A convoluted, tedious mess. Not only is it hokey, it's almost laughable. It's soo boringly paced, it's hard to follow, and there isn't a suspenseful moment in sight. But there is some truly exceptional insect photography in this...

I expected another campy Sci-Fi movie when I popped "Phase IV" into the DVD player. You know, something on the order of "Night of the Lepus" or "Grizzly". But surprise surprise! "Phase IV" ended up being an interesting movie full of striking imagery with a lot of truly amazing footage of ants in action. To clarify, I mean in the sense that it is very well done. Most of the time it left me wondering just how the filmmakers got such fantastic footage of ants. It's Discovery Channel-ready! The futuristic laboratory in the desert is very '70s-cool and I really liked the mysterious way that the ants were altered. We never really find out how it occurred but it doesn't matter because they are easily the best part of the movie. In fact, anytime the human characters are on the screen, it's boring. I was hoping the ants would invade the lab and devour them just so we could spend more time with the creepy crawlies. The mood and look of "Phase IV" is exactly the same as the great Robert Wise's 1971 thriller "The Andromeda Strain". Its also got a wee bit of "Colossus: The Forbin Project" thrown in for good measure. But "Phase IV" comes no where near to either of those films in it's tale-telling. The majority of the time it's kind of difficult to tell just what is actually going on with not only the ants, but the scientists as well. The ending is sort of satisfying...I guess. I can say that it is not a particularly happy one but it also doesn't exactly tie up all of its loose ends.

I first stumbled across Phase IV through an interview with Johannes Grenzfurthner after watching Masking Threshold, and I immediately understood why he mentioned it as an inspiration. Both films share that strange combination of beauty and grotesqueness, and both feel like completely unique experiences. The way the ants are filmed is just mesmerizing. Those close-ups, the sounds, the music, even the silence in between — it almost feels like you’re watching a nature documentary, yet to slowly discover something more sinister is creeping in, literally. It’s simple and complex at the same time: watching ants live and build and adapt, while realizing that they’re becoming a real threat. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. What struck me most is how hypnotic it all feels. The visuals are stunning, the sound design pulls you in, and the whole concept is just fascinating. When people say, _"they don’t make movies like they used to,”_ I honestly think this is the kind of film they should be talking about. The human characters are the least interesting ones here. They never feel fully alive, more like mouthpieces for two different attitudes toward the ants — one aggressive, one cautious. Their disputes are sometimes so feeble that you end up being annoyed that the ants are not visible anymore. What makes Phase IV stand out for me, is that mix: dreamlike sequences, unsettling evolution, beautiful insect architecture, and a story that doesn’t always answer everything — maybe intentionally. It’s a film that grows in your mind after you finish watching it. Please watch it! And if you do, please make sure to also check out the alternative ending!

While the story is occasionally plodding, and repeatedly unsatisfying, Saul Bass still provides some amazing visuals (even when showing ants a carcass). Unique and memorable, even if cheesy.

Probably the best version of this type of movie. The type of movie created due to the environmental hazards and awareness of the time. The type of movie where the environment fights back, and the human struggle to survive, only to succumb eventually. In this case not only succumbing, but once again becoming part of Nature. 4½ stars.