Adopting Terror

source: Adopting Terror

The idea of this film was incredible, the execution lacked though. Still enjoyed it but the ending needed more structure. The character development lacked a little also.

One of the things you can count on with Sean Astin is that he will give you a great performance no matter how lousy the script or dialogue. This is a made for TV Lifetime film with the expected quality. Tim (Sean Astin) and Cheryl (Samaire Armstrong) adopt a bay girl. The film implies Tim has some male issues. Along with the baby girl, they also get as a bonus the murderous biological father (Brendan Fehr) as a stalker wanting his bay back, one that the state took away. The action builds as expected, including the Lifetime twist. Lifetime fans will love it.I am less enthusiastic.

I was OK with the movie until the Kay character made the Kevin character get in the "trunk" of a Firebird that doesn't have a trunk. Then the man couldn't climb from the back of the car to the front and get out while the car was being set on fire. He kept yelling "open the trunk". I would think that the choice of vehicles was a poor one and the director should have changed that regardless of what was written. Also, the Kevin character got one year in prison for murdering a social worker. The Judge in the family court was as "dumb as a box of hammers" and the decision given wouldn't have been made based upon one witness. I used to do Family Social work in foster care and it would have been more involved than that!

This thriller is a good one since you don't realize through 3/4 of the film that it is actually a thriller. You will first come to view the police and adoption agency both inadequate in providing for protection when an adopting couple begin to be immediately harassed by the biological father. Their inability to do anything to ameliorate the situation is shocking and shows what's wrong with the adoption system. Of course, this leads to further mayhem for all concerned. You will begin to suspect that something is terribly amiss when the doctor in charge of the agency is murdered. It is at this point that the movie becomes a thriller with the real mother coming out of the wood-work and that in itself is a definite shocker.

If you're looking for a comedy horror that is so bad it's funny, this is a great movie. One scene has the bio mom locking the bio dad in the trunk of a ... Wait for it... FIREBIRD. that's a hatchback, for those who didn't already know that... Kinda impossible to lock someone in a hatchback. Superhd makes the adoptive moms makeup look horrible, and there are a TON of spoofs accidents and the like. I thought it was great, horrible, but great. Quite a few b-lister familiar faces in here too! The plot is totally predictable and incredibly cliché, which is just another charming hilarity. Basically, a kid gets taken to cps, then adopted out, dad relocates daughter after serving time and stalks adoptive family all cliché tall dark and loomy... The cps lady feels a little suspicious, like she's coming on to the husband or something just seems... Off.. OMG she's bio mom! AND she's working WITH bio dad!! Shocking!! So many more cheesy moments, I won't spoil them all for you... And I sincerely hope I've met my ten line minimum because there really isn't enough substance in this movie to write ten lines about!

In order for me to really like a movie (or a book), I have to care about the characters. I want to empathize with them. In this case, I didn't, and ended up liking the bad boy more than the two "good guys" (who are, together, perhaps the most boringly flat couple I have ever seen.) The plot was so predictable, I knew what the supposed twist was going to be as soon as I saw her walk onto the screen. The only part I really enjoyed was watching the sexy villain stalk everyone and look menacing. He can come stalk me, if he likes. The wife, Cheryl, was a vapid character, and the actress who played her should learn not to overact. And Sam Gamgee. Well...never mind. It was just poor casting all around, except for the lovely bad boy, who didn't really have to say anything anyway. I gave it 3 stars, just because of him. If you have nothing, I mean nothing, else to do on a Sunday evening, perhaps watch this. You will be missing nothing if you pass it by.

I didn't catch this movie right at the beginning, so I can't comment on that, but after ten minutes of creepiness (the birthday party scene) I decided to give it a chance. As time went on I found myself shouting at the TV and growing angry at the characters and the decisions they were making. Lets go through a few situations that had me angry/annoyed. The 1st one is the fact that they were so UNPREPARED for that baby, like seriously, who doesn't have a baby thermometer in their house when they have a new baby (or any children period). The adoptive "mother" kept asking people if her daughter felt warm, it's like "Hey stupid, go get a thermometer". THEN, they decide to go out for the night (Sorry, but I can't bring myself to CARE enough to remember where they were going), this while they KNOW the biological father is stalking them AND COULD potentially try to steal back the baby, UGH. To make matters worse, the adoptive mother's father (who was helping his wife babysit) LETS A COMPLETE STRANGER INTO THE HOUSE. This made no sense since the father was looking at the guy like he was some kind of criminal. It's like, "You look like a deviant, but come on in....there is no way you're the creepy stalker my daughter told us about." So yeah, some stranger coming by to ask for a ladder late at night isn't a little bit suspect. I'm sorry but, give your head a shake. Next there is the way the cops and social worker handle the "stalker father" situation. There is NO WAY in hell anyone would ever be that uncaring about a situation like that. And secondly, there is no way I would put up with that kind of treatment when my child's safety is at stake...these scenes had me wanting to reach through the TV screen and slap the police and social worker. Terrible, just terrible. Oh and another thing, The TWIST....um who didn't see that one coming from a mile away LMAO. Wow, I just realized there is just too many horrible scenes (including the hospital one)to list all the ones that made me mad, but I will say that The chemistry between any of these characters was EXTREMELY lacking. I like Sean Astin, but as a lead actor...um not so much, sorry not a good casting decision. The adoptive mother (Samaire Armstrong)was probably the worst casting decision overall, as she over-acted most of her scenes. Brendan Fehr was the only good thing about this movie. While, he didn't have much to work with...he still looked hot as the dark, emotionless psychopath who only wanted his daughter back. I guess I'll leave it at that. In summary, if you are looking for a movie that is bad, but not awful enough to ruin your day...check this movie out — otherwise just SKIP IT.

Maybe one of the most unfortunate things about this film was the potential for a solid thriller was there. Granted its probably not the most unique story and fairly typical in the stalker thriller concept but it still could have been entertaining. Instead, the film is one of the most amateur, slapped together, and poorly researched and directed films I have ever seen. The performances in the film aren't terrible but they certainly aren't good. However, with a horrendous script and awful directing, there is only so much an actor can do. The film opens with a scene that shocks and rivets you, and then very quickly you realize this is an amateur production by definition. There is a twist in the story but due to the poor writing you see that twist coming from a million miles with very non-subtle acting and clues. Sean Astin gives his best B-Movie performance as the new Dad trying to protect his family. He's unlikable and almost annoying in the role which is really unfortunate. He can't carry the movie. TV actress Samaire Armstrong just seems ridiculous in the film. Her and Astin have zero chemistry and seem awkward together. Monet Mazur plays their social worker with a secret past. She does alright but its definitely a TV performance that doesn't hit any home runs. Brendan Fehr probably gives the best performance in the whole movie which is good because he is the evil villain so to speak. Its truly unfortunate he didn't have a better script because his villain could have been really something. TV 80's icon Michael Gross shows up in a cameo role and comes across as completely cheesy. I literally laughed out loud when I saw co-writer, and director Micho Rutare's experience. This is the guy who co-wrote cheese-fests Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus, Bigfoot and Meteor Apocalypse. There is a certain market for those cheesy disaster/monster type flicks but why would that director then go and do what should have been a serious thriller? He took no attempt at making this serious and turned it into a complete joke. Probably the worst part is how completely unbelievable the entire thing was because of a complete lack of research. There is really no reason to see this so called thriller. I didn't give it a complete zero because it was just barely tolerable but no one should ever push themselves to see this. 3/10

One of those movies that is neither good or bad but just below average. Adopting Terror does have some things going for it, the best aspect being the menacing performance of Brendan Fehr, an achievement for someone who doesn't have a huge amount to work with. The first 15 minutes or so are unsettling too, the baby is adorable and the locations show effort and a sense of atmosphere. The production values and supporting cast generally are very competent but they are never more than that, they're never cheap or bad but just without distinction throughout. Unfortunately the leads don't carry Adopting Terror well at all. Sean Astin has a flat character to begin with and he brings very little emotion in terms of acting which only accentuates that fact, instead it is a very stiff and lifeless performance. Samaire Armstrong's acting is a mix of overwrought overacting and disinterested mumbling, one of those vulnerable-meaning performances that doesn't strike the right chord in the least bit. The chemistry between Astin and Armstrong never convinces either. The music is far too heavy-sounding and too much of a dirge in terms of tempo, it does tone down a little later on but it's never memorable and it happens too late really. The script is also uncomfortably clunky and ham-fisted, delivered also with very little urgency and it never does find the right tone. The story is the chief factor in where Adopting Terror falls down, the ending is one that doesn't surprise in the least bit, the movie is often very dully paced especially in the middle and this is one thriller with very little if any suspense or thrills and instead reeks of predictability. If there were any scares intended at all they were very tame, and the more melodramatic elements didn't seem to be taken that seriously, it's all underwritten and overacted that any melodrama comes across as more cheesy than poignant. The characters are not developed and not easy to invest in, Fehr's character was the most rootable and that wasn't even the intention, that actually shows how flatly realised Astin and Armstrong's characters are. Overall, Adopting Terror starts well and has good locations, an adorable baby and one very good performance but the lead performances, music, script and story are really lacking. And the production values and supporting cast fall into the camp of never being amateurish but never standout-worthy either. 4/10 Bethany Cox