User reviews

Okay, all things considered, this movie delivers on a number of issues. There were some good performances from Fenn, Roberts and Stockwell. The dialogue was realistic. Writing was good considering the low budget. The research of the subject matter was excellent! It's just too bad that larger budgets won't support such treatments of well established UFO mythology. This one pretty much got it right, though it relied a little heavily on "big movie" gratuities, such as big explosions, high speed action. Overall, the movie was good and is a great addition to the lackluster treatment of UFO lore by Hollywood to date.

Overall, I was impressed by a number of things. Good casting, pretty good writing, some fine acting from Fenn, Roberts and Stockwell. The lead MIB was well done indeed! Really captures the heart of MIB lore - these folks really did their research (a rarity with these kinds of films, as you know). It's just too bad that this kind of film doesent deserve a larger budget. I give it a solid B!

This film seems to be an attempt to give a more "realistic" portrayal of alien encounters and Men In Black (well I say "realistic" because the proof is still lacking).

It certainly targets to people (such as myself) who have a strong interest in UFOlogy, aliens, MIBs, the real X files etc.

It's not a bad film but not a great film. It's rather predictable throughout because it has all the cliches that we've learnt from the X Files and tv shows about aliens abductions.

It is not a bad movie to watch if you are reading a book, playing the guitar or doing something else while it's on.

The ending pleasantly and enjoyably excessive but I guess a film needs some sort of closure.

There was a lot of talent that was wasted on this film. Both Dean Stockwell and Sherilyn Fenn have made much better films.

Well, This isn't that bad, not as bad as some make it out to be. If you are into UFOs and alien abduction. Some parts are pretty cheesey, but all in all it's not that bad of film. Once you start watching you kind of got to keep watching to see what happens.

I'm not much into Eric Roberts movies, but he was actually pretty good in this. If you an actually lover of films then you might like this one. give it a chance.

Now, to say that It's unrealistic, you got to remember it is just a movie. I highly doubt that this was based on a real life encounter. just go into with an open mind.

It seems not a single person behind-the-scenes on this project strived to make it anything more than passable. That's not to say the film is bad -- it isn't. It's not great either. It's just... *Meh*

There were opportunities in the script for curve balls to be thrown at the audience, but the filmmakers declined. They stuck to the formula, never veered off the path of familiarity, and gave us the plot completely by the numbers. This is the type of movie that you can flip on at any time and not really pay attention, never having to worry if you'll miss any key plot points.

I'm a fan of Eric Roberts and find him enjoyable in even the worst of movies, so having him in the cast definitely helped.

And kudos to the filmmakers for playing off the ridiculously awful alien costumes for realism. They looked awful, but worked in that "so cheesy it's fun" sort of way.

Finally, a semi-accurate portrayal of the infamous Men In Black, although I doubt the real MIB agents are alien/human hybrids. Okay, so the plot line was thin and sounded like an x-file, but lets give the writers credit for doing some research in Ufology. Hard core conspiracy buffs and those looking for alternatives to the "Will Smith" and "Tommy Lee Jones" MIB only.

Standard alien-abduction conspiracy-theory story that could be written in one's sleep (and probably was). The centerpiece of the tale is a very unappealing All-American Family...Hollywood Yuppie version. The dad is a complete wimp (he's handed a grenade and says "What do I do?"...that really cracked my kids up). The mom is overbearing, overprotective, and humorless...probably heads the local PTA. And the kid is whiny...but then, look at his parents. The only enjoyment I got out of this movie was watching Dean Stockwell....I loved it when he was frying up eggs for breakfast, and then asked the dad if he would rather have granola..or (with great disdain) Yogurt! Personally, Dean would probably have had a better time if he invited the MIB to breakfast...and barricaded his house against the Yuppies.

What a trainwreck. Cheesey family, bisquick-filled villains, horrible dialogue, even worse acting, cliche after awful cliche, large plot holes, non-attention to some details, over-emphasis of other details....

~Avoid~ this movie, unless you want a good laugh and/or are in the mood to MST.

I thought Shadow Men was good, for a direct-to-video flick. Oh sure, the special effects weren't great and there were a few plot holes here and there, but otherwise, it was ok. There was a sort of creepiness about the whole thing. Afterall, would you really want to be chased by the MiB? (And I'm not talking about the light-hearted MiB of Jones and Smith).

Any movie with Eric Roberts and Dean Stockwell can't be all bad, and "The Shadow Men" confirms this. The film is not all bad, but it is also far from good, in other words average at best. Abducted,typical family, on the run from men in black, with amazing transformation into gun wielding combatants. Most likely no one will be totally satisfied here, certainly not the sci-fi crowd with the simplistic story, and definitely not the action crowd with the laughable gun play. Nevertheless, the presence of Roberts, Stockwell, and Sherilyn Flynn, keeps the acting on track, and aims the film squarely at an average rating (5.0) , where it belongs. - MERK

X-files, but with average American family. Alien abduction as "plausible" as I have ever seen. Eric Roberts gives a very solid performance. Sherilyn Fenn is beautiful and believable.

Interesting idea, along the lines of the "real" men in black, turns into a conventional potboiler about halfway through. Ok action, some good acting, ultimately stock directing... but a good overall attempt by the filmmakers to personalize the characters and give them some depth... out of character for this type of low budget production. Roberts is pretty good, so is Sherilyn Fenn. The stand out for me? It's got to be cult actor Andrew Prine as the main MIB. Above Average, I give it 7 out of ten.

It would be interesting to compare this one to Men in Black. (the will smith film.) This was more like what I've heard real life stories of encounters with MIB agents is like. Decent cast, too, with Eric Roberts, Dean Stockwell, and Andrew Prine. Slow and dark at times, but worth the rental if just to satisfy your curiosity. Give it a try.

** 1/2 out of ****

This is so bad it isn't even funny. I think it must have been written by an unintelligent child. It really is quite unbelievable how poorly-made this film is. It actually has a good cast, but it is one of those films that you can't understand why it got made at all. Best line: "MIB meet TNT"!

There are some things I watch not expecting them to be good, but because I like to think about the ideas and consider alternate storylines and better alternatives for the characters. Most episodes of "Star Trek: Voyager" are only worth watching because of the discussions and reviews on Usenet.

If you like rewriting stories, this is a good movie to see with a friend. What should the Wilsons have done differently, given that they were abducted? What would have made a better story? (The answer to both is "Lots of things" 8-), which is why the movie is an interesting starting point.)

My major question is why, whenever someone sees a UFO in the movies, that's what they say. They know they sound stupid, and nobody will listen. Why not say "I don't know what it was, but there was a bright light that came up on us from behind, and then disappeared over a hill, and then there was a flash. I thought it was a plane crash, and I know there's an Air Force base nearby, so I reported it. I figured the pilot was just buzzing motorists at night for kicks and lost control."

It's completely believable, and if the good guys investigate and find more, then the bad guys will follow them. If the bad guys investigate and come to your house, they'll think you didn't see anything worth mentioning and leave you alone.

Aral Vorkosigan, in _Mirror Dance_, said "People give themselves to you, in their talking, and in other ways, if you are quiet and patient and let them, and not in such a damn rush to give yourself to *them* you go bat-blind and deaf." Lots of people in movies, such as Mr Wilson in this one, give themselves away to the enemy. People aren't really that dumb, are they? (_Mirror Dance_ is by Lois McMaster Bujold.)

This movie is a bit like "The Phantom Menace" and "Waterworld", in that I left the cinema thinking "What a wasted opportunity." But still, my wife and I were able to have some interesting discussions about the stories, even if defective.

Bought the Video for 50 cents, in the local blockbusters 'culling' of 'rust'. Cover looked good,shadowy figures shrouded by mist, a promise of a 'cracker jack' MIB and cover-ups.

Pace, energy, dramatic tension empathy with character,there is none there.

Eric Roberts, an actor who I was not aware of before this movie,stars as Bob Wilson , a man with very bad facial hair,looking late 70's.There is some scenes in the movie where he looks like he has lost some 'teeth' on the left side and the beard is a beard to hide the fact.

It looks and runs like a 'low budget' B,but without the 'whackyness' to become a cult movie.

The story has been culled from the 'real' UFO alien abduction case's that were abound during the year 1996 and 1998.These books collectively had concluded the the 'greys' have been here all the time,but are so sensitive to sunlight,they are addicted to 'ray bands' and black suits and cars.Because they are so embarrassed off these 'faults' they are determined to remove any evidence that earthlings may have happened to stumble on, that they exist.

The Movie does not get off first base. Dean stock well, who plays the UFO writer Stan Mills adds some , energy' to this movie,but you do feel that somehow Dean is winking to the camera with the thought, can you really believe this.....

Howver there was a 'laff', the dog's name was 'anthrax', a sly reference to 'close encounters....'

Lisa Dinkins, the desk sergeant, looks more angry towards the director on the set, than to the character who'dosn't make her day'.

The Shadow Men, lacks script, and direction.For a film made in 1998 it looks and rides like a 'loss leader'.

It deserves only a two, but I'm open to suggestions that it deserves better. BJay,aka gemma100

I was an alien both in the studio (the top floor of the production studio was turned into the space ship hallway boiling hot in that rubber suit), and out on location when the car goes into the ditch (freezing cold - ice on my windshield when I left to go home). I also had to be a body double as the son when he ran out of time (kids can only work so many hours). They wrapped me up in a blanket and Eric had to carry me into the house. The last day of filming, I had to wear a wig and a mole to be Dez (SL was off set that night), and ride around in the minivan as it 'drove through the woods.'

This was a fun production to be on! I'm glad that the movie has gotten an OK rating!

..This is definitely a movie for MST3K...My friend and I had fun ripping it apart..the movie just wasn't a

pleasant experience..If you feel like committing suicide,

watch this movie--it will give you the extra boost to help you venture to the other side.

It's not THAT bad...

Sure, the photography is flat (considering the DP also shot TWIN PEAKS), uneven performances, rotten editing, bad direction... but let's give the writers their due. They tried to come up with a storyline about the original urban legend of the Men in Black. Characters are well drawn, and it's not the dialogue that's bad, some of it is quite good, it's just the flat, uninspired way the performances are directed. Some stuff is obviously shoe-horned in there, all that ridiculous action stuff, and it's not a good fit... not to mention that protracted alien abduction scene. I've caught the movie a couple of times late night on HBO (not by choice mind you, just works out that way), and if you step back, and look at the story and the writing, you can see that they were going for something a few notches above the standard sci-fi outing. Performances: C+, Direction: D-, Writing: B

This film, although it is full of movie clichés ufology, is only dealing with the theme "MIBs" with the seriousness it is due. Skeptics to be excused, but those who study ufology know there many reports in the world about the presence of these mysterious beings in lives of those who had contact with aliens. The film makes a useful counterpoint MIB series of movies (Men in Black I, II and III success box office in theaters) where they are treated as the "good guys" of history. Coincidence or not the film that treats them as villains had little or no visibility, even having been released in the same year first MIB Will Smith.

On their way home from a camping trip Robert Wilson and his family saw something in the sky, a bright light that seemed to have been chasing them, the following day Robert Wilson contacts the air force wanting to make sure whether or not it might have been a new type of aircraft being tested, then strange men arrive at their home asking strange questions and soon the Wilson family realize their lives could be at risk.

This little Sci-Fi thriller does believe it or not take itself seriously but it comes off as rather cheesy but I was entertained nonetheless, the acting was above average the direction was okay and the storyline was in fact cheesy but it had its moments, the special effects are really nothing to talk about, the aliens look almost like the ones in SCARY MOVIE 3 but that at the end just added to the overall cheesiness of the film.

Of course if cheesy Sci-Fi features are you're thing, try tracking down a film called THE SILENCERS directed by Richard Pepin.