LouHomey
From my favorite movies..
Comwayon
A Disappointing Continuation
filippaberry84
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Darin
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
John Buckworth
I like that the other reviews on IMDb don't talk too much about the plot, I watched this film tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it, and I was happy to not know too much beforehand. The references to other movies are fair enough, but I think there's a bit of a trend to describe films as "This movie" meets "That movie", and sometimes that's fair enough: but I think this film stands on its own merits.I liked the characters, I liked the plot, I like the pace of the story; I like the idea of the movie; I like the special effects. It's not a splatter movie but it is a fine addition to Antipodean genre films.I would definitely watch a sequel, I can't explain more without giving away spoilers!If you enjoy low-budget genre movies that transcend their financial limitations through darn good film-making, this is well worth a watch.
The_Dead_See
IMDb truly baffles me sometimes. The score for Crawlspace stands at 4.8 at the time of writing which is ridiculously low for such a competent, not to mention fun, piece of film making. Premise - a military team is sent in to an underground complex ("Australia's version of Area 51" one character notes) with the mission of eliminating a group of escaped prisoners and saving the scientists. Of course it all goes wrong, and that's about all you need to know.No, actually what you need to know is that this hangs together way better than 90% of the other Aliens derived plots out there. The similarities to Aliens are evident at every turn, from the way the military team interacts with one another (much like James Cameron's colonial marines), to the motion trackers and a lead protagonist who bears more than an uncanny resemblance to Michael Biehn. Sure it rips of Aliens, but it rips it off well and if like me you've been waiting for over 25 years for a film that had that Aliens vibe going for it then you will love this.There's another layer to Crawlspace too though - a pretty intriguing psychological mystery plot woven through that hides just enough answers to keep your interest. But, like all good old school movies, it doesn't try to get too clever and the end is obvious but deeply entertaining including a couple of kiss-off lines that I said right along with the actors and then grinned my head off.I dunno, I suppose kids these days want something different from movies than we did in my generation. When I go into a sci fi horror movie about soldiers vs underground monsters, all I really want is some gore, some action, and some entertainment and Crawlspace delivered on all accounts. 4.8 - no way. This is a solid 6. But I'm giving it an 8 just to counterbalance some of the insanity.
Claudio Carvalho
In 1966 the Australian and U.S. Governments established Pine Gap, a top secret research facility in the remote Australian outback. Fifteen hours ago all contact with the facility was lost, cause unknown. Then there are messages telling that the prisoners have escaped. Three helicopters with a group of elite soldiers are sent to rescue the scientists and eliminate the dangerous prisoners. Commander Romeo (Ditch Davey) leads the team formed by Fourpack (Eddie Baroo), Wiki (Peta Sergeant) and Kid (Fletcher Humphrys) that is mysteriously attacked by strange creatures in the underground. When Romeo meets the amnesic prisoner Eve (Amber Clayton), he protects her compromising their mission. When his team questions who Eve is, Romeo tells that she is his wife that died years ago in Paris. When they find the scientists Darious Caesar (Nicholas Belt), Emily (Ngaire Dawn Fair) and Matthews (Samuel Johnson), they learn that the scientists are developing powerful psychic soldiers in the facility. Who is Eve? Will the soldiers succeed in their assignment?"Crawlspace" is a claustrophobic movie with a promising idea, good acting but poor beginning and conclusion. The story begins without any development, with a group of soldiers breaking in a facility in the outback of Australia. The viewer does not know whether the story happens in the present, past or future; how is the government of this society; and who are the prisoners (criminals, political). The action is reasonable and when Eve opens the body bag and is surprised with her discovery, the viewer never knows who was there (might be the alien in her recollection, but it is not clear). What Romeo did to his wife and why is also confused and not clear. Last but not the least, the conclusion is totally disappointing. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "Fortaleza Secreta" ("Secret Fortress")
mattgordon577
The blatant copy and paste of other films is not new in Hollywood, but it is a surprise coming from down under Australia where the films are original if nothing else. I entered the cinema with high expectations, I love foreign films, Wolf Creek and Chopper are both brilliant examples of Australia's rawness and obvious talent pool. So I was not only disappointed to find Crawlspace itself was very, very average, but that it Seemed to rip off all of its elements from other American films. It made me question, Is aiming to be a B-grade Michael Bay really a great goal to inspire to? Unfortunately it is a very common process to copy a successful movie and repeat it's formula over and over again, let's face it as long as people keep paying for mediocrity; then directors will keep pumping them out.First time director Justin Dix then, I assume, knows formula and cliché sell well. But when a film comes across as being written quickly and without thought with only the dollar in mind. It shows. While it's understandable debut directors feel the need to play it safe, I'm hoping that emerging filmmakers from other countries strive higher than duplicating America's machine of mediocrity. It is not something we're proud of. It is truly a sad time when other countries are mimicking our crap.