Colony, The (10/15/2013)

UNRATED

Starring Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton and Kevin Zegers

Directed by Jeff Renfroe

The Colony is just one more lame attempt in a long line of post-apocalyptic films.

Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton and Kevin Zegers, star in this savage and unrelenting thriller about mankind’s greatest enemy: himself. As an endless winter engulfs Earth, humans struggle to survive in remote underground outposts. When Colony 7 receives a distress call from a nearby settlement, Sam (Zegers) and Briggs (Fishburne) race through the snow on a dangerous rescue mission. What they find at the desolate base could mean mankind’s salvation—or its total annihilation. Terrifying discoveries will unfold that will change the rules of survival forever.

Don’t be upset if you didn’t even know The Colony was in theaters, this should have been a Direct to DVD film. I think it was in my theater for a week or two, and when I realized this was my only option as I found myself standing in the rain scrolling through movie titles at my local Redbox, I decided my day couldn’t get much worse. But then the movie actually started.

Now I like Bill Paxton, and Laurence Fishburne usually isn’t horrible, but they did not impress me in this film at all.

The story is really weak, cheesy and one big cliché. Apparently, the weather-controlling machines that were built after global warming threatened the planet malfunctioned. As Sam puts it, “One day, it started to snow
– and it never stopped.” I know…very dramatic (insert eye roll here).

And if the story is that weak, I’m sure you can imagine how over-the-top the violence is. I guess if you can’t develop characters, you can always kill them in more and more horrific ways…yeah that’s our cue to roll the eyes again.

The Colony is just another wannabe post-apocalyptic thriller, but it’s actually a “Coaster.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There is no sex in this film but there are some naked dead/dying people. The theme of the film is cannibalism so there is a lot of gruesome imagery. And the F-word is used around 8 times.

CONVERSATION STARTER

1. In a conversation with Mason, Briggs says, “That is not how we do things. We give people a choice. It’s theirs to make regardless of the outcome.” How would you describe the decisions they made?


2. When was the last time you made a bad decision?


3. Read Proverbs 14:12
   There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
   
   What do you think this verse is telling us?


4. Read Proverbs 3:5-6
   Trust in the Lord with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
   in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.
   
   What are some things we can do to make sure our decisions keep us on the straight path and not on the path to “death”?