Beta Test

gch

source: Beta Test

So I loved this movie!!!!! I am a huge Manu Bennett fan and he did not disappoint. Science Fiction is on of my favorite genres. I was sad that I could not go see this film at the movies but so glad I bought it Great cast overall.It was nice to see Linden Ashby because I adore him too... Loved the story and idea. I would recommend to anyone for sure to watch this one!!I mean gaming and science fiction all rolled into one, how could you not want to watch that. Go see Beta Test, it's a fun ride, with great action. Some people will say it was not good and some will say it rocked. I urge you to go see the movie for yourself. I give this a 10!!!

I'm not into movies based on video games but I'd seen the previews for Beta Test a few times and I was curious. I read a couple of reviews when it came out, but they were shredding it so badly that I stopped. For the most part, movie reviews and I just do not get along. Of course the movie never came to my city, so I bought the DVD, and it was at the top of my "to watch" list because I am a fan of Manu Bennett. Now....will I give away any spoilers? Yes, so read at your own risk! Well, the beginning wasn't so great, but I stuck it out. I got used to the VR effects, and then I just let the story take over. Truthfully, I'll be watching it again. Yes, I actually liked it, a lot more than I thought I would. IMO, the previews didn't do the movie justice. Also, remember--I am not a fan of movies based on video games. I was a little surprised Max figured out so quickly what was going on, but I also thought it was clever of him to basically break away from the mission of the game to bring Creed to him. And using that guard the way they did? I liked that twist! The big fight scene...OK, totally choreographed and how believable for one guy to demolish all those guards. Bottom line for me with this movie--sit back and just be entertained. Stop ripping it to shreds, looking for anything deeper than what it is--a low budget thriller, which they fully admit in the behind the scenes footage. I enjoyed it, but I'm also not a gamer or connoisseur of movies based on games. Compared to the big budget movies, Beta Test is a lot earthier, a lot simpler, and cuts to the chase without being overly obnoxious.

Bad acting, bad camera work, actors that look like they were taken straight out of comedies that parody action movies, bad animation that is supposed to be a video game. That and more is what you should expect from "Beta test". Do you know how "Birdemic" is so bad that it's good? This is sort of like that except it's just bad. It feels as if the movie had two teams making it - one that wanted it to be a serious action movie and another that wanted it to be an action comedy, sort of a spoof of a real movie. It's filled with clichés, up to a point where the main bad guy says "So its time for the monologue?" and he proceeds to monologue up until the very predictable end. Possibly the worst of all, during a fight scene - a main character fights some bad guys while others are slowly walking down some stairs or simply standing around and gawking at their comrades being taken out, one by one. Predictable, boring and nonsensical action sequences are also very common with 100% of the car chases or characters driving cars is replaced with the horrific animations that are supposed to simulate real life while they look like bad video presentations made by directors teenage son. Fights end as you would expect with the bad guys losing through insane choices that no real person would do and "killed" by just one punch while the protagonist could take on a thousand. In one of these "missions", the main character is tasked with PROTECTING A SCHOOL SHOOTER. Yes, that's right - protecting a school shooter who is apparently also forced by some evil guys to kill children. There is never a reason given for this nor any sane explanation which leads me to believe its a blatant tear jerking scene that has no place in the movie. The gamer aspect will blow any gamers mind. It as inaccurate and low effort as it can be I suppose. The low budged this movie has really shows while you watch the "super immersion" game sequences. Beta Test is agonising to watch. The only reason I give this a rating above 1 is that you may find this movie funny while watching it drunk with some friends on a couch. It honestly bothers me that it somehow achieved a rating of 7.

When I first heard about Beta test I thought of gamer. It came out awhile ago, had an all star cast with a big budget and looked good, but the story lacked. If you took that budget and put it into this story it would be intense. That being said I can appreciate a movie for what it is, not just what it could be. Overall I felt it was a good movie working with what it had, I'll excuse the gaming graphics if for no other reason than to make the player believe he is playing a game since his character is widely known to the public. I like the political takes in the movie, again something not normally seen in a big budget movie. Biggest con if you can consider it one is, that like most movies, the big bad guy in a suit some how gets the better of the protagonist. (Who served 2 tours, if I remember correctly. Not overly political, serious, or goofy, has a good general mix.

The movie had an interesting gimmick that was destroyed by some terrible acting and dialogue. The plot was decent, the initial set up and first 30 minutes were even suspenseful. I managed to watch the entire movie, but not without being ejected from my suspension of disbelief more than once. This was not because of a bad script, but because of terrible dialogue and the very bad acting of a few individuals. In particular, Kevon Stover, who reminded me of a poor man's Danny Trejo, was so cringe worthy and distracting that I was unsure whether or not he was added for comic relief. It seemed a waste of some passable d-list actors. I'm sorry, I rated it a 4, below average.

Warning: Do not read if you are going to buy this movies, because you will change your mind. I pick up this film because by looking at its title, I thought it will be similar to Video Game High School. However, Beta Test is just an action movies which contain a lot of fighting scene. I am not interested in this genre. Not suitable for children or young gamer because of many violent scenes. I highly not recommend this. For the actor, there are nothing special, except the technical support girl who we never see in person. The lesson I learn from this movie is: "Please respect your technical support, they are doing their best, even risk their live to help you".

I loved this movie. It's weird and different. It takes basically an old Arnold movie and combines it with a political commentary. There are a lot of angry reviewers on here. I don't really understand it. There are so many bad films out there that are actually bad. This one just isn't, but it's like a small group needs to make a point to hurt this movie? Really weird to me. It has a good flow. The director knows how to put a scene together. The acting, overall, is good. There are a couple bad acting moments from some of the no name actors, but nothing that ruins the movie. The editing is tight. The movie movies quick. It doesn't outstay its welcome. The action is awesome. I loved the game world and the commentary on how we take for granted all the violence we see in TV and games. The big single-shot fight scene is pretty amazing. Loved the sword fight showdown. Reminded me of Highlander. If you want an independent action thriller that is a little different from the usual fare, check this out.

I am what you'd call a connoisseur of action movies and indie action movies. But I also like deep films, dramas, etc. - Most indie action movies are just plain terrible. This is not. And on an indie action scale this gets a 10 out 10 in my book. Here's the bottom line. If you watch the trailer for this movie and enjoy the trailer, then there's no logical reason why you wouldn't be entertained by this film. If you don't enjoy the trailer, then why even waste your time? It's quite creative, especially for how small it is, and even has a breathtaking single take fight scene that I believe is currently the longest one out there. But this is way more than just an indie action movie. It comes with a message. And if you're not able to see the layers under the surface of this movie then a movie like this is not for you. It's pretty smart. You've got themes of media influence, video gaming, violence, corruption, false flag operations and government cover ups. There is a lot there, and it's all wrapped in this fun tongue-in-cheeky package that tributes 90s action movies. The filmmaker clearly loved all those movies as a kid and it shows. He made a tribute to the action movies of yesterday. And made it deep and smart! If that sounds like something you want to watch, then check out Beta Test. It's a real treat!