DVD Review - Fourth Kind

Fourth Kind, in reference to the levels of alien encounters is a movie unlike any other. With the DVD “documentary” coming out, we get to look back and see if we truly do believe, or at least $15 worth.

The movie starts off with Milla Jovovich coming right out and saying she is portraying a real life character, named Dr. Abigail Tyler, and that what you are about to see is real, backed up by real footage. Throughout the movie, we learn that Dr. Tyler’s husband was murdered, and as she picks up his patients in their psychology practice, she starts seeing an alarming pattern that the people of Nome, AK are all experiencing bizarre events, memory loss and evidence of what we come to find out to be alien abduction. However, as Dr. Tyler comes closer and closer to these events, despite cautions from her friends, it seems the phenomenon effects her too. Is it green men? Evidence of inbreeding in Alaska? Crazy mumbo jumbo? We don’t know.

The movie doesn’t use the shaky cam technique that other movies have used to try to bring the audience into the movie, but they do put “real footage” in the frame next to Jovovich’s dramaticized events to show what they are saying really happened. The effect is often interesting to compare the two, and is quite a good attempt at convincing the audience. While this technique can get annoying, and is often too much, it is quite different and fun. My problem with the movie is that it often tries too hard to convince you that what you are seeing is real, and as such, can have the opposite effect. The movie, like so many others is fun if you just let your common sense and knowledge of film out the window, and just go for the ride. If you are unable to shut your head off, you won’t enjoy this movie.

There are no real special features to the disc, only deleted scenes, which don’t add really anything to the movie. While this is an attempt to keep the idea that this is a “documentary” it doesn’t really sell this DVD. I would have liked some special features, maybe some audio commentary, but that would ruin the concept I suppose.

So, overall, this is just the movie, and if you are a fan of alien abduction stories, it would be something you would jump at, but for the rest, I would say go out and rent this movie, but try not to spend too much money on late fees.