The Vector File (2002)
A geo-political thriller where Gerry Anderson finds that sometimes, everybody really is out to get you. Gerry's daughter, Mattie, accidentally prints out a DNA code that in the wrong hands can end the human race. The chase is on - the Russians, whose DNA code it is that Mattie has in her backpack, and a group of terrorists compete to get the code from the person they all assume has it, Gerry. With all this going on, Gerry's estranged wife Margaret is worried for her daughter's safety and finds herself another target in the race to find the code.
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Expected more
Absolutely brilliant
Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.
Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.
This is not a bad movie. It has some interesting ideas, like the role of technology and organized crime in future terrorism. Being a New Zealand/German effort, it did not have the big budget of Hollyweed, but it has some pretty good acting and it moves along well. It has some inexcusable plot holes, but so do 80% of the Hollyweed efforts I see. The direction wavers between "personal relationships" and "good folks in peril" scenes, with the latter getting more attention. It could have been a lot better with about 20 more minutes to flesh out the plot and develop the characters and their relationships. It has the overall feel of a pretty good idea that ran out of money. Hollyw$$d, it ain't easy to compete with, but at least some competent folks are trying!
(The end of para. 2 contains a not very surprising spoiler, sort of.)This movie is a must-have for Casper Van Dien fans and a nice little made-for-TV action-thriller for the rest of the world that is suffering through a nothing-good-on-TV night and looking for something to rent. There aren't a whole lot of surprises, except perhaps that India Oxenberg (Van Dien's daughter both in and out of the movie) is a good actress for her age, and his much-put-upon character, who runs the gamut of unknown assailants, suspicious cops, and a tottering marriage, is finally allowed to take revenge in a rather novel way involving a swimming pool and some brute force, and let's just leave it at that.The Vector File, as we learn fairly soon, involves viruses, plagues, and possible apocalyptic chaos, and naturally is of interest to every nefarious SPECTRE type organization on the planet. But to a child who gets confused by all the keys and buttons on dad's computer, it's mainly useful as scrap paper to draw pictures on. And therein lies the reason for all the chasing, shooting, kidnapping, drowning, asphyxiating, car bombing, and battering with driftwood. There's quite a bit of mayhem, real and surreal, involving death, near death, and fear of death. But this isn't Quentin Tarantino, it's made for TV, so it's not incredibly bloody, and most of the people you'd expect to be left standing at the end of the movie actually are. And if you're careful about what your kids hear, hold their ears the 3 or 4 times somebody gets perturbed and uses four-letter words beginning with 's' and 'f'-at least in the unexpurgated version, or maybe TV down under is just different.Periodically there is some beautiful New Zealand scenery to look at, and Van Dien fans will love seeing him looking scrumptiously scruffy in a beard and t-shirt throughout the movie (costumes were obviously not a big part of the budget this time around). Call me soft in the head, or just fascinated by the notion of show business 'dynasties,' but there's just something nice about watching the real daddy/daughter duo facing the bad guys together. And we kinda sorta suspect the estranged couple played by real-life husband and wife Van Dien and Catherine Oxenberg will probably wind up together again before the movie's over too. At least if they can settle the matter of the anchovies. As for what that's all about, you'll have to rent the movie and find out for yourselves.
This is a good standard thriller. I saw it with a bunch of New Zealand theatre owners for a theatrical potential test screening and the reaction was mixed - some would show it, some not. It did very well on video and the women love Casper. I am connected to the movie, but I think an objective 6 to 7 out of 10 is fair as a video. Everyone likes the twist at the end!
I think that the movie had its faults but it had its good things to do. the acting was superb but the camera angles needed some work. I found the story line had great meaning, but more attention is needed to be given to the main characters, in some parts of the film it is unknown as to how they are feeling.I give this movie a 6/10 because it managed to keep me busy.