The Human Race (2013)

Very disappointing...

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Science fiction is one of my favorite genres in movies. Certainly when it makes you think that it could happen in the future. But with The Human Race you don't have that perspective. It just a thing you know it will never happen. Nothing wrong with that if the movie would be any good. And that's where the problem is, the movie is just nothing special. It is just boring to watch. You expect some kind of explanations about how and why all those people got there in the first place but after a while you know you won't get the answers. It could have been much better if they would not drag some scenes like the ones with the deaf people. It was a disappointment to watch. I won't watch this one a second time, that's for sure.

There's a few spoilers here, so don't read it if you don't want to. To begin, I had heard that this was like a combination of the hunger games and Stephen King's "The long walk" Instead, what I saw was a bloody and pointlessly gore filled movie that had little character development, and more than necessary controversial acts. Now, I'm no prude and have seen my fair share of horror films and do enjoy them, as long as its in good taste, But even I have my limits. It begins with a short segway of a young woman developing cancer, and then winning the battle against it. Her head explodes, end of story. The one and only character that is somewhat developed and interesting is killed within minutes.We then get shifted to a chauvinistic veteran and his nerdy vice principal side kick who get thrown into the human race game. Rules are simple, if you get lapped twice, you die, you touch grass, you die. For a few minutes, things are somewhat interesting. The deaf couple almost tug at your heartstrings, but not for long. The exploding heads were a bit excessive. My problem is that the movie's violence didn't add to anything. An unborn baby explodes, two children are violently killed, All in all, I found it to be a repulsive and vile project. Character development was poor. I feel that the director was trying to go for a film that stirred enough controversy that it would sell itself. What they made was a poorly written pointlessly gory version of a story that had potential. If you're looking for pointless bloody entertainment, go ahead, But there's so many better choices out there.

Indie movie "The Human Race" has an impossible task ahead of it. How will audiences take it seriously when it so completely reminds them of bigger and better films? "The Hunger Games" already referred to as a young adult version of the superior gore fest "Battle Royale." Arnold Schwarzenegger even found himself sprinting for his life in "The Running Man."A group of people from different walks of life find themselves in a race to the death. After witnessing a blinding flash, they awaken in a strange obstacle course. Among the runners are two handicapped military veterans, a pregnant woman, a mother and daughter, and two school children. Voices in their heads tell them if they break any of the rules given to them, they will die. There can be only one winner, but what is the prize for reaching the finish line? And to what lengths will people go to make sure they win "The Human Race?"It would help if "The Human Race" added anything new to what we've already seen, but it doesn't. When the "contestants" veer off the path, their heads explode just like they did in low-budget 1990's sci-fi flick "Deadlock (aka Wedlock)." Director / Writer Paul Hough refuses to play it safe in terms of the victims he decides to dispose of. He also does his best to come up with new and more despicable ways for the racers to treat each other in an attempt to compensate for a lack of originality when it comes to the story.In the production notes for "The Human Race," Hough stated, "Unfortunately in life, death has no prejudice. It doesn't discriminate. It will go after both the good and the bad. The abled and the disabled. The young and the old. The faithful and the faithless. I wanted to create a world in which anything can happen to anyone at any time."He continued, "Further, it was important to me to have characters that one didn't pander to. That are flawed. That are actually a reflection of the society we live in - not just a wishful perception." I will say he did accomplish what he strived for as far as making each character an example of a certain section of humanity."The Human Race" is Unrated. I would give it an R-rating if I were a member of the MPAA. Lots of blood, violence, and disturbing images are the main factor for my decision. Another is a scene of attempted rape that many will find disturbing and quite intense.Everything about "The Human Race" will remind you of another better movie you saw. The attempt at a shocking ending just feels like a major letdown crafted by a fan who's watched way too much "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits." The only viewer who won't feel this way is one who somehow escaped ever seeing "The Hunger Games," "Battle Royale," "The Running Man," or "Deadlock (aka Wedlock)." If you've already witnessed these fine films, then just move along. There's nothing new to see here… unless you just want to witness CGI-enhanced exploding heads and other sequences of blood and gore.

DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE INTERESTING SOUNDING STORYLINE AND THE OKAY COVER.This movie is the worst excuse for a movie I have ever seen. I don't know how it was released (let alone in movie stores) and I'm not even sure how it has gotten a rating of above 2 on IMDb.The acting is horrendous, most elements of the movie are completely unrealistic and the final scene just makes the entire thing ever more confusing and far-fetched. There is no background, no attempt to help you build a connection to the characters and quite simply boasts awful acting, terrible filming and confusion. By the time the credits come, you're just left thinking "what did I even just watch?"Don't even bother, this movie isn't worth your time.1/10