This movie is way over-rated (7.1/10 as of this writing). I read several reviews hailing this a out-of-the-ordinary science fiction movie, without involving green aliens, laser blasts, space ships, etc. Well, despite doing away with all the usual sci-fi clichés of Hollywood, its plot has way too many gaping holes.
For one thing, it intends to emphasize the atmosphere of solitude experienced by the main characters, especially by Zac, and to achieve this it relies on the severely mistaken notion that the world can come to a stand-still when 99.999999% of the human population simply vanishes. Anybody ever read Stephen King's "The Stand"? Or seen the depiction of post-apocalyptic chaos in TV series like "Babylon 5"? When people vanish, ovens don't turn themselves off, cars don't come to orderly halt, nuclear power plants don't just shut down gracefully. Huge fires would burn up the cities, most roads would be blocked by massive accidents and pile-ups, all food would rot; in short, all hell should break loose. And yet, in "The quiet Earth", the characters seem to have no trouble driving around town, picking up groceries and hardware supplies, and use electronic devices anywhere anytime they feel inclined to.
Some may argue that story is based on the premise that these characters were "transported" to a parallel universe, where the normal laws of physics don't apply. Well, if that is the case, it is just too convenient to twist the Universe to provide for the needs of three human beings at every twist and turn, and the film makes no substantiable effort in showing how this parallel universe is different from ours, except for a few vague hints here and there about how the "charge of the electron is now different", etc.
The only redeeming quality of this film is its study into the human psyche, in portraying the effects of isolation and boredom on individuals. Even then, this is based on the hypothetical premise that these individuals have all their physical needs met, and only have to contend with the fact that they have no sense of purpose, and no good idea of what had happened to their world. Api got introduced into the story line way too late, and his interactions and relationship with the other two characters had to be developed in such a hurry that the behavior of these characters became far too irrational in the second-half of the movie. Then add a pointless sex scene, and we find ourselves gravitating back towards Hollywood clichés, for lack of a better way to make the ending interesting.
As for the final scene, the scenery was beautiful, but they just had to strike another chop to the already dead credibility of this movie. Couldn't they at least get one thing right, i.e. show Zac freezing to death on the surface of Titan, the only moon of Saturn with a sea... of liquid methane?
My score: 4 out of 10, and I'm being generous!
For one thing, it intends to emphasize the atmosphere of solitude experienced by the main characters, especially by Zac, and to achieve this it relies on the severely mistaken notion that the world can come to a stand-still when 99.999999% of the human population simply vanishes. Anybody ever read Stephen King's "The Stand"? Or seen the depiction of post-apocalyptic chaos in TV series like "Babylon 5"? When people vanish, ovens don't turn themselves off, cars don't come to orderly halt, nuclear power plants don't just shut down gracefully. Huge fires would burn up the cities, most roads would be blocked by massive accidents and pile-ups, all food would rot; in short, all hell should break loose. And yet, in "The quiet Earth", the characters seem to have no trouble driving around town, picking up groceries and hardware supplies, and use electronic devices anywhere anytime they feel inclined to.
Some may argue that story is based on the premise that these characters were "transported" to a parallel universe, where the normal laws of physics don't apply. Well, if that is the case, it is just too convenient to twist the Universe to provide for the needs of three human beings at every twist and turn, and the film makes no substantiable effort in showing how this parallel universe is different from ours, except for a few vague hints here and there about how the "charge of the electron is now different", etc.
The only redeeming quality of this film is its study into the human psyche, in portraying the effects of isolation and boredom on individuals. Even then, this is based on the hypothetical premise that these individuals have all their physical needs met, and only have to contend with the fact that they have no sense of purpose, and no good idea of what had happened to their world. Api got introduced into the story line way too late, and his interactions and relationship with the other two characters had to be developed in such a hurry that the behavior of these characters became far too irrational in the second-half of the movie. Then add a pointless sex scene, and we find ourselves gravitating back towards Hollywood clichés, for lack of a better way to make the ending interesting.
As for the final scene, the scenery was beautiful, but they just had to strike another chop to the already dead credibility of this movie. Couldn't they at least get one thing right, i.e. show Zac freezing to death on the surface of Titan, the only moon of Saturn with a sea... of liquid methane?
My score: 4 out of 10, and I'm being generous!