Welcome, fellow movie fans, to my review of Phase IV.
The Story gets a 1.25 out of 2:
I embraced the fact that Mayo Simon adopted ants to comprise our downfall. Not merely do they not grow to the proportions of THEM! Or Empire Of The Ants, but nobody realises the ants are seizing control. There is a mysterious phenomenon in space, and the humans are waiting for devastation to strike. However, nothing appears to have changed, though everyone was screaming, "End of days." Though there was no perceivable difference, one man noted a change in the ants' behaviour and was scared enough to call in the authorities. They didn't receive his warning too seriously, so what if the ants had been affected by the unusual happenings in space; they were insignificant.
Though Simon's script isn't entirely credible, he does slide in a lot of factual information to add to the plausibility. It's this probability of possible change which added the most power to the script.
What is a shame is Simon imparts his human characters less dimensionality than his creepy-crawlies. That said, Ernest Hubbs is perfect as a two-dimensional personality. He is driven by one thing, understanding and destroying the ants. However, he's unflappable enough not to let that drive govern him. There is a depth in this man, but you won't perceive it. Hence, when the ants kill a local farmers family, he doesn't miss a beat or quiver a lip, "People die," is his reaction.
But the other principal characters, James Lesko and Kendra Eldridge, needed to be fleshed out a little better. I know Lesko is another scientist. Therefore, stereotypically devoid of emotion. Nevertheless, one such character in the movie is enough; we didn't require another. Simon tries bringing forth some extra "human" moments but doesn't pull it off. These occasions are most evident in Kendra's scenes. She's a kid who's lost her family to the ants. In one scene, she tries taking revenge by smashing a vial of the little critters, but even this out flooding of human emotion is flat and dull.
The Direction and Pace receive a 2.75 out of 4:
The star of this show is Saul Bass, the director. Bass possesses an exquisite eye for composition. So many iconic images throughout Phase IV make it a pleasure to watch. I particularly liked the shot of Kendra looking through the glass vial at the queen ant. Her eyes fill the screen in immaculate focus, only distorted by the yellowy haze of the glass between them. The queen stands in the foreground and appears to be regarding Kendra with interest. Such a beautifully constructed and thought-out scene.
Though, in all fairness, it's not Bass' great and powerful composition that I adored most. No. It's the creation of the ants' progression. Without Bass' ingenuity and imagination, this would have been a disaster.
When I first watch Phase IV back in the 80's I grew bored of it quickly. The uniform characters and slow action events failed to retain my attention. Today, after putting some miles on and gaining a little enlightenment, I find I enjoy movies, not purely for their accounts but also the construction of that account. Here it's more visible in the tale of the ants.
For example, it's easy to write about how the ants adapted to the poisons the humans were using, but consider getting the ant to enact that for you? Not so simple, eh?
Bass must have acquired a ton of film showing the ants movements and actions, which he then had to view and edit into a sequence to display their saga. I reckon there was more film on the cutting room floor than made it into cinemas.
Though I am singing Bass' praise quite loud, he's not without his faults too. One of which is noticeably the plodding pace of the picture. There are too many times when Bass could have and should have, varied the tempo to create excitement and tension. However, he plods through and adds to the monotony of the characters and the unemotional script; and creates the films gravest downfall.
The Performances get a 1.25 out of 2:
To be frank, the acting, given the cast, should have been considerably better. The performances range from average to invisible. There are moments when they disappear into the background with a Charlie Brown Teacher effect, "Wah, wah, wah!"
The most capable cast member is undoubtedly Nigel Davenport. Though Hubbs is two-dimensional, Davenport's screen presence adds a negligible depth to his character. The depth moulds him into an easier to take and less annoying fellow than he would be, had Davenport not portrayed him.
The weakest cast member is Lynne Frederick as Kendra. Frederick didn't possess the skill to portray her characters' emotions. When she's enraged at the ants and tries to eradicate them, when the high-pitched counter-attack aggravates her, when she's upset over the loss of her family, and when she's seducing Lesko, it's all the same emotion. There's a bland emptiness where there should be a rise and fall of fire. That said, I cannot rule out Bass' directional input in the characterisation of personas. Who's to say he didn't require Kendra to be this impassive However, adding to this reserved approach is a woodenness in Frederick's portrayal. There are a few times when the narrative seems excessively heavy and droll coming out of her mouth. Kendra deserved more than what she receives in this film.
And my Enjoyment level hits a 1.25 out of 2:
Even though Phase IV is a visual delight to watch, the sluggish pace and placoid characters and laggard performances dulled my enjoyment down to average. At this point, I would recommend a remake, though I don't believe there's a director out there that could equal or better Bass in the eye-candy department. No, it's a shame Bass and Simon didn't push for better at the time.
These ratings give Phase IV a 6.75 out of 10:
If you're a sci-fi lover who likes eye-candy and doesn't mind a plodding storyline Phase IV is for you.
The exclusive group I would heartily recommend this movie to are the filmmakers. The feature shows both the accurate way and undesirable ways of directing and writing a movie.
Otherwise, check it out when it's on a terrestrial or extra-terrestrial TV or streaming service near you. It's not one you need to rush to watch, but it is worth one watch at the least. It's not a horrid way to spend a cold December evening.
Now you've dropped the yellow, rush over and check out my The Final Frontier, Monstrous, and Absolute Horror list to see where The Ants nested in my rankings.
Take Care and Stay Well and Get Inoculated.
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