51 and SyFy's Look Behind the Gates: A Movie Review

Director: Jason Connery.

Writers: Kenny Yakkel (story), Lucy Mukerjee.

Cast: John Shea, Vanessa Branch, Lena Clark, Damon Lipari, Jason London, Rachel Miner and Bruce Boxleitner.

Nearly everyone wants to know what lurks behind Area 51, the mysterious hangar base that rests in southern Nevada. With the help of the SyFy’s "After Dark" label and writer Kenny Yakkel, the two are attempting to provide some fictional answers. In the case a simply titled film, 51, maybe those answers are best left behind closed doors.

After political pressure from the American public, the Air Force has finally relented and is letting in a handful of journalists to visit the base. But to no one’s surprise, things go awry. Some of those secrets want out.

That also includes some of the characters like Col. Martin (Bruce Boxleitner), the base commander. He is not thrilled that he has to give reporter Sam Whitaker (John Shea), blogger Claire Fallon (Vanessa Branch), camera person Mindy (Lena Clark) and photographer Kevin (Damon Lipari) a tour. He has to abide by his superiors. This little detail is also important in the subplot about two soldiers, Hannah (Rachel Miner) and Schumacher (Jason London), trying to keep the fort secure at ground level. If anyone is going to run around being a hero, they are just going to get shot.

Sadly, the bouncing about between the two groups proves to be distracting. Until they finally get together, the importance is lost in the mess of a narrative that this movie tries to collate. While this film indicates that there is safety in numbers, everyone is simply doing their own thing, reporters included. Each of them has their own agenda.

When the aliens realize this, they take advantage of the situation by busting out. Technically, the base should be at DEFCON 4 because anything base personnel do can get recorded. Maybe, if this film had a military advisor, the product would have more of an authentic feel to it. The sets have too much of a cardboard feel than that of a proper military base.

Without an ideal recreation of what military life in the most secure installation in the States should be like, this film just lacked a certain je ne sais quoi to it. Even the aliens, as unintimidating as they were, felt lacking. Patient Zero, the shape-changing alien, is too generic looking and Lady Death, as menacing as she should be, looked far too cute. If this movie only had a larger budget, the potential might have been there.

As it is, 51 does not stand out as one of the better SyFy products to pull off a PVR or DVD shelf to watch when insomnia hits. This film is certainly B movie grade. While it entertains restless souls, it is just not creepy at all with its homages to Aliens and The Thing. Cheese and schlock can be enjoyed but only in fondue.

Overall: 5 out of 10.

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