Very little character development and minimal plot make this a pointless video. It's basically a horror film wrapped around a doomsday plot with a hint of zombies. If you have nothing else to do and you have a free copy of the video then go find a book to read. Just terrible.

Many bad reviews but I gotta confess - I liked it. True is, The Colony doesn't invent the wheel new and the story told is maybe a little too standard but what we get is a decent post-apocalyptic flick set in a world after a new ice age hit Earth with some action and good production and solid acting. If you like movies like The Book of Eli, The Road or The Day etc. this may be a movie for you - Snowpiercer got a bigger production value and the more crazy storyline, but well, not one of the mentioned movies is imo superb like Max Rockatansky's adventures in the Australian Outback, but all are entertaining. The Colony - a good one-timer for the lover of the world after the great fall.

Released in 2013, "The Colony" is a post-apocalyptic movie about life in North America after the next ice age hits. Laurence Fishburne stars as the leader of an underground colony with Bill Paxton (R.I.P.) as his problematic assistant. Kevin Zegers plays a younger guy who rises to the challenge when contact with a neighboring colony is lost and a trio treks the winter wilderness to check on the status of its inhabitants. My wife watched this movie on DVD before I did and, knowing it was some kind of wintery post-apocalyptic movie, I naturally asked her: "Are there mutants in it?" By "mutants" I meant, of course, any number of antagonists typical to the genre – zombies, cannibals, diseased tramps, monsters, etc. She didn't respond, but I knew the answer and was right. So this is a hackneyed post-apocalyptic movie; the question is: Does it rise to the challenge within that increasingly stale sci-fi/horror/action genre? Is there something about it that's fresh and invigorating? The answer is "no." There are obvious elements of numerous similar flicks, like "The Day After Tomorrow" (2004), "Day of the Dead" (1985), "The Thing" (1982), "Aliens" (1979), "Aliens" (1986) and the first two "Planet of the Apes" movies (1968, 1970). That said, "The Colony" is solid for what it is, which is helped by the fact that it doesn't overstay its welcome at 94 minutes. The CGI backdrops are convincing, albeit a little cartoonish, and I found myself drawn into the world of the characters. It's a good thing Charlotte Sullivan is on hand as the protagonist's babe, though.The dramatic first half of the movie is a slow-build to the action-packed second half with its revelation of the main villain(s), which is underwhelming when revealed (I'm not going to give it away). I will say that there is a character played by Dru Viergever who's garbed like Pinhead's little brother or perhaps a rejected vampire from "Underworld" (2003). Whatever the case, I chuckled a few times upon eyeing his stereotypical menacing expressions/antics. The movie's further brought down by the predictable political correctness wherein the sage leader is a seasoned black man and his unofficial second-in-command is a moral, intelligent & beautiful white woman. These two are naturally contrasted by the selfish and sociopathic "aging white guy," a symbol of all that is wrong with the world (rolling my eyes). A Canadian production, the movie was shot at some defunct underground power plant in North Bay, Canada, with (I presume) establishing shots from Lapland, Finland, and studio work done in Toronto. DIRECTOR: Jeff Renfroe. WRITERS: Renfroe, Patrick Tarr, Pascal Trottier & Svet Rouskov. Atticus Mitchell has a small role. GRADE: CADDITIONAL COMMENTARY ***SPOILER ALERT*** (Don't read unless you've seen the movie):The aforementioned "mutants" turn out to be merely "humans gone feral," as Fishburne's character describes them. Cracked cannibals or not, wouldn't their priority be acquiring food supplies rather than senseless slaughter? Moreover, does it make sense to forgo a good take of fresh meat to wander the ruthless winter wilderness searching for even more food when it's not a for sure endeavor? Do farmers slaughter all their livestock at once? There are too many logical holes.

An intelligent script and excellent direction make The Colony one of the few effective cautionary tales regarding climate change produced since The Day After. Tense, exciting, and at times horrifying, this film succeeds in bringing the consequences of global climate chaos home to a disinterested audience. There is no possible way anyone who experiences this important motion picture can turn away in abject indifference any longer. Overwhelming in its imagery and emotionally raw in its breathtaking prescience, this is a motion picture that should be shown in every young person's classroom. Laurence Fishburne gives a performance of a lifetime here and is supported by an outstanding cast. Pay attention to the message and you will understand why the issues depicted in this movie are the most significant of our time. That is the unrelenting impact which is indeed The Colony.