MovieChat Forums > Phasma Ex Machina (2011) Discussion > Disappointed.... Spoilers....

Disappointed.... Spoilers....

posted 13 years ago by tkip19
11 replies | jump to latest

It starts off promising but then just gets silly and throws out logic out the window.

The lead character builds a machine to do, well, we're never really told what.

But the machine at first brings back the dead. Or maybe not. The ghosts don't realize they're dead and one gets the feeling that they're maybe just recreations from the minds of those that remember them.

But the real letdown is that the characters seem to be going through the motions, there's no real terror and the ending with the one guy flip-flopping and stealing the machine makes no sense.

The only thing I can say is that the movie didn't end with the typical happy ending.

[–] peanutbutterfilthy 13 years ago

I watched this and must respond to your post.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. If you can tell me where it gets silly, perhaps I can try to explain better, but I will assume you mean when he starts building the machine. Yes, that would be silly to us, and does in fact seem silly to his brother. But to him it does not, as we clearly see he is guilt ridden and obsessed.

2. It is made very clear he is building the machine to try to bring back his parents. In one scene he even explains that there is a shortage of energy between our world and the other side that keeps them apart. His goal by building the machine is to provide that energy and thus reunite with his parents. He blames himself for their deaths as he did not give a ride to his brother as promised and the parents were forced to.

3. The machine does bring back the dead, so long as it is plugged in. Tom's wife (the only alive-dead person relationship that knew each other), a little girl at the neighbor's house, and the prior owners of Cody and James's home. None of them realize they are dead.

4. There's no terror, because the ghosts do not "haunt people." They simply exist as they did when they were alive. The tension lies with Tom and his desire to be with his dead wife, which in turn

5. Explains why he steals the machine. Much like Cobb in Inception, Tom wants to stay with his wife, even though she is dead. He needs to keep the machine plugged in to do so. Cody told Tom that he would no longer use the machine. Tom's only resort was to steal it so that he could be with his dead wife.

www.movie-scum.com

[–] Darkwalker173 13 years ago

If you can tell me where it gets silly, perhaps I can try to explain better

You are either way too full of yourself or are connected in some way to the film, either way, if you feel you have to explain a movie to someone who has already seen it, that movie fails.

I laugh in the face of danger, then I hide until it goes away.

[–] peanutbutterfilthy 13 years ago

not full of myself. more so trying to help someone who does n't understand (even the most obvious parts of ) the film. Also, if you could explain why the movie fails, I would be more respectful of the comment. so many people trash a film with "clever" words, but don't bother to explain.

www.movie-scum.com

[–] rrpostal 13 years ago

You may be right about the quality of the movie, but I think he was just trying to explain what he saw, not belittle anyone or flaunt his mad movie watching prowess. There are plenty of good movies that need clarifications, also. Not saying this is one of them.

[–] Carrigon 13 years ago

Borrrrrrringggggg, low budget, boring. Not worth it.

[–] sensored 13 years ago

They told exactly what the machine was for and how it was supposed to work. What they didnt explain was how some guy from social services can meet with a guy twice and then take his brother away for missing first period more than nine times and how you can take a severe blow to the skull with a shovel w/o even a headache.
Ithought the movie had potential, but.......

[–] Thornwood 13 years ago

The social services (SS Nazis) warned him about not having a job, about being almost a kid himself and to make sure his bro was getting to school. They said that he was walking on thin ice as far as keeping custody of his kid brother. Sadly, in this day and age its MORE than enough for the state to intervene.

As far as the shovel to the head... I agree!! I was only half clocked in the head with a bat during a street rumble in Detroit in my wayward youth. It took 27 stitches and a 2 week concussion before my rattled brain could think half strait again.

Hell, 25 years later and I still ain't right upstairs!! Duhhhhhhhh!!--

A blow with a shovel to that kids head from that big dude would have been lethal foooor shoooore!! lol! ... But, that's Hollyweird for ya!

I take the movie for what it was... a B ghost flick with some surreal scenes and a few hair raising spooky scenes. Quite the accomplishment for a few mediocre to bad actors on a shoestring budget and no special effects what-so-ever, save for a 1970's stereo cabinet with some electronic gadgetry for a ghost machine.

4 out of 10 for a decent effort with what they had to work with.

My God !! It's full of stars....

[–] mohrhome 11 years ago

I have to say, that was the only part of the movie that had any emotional impact. All the guy had to do was take his brother to school but all the other stuff was more important.

[–] emvan 9 years ago

The shovel blow was actually portrayed as glancing; the guy was just trying to knock him unconscious. I'm sure he did have a concussion as a result, but you really don't need to devote movie time to exploring that.

Prepare your minds for a new scale of physical, scientific values, gentlemen.

[–] susan685 9 years ago

We were hoping the twist would be that the shovel blow actually killed him and he wouldn't realize it until the machine was destroyed. Then he could reunite with his parents, and the obnoxious brother could go to a group home and hopefully get his attitude adjusted.

[–] trgreen5045 10 years ago

I was disappointed they didn't expand the storyline of the mother and son ghosts. What did they do that the mother says they are going to hell for. A little more of them could have made this a great horror movie. The ending was awful and done is such a way they thought a sequel could be made. That was a little over optimistic and left holes in the stortyline, which they were hoping would also lead to a sequel.