some old Roger Ebert or Pauline Kael reviews and learn how to have a little dignity.
This is a shameful review. I've seen the movie and while I disagree with your opinion on the actual film – you do something much worse – which is reveal the final five minute twist in the movie. As I said, shameful. While you may sit there with glee because you have been given the chance to see it before others, to wreck the plot twist without warning it is just disgusting.