Extinction
is an enigma within its genre. It somehow manages to be original in its
approach while simultaneously borrowing from enough horror tropes to feel
derivative. Even if the overall film often feels original, it is made up of
elements which can be traced back to far more successful films and television
shows. This makes Extinction
something of a Frankenstein film, containing several working parts to construct
this cumbersome and uneven experience. Though it can often feel like a
different film from one moment to the next, each of these tends to be more
effective than the hoard of unimaginative trope that typically fills the genre.
What begins as a
typical zombie apocalypse horror film soon turns into a film far more concerned
with character development and how the monsters have changed human interaction,
not unlike the themes that dominate the popular series, “The Walking Dead.” In
the opening sequence we are introduced to Patrick (Matthew Fox) and Jack
(Jeffrey Donovan), two men whose connection is unclear beyond their mutual
concern for a woman named Emma (ValeriaVereau) and her newborn child. After
this short introduction to a typical zombie outbreak, the film jumps forward in
time 9 years, with the baby grown to a curious young girl named Lu, being
raised in isolation by Jack.
They live next door to Patrick, but
never speak to him despite there being no other sign of life in the area. All
of the zombies have died out in the extreme cold of their post-apocalyptic
world, but Jack still takes every precaution to remain safe through isolation
in their house. It isn’t until Patrick discovers that the zombies have mutated
into something even deadlier that the neighbors are forced to face their past
and work together for survival. The final act slips easily into a creature
feature, though it resembles the attack on the farmhouse at the end of M. Night
Shyamalan’s Signs more than any
zombie narrative, primarily because the zombies no longer have the
distinguishing characteristics of the classic monsters; they are more alien
than anything else.
Filmmaker Miguel Ángel Vivas (Kidnapped) has the ability to make each
of the film’s separate elements work cinematically, though they don’t always
blend well with each other. After an exciting opening sequence, the narrative
retreats from most horror elements for a large chunk of melodrama in the
middle. Although the excitement returns for a climactic showdown between the
humans and the monsters, much of the character development in the middle
section weighs down the pacing. Personally, I respect the choice to make the
movie about more than just the carnage, but there is not enough depth or
originality in the characters for it to survive the slump. More than anything,
the film feels uneven in its editing, and this is not helped much by a
senseless reliance on manipulative flashbacks sequences. As much as I like the
individual elements, from the acting to creature design to the emotional score,
none of them seem to mesh well together in the final product.
The DVD includes a behind-the-scenes
featurette. This is far from a masterpiece, but Extinction shows that themes and characters can successfully take
the focus in a horror film over the creatures and carnage. This is a step in
the right direction, even if it is a misstep.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
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