John Carpenter's They Live 1988 [alternative name They Live] by AverageMansReviews

John Carpenter's They Live 1988 [alternative name They Live] by AverageMansReviews

Review Time

Warning: there is flashing effects/colourful effects/shooting

Put the shade on and you will see the truth: we meet George Nada [Roddy Piper] as he is heading into Los Angeles; he is a homeless traveller looking for work, he finds work on a building site where he meets Frank Armitage [Keith David.] Armitage offers Nada a place to stay on this homeless/camp reservation, which is situated next to the church where there is strange goings-on.

The pacing for this 94 minutes film is mobile and progressive, meaning it isn't the most quickest film, but it moves along.

Action; Piper performs wrestling moves a short arm clothesline on this Police Officer [Matt McColm] or/and later on performs a headlock suplex Armitage in their one-on-one action sequence, but don't worry Armitage gets in one wrestling move a form of a backbreaker slam.

Art; the black-and-white when Nada or anyone for that matter has these shades on they will see the truth of what the earth has become, even though this black-and-white is something, I don't mean this in a disrespectful tone, but I mean it in a positive tone; it is something that is so simple yet perfectly needed to show what it needs to show and how these creatures are actually seen under their disguises.

Character developments and their performances; the character developments are good versions of what they are meant to be, the performances are generally speaking for most of them good, but for the next two points I have to be negative and then positive; on one hand Holly Thompson [Meg Foster;] now usually I wouldn't be this blunt I would usually say something to the effect of it was a poor performance. But in this case, it is so transparently clear that this is just a bad performance, she may as well have been just reading the script in front of us, it is so bad that if I don't put it out I would probably get criticised for not pointing it out, because it is that clear.

Piper makes this film, because people within the wrestling bubble we know he can switch between calm one second and then enthusiastic the next and everything in between and beyond this. You will not see that in this film, the reason why I am made reference to it is because he has the ability to switch from one thing to another or to another, when he finds himself in this new world of black-and-white he naturally takes it on board after a few moments of learning about it and that is what makes him a perfect fit for this film, because it needed someone with this range of natural ability make this feel normal when it clearly isn't and then shares a comedy moments on how they look as if it was an everyday occurrence and then we have David being the person that has a bleak and some would say realistic way of looking at life including not wanting to get involved, but when Piper and David are on-screen they have good chemistry.

This film receives: 6/10, this film is good; because this film is a science-fiction project, mixed in with our lead character/performer bringing to the table his unique traits, this film can get away with not really having an ending, so in essence I mean this kindly because this film is a little bit strange, why should the ending be any different with a sudden ending. On a side note; I know the shades get referenced as glasses in this film, but they are clearly shades, moving on John Carpenter Screenplay [as Frank Armitage] Director of this film and Voice work saying "Sleep." This film also has some awards accredited to its name; 4 Nominees Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA 1990 Saturn Awards Best Science Fiction Film and from the same award ceremony/event Best Music John Carpenter Alan Howarth