Quarantine 2:
Terminal
2011
Third Street Pictures / RCR Media Group / Andale Pictures / Lightning Entertainment / Stage 6 Films / Vertigo Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
6.50 / 10
This film is a rare creature indeed - A sequel that's better than the original. Let me just state it's a sequel to a bad American adaptation of a Spanish film [REC]. I am a fan of the Spanish movies but I have to give respect and credit to writer and director John Pogue for not giving the audience another weak version. Instead of going the religious route of [REC] 2 , Terminal escalates the fear of terrorist attack with a man-made killer virus. This alteration gives both films a more solid footing in reality and puts it into the thriller genre instead of horror.
Once again the action takes place in the tight confines of a restricted location. This time we are placed in a small aeroplane then we move to the baggage handling section of the terminal. These settings give the audience the feelings of claustrophobia and the threat of being trapped with no escape, especially in the plane.
Pogue does a good job of creating an atmosphere of tension and anguish that keeps the viewers entertained and interested. Where this film starts to falter is in the last third. The story goes out the door as people just run about screaming and killing. The action isn't great and the use of speeding up the film is atrocious and reduces the films strength. To be honest, I cannot explain why this is the case as Pogue does well with the action in the earlier action scenes - the shot of the thundering unstoppable mass of a man barrelling down the aisle of the plane is a great shot and well executed. He is also adept at controlling the flow and pace of the story and interweaving the various atmospheres.
Another thing that suffers at the same stage is the acting and characterisations. On the whole, the performances are above average but when the mayhem breaks out the skills disappear. It is actually the last section of this film which reduces the rating. For example, the opening sequence where we're introduced to the stewardesses and the pilots it a solidly realistic and interesting scene, which even introduces a thread of tenseness: Whereas, towards the end of the film there's a scene where two characters are on their way to possible freedom when they have to face the possibility that one of them is infected; a previously strong and logical character is suddenly overly emotional and illogical. This sudden flick-of-the-switch change once again diminishes the film's potency.
This is a well crafted, acted, and filmed story. It's well worth a watch, especially if you enjoyed the American version of [REC]; it even works as a stand-alone as there are references to what happened in the previous movie as this story is set in the same timeline. Remember: If you're a fan of the Spanish movies then you have to realise this has nothing to do with them and follows a different and alternate storyline. Though I won't watch the original Quarantine again I may watch this once more... even though it may be in another ten years.
