OCCUPATION: RAINFALL – A Review by John Strange
I asked to review this film based on its premise, a devastating alien invasion of Earth. Occupation: Rainfall is the sequel to 2018’s Occupation.
This film resumes the action two years after the initial invasion. The survivors of Sydney, Australia are fighting a desperate ground and air war to stop the aliens. A few of the aliens have changed allegiance to aid the humans. The “friendly” grays (aliens) are trying to help the humans survive but don’t bring as much to the table.
I know what you may be thinking. This sounds like a description taken from the various versions of the V TV series with a taste of Falling Skies thrown in for good measure. I thought so, too. But this film, listed as Chapter 1 at the end of the film, is much darker than V and WAY more violent than Falling Skies. The larger budget allows the filmmakers to give us better creatures and locations.
This allows the story to be bigger, darker, and much more violent. The script is decent. As the story progresses, the humans are obviously losing ground. This gave the filmmakers loads of options. They gathered some of the different options, from groups hiding from the invaders to troops and scientists directly confronting them, and packaged them into a very interesting movie.
The humans battle the invaders in the air and on the ground, slowly losing ground, all the while following up on intelligence intercepts concerning something called “Rainfall”. “Rainfall” is something the aliens are searching the entire planet for, apparently crucial to their success.
The film ends in a classic cliffhanger, setting up the viewers for the next chapter in the saga. I loved this action as it reminded me of the company that first used cliffhangers in their silent serial films, Selig Polyscope Company.
Overall, this is a good action film. I rate it at 4-stars, thanks to the decent script, good talent, and the first-rate costuming and special effects. I did not see the first film, but I am going to have to find it and give it a watch.
Directed By:
- Luke Sparke
Cast:
- Dan Ewing, Temuera Morrison, Lawrence Makoare, Daniel GillIes, Zachary Garred, Jet Tranter, Mark Coles Smith, Trystan Go, David Roberts, Dena Kaplan, Izzy Stevens, Vince Colosimo, Jason Isaacs, Ken Jeong
Specifications:
Runtime:
- 128 Minutes
Release Date:
- In Theaters, On Digital and On Demand June 11, 2021
Language:
- English
Genre:
- Sci-Fi, Action
Website:
Trailer:
MPAA Rating:
- R for language
Selig Rating:
Film Rating:
- 4 Stars
Special Effects Quality Rating:
- 8 Stars
Audio Quality Rating:
- 5 Stars
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
