THE LOST FUTURE

STARRING: Sean Bean, Annabelle Wallis, Sam Claflin, Corey Sevier, Eleanor Tomlinson

2010, 90 Minutes, Directed by: Mikael Salomon

In the future not only will a virus have wiped out most of the planet’s population, but what is left of humanity will live like cave people and battle giant mutant creatures as well as what appears to be Orc extras who have wandered off the set of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings . . .

That is the premise behind this made-for-Syfy TV movie. It may be hokey, but The Lost Future actually comes as a welcome change from the standard Syfy fare which usually consists of cheap Alien and 1970s disaster movie rip-offs. The Lost Future may be cheap too, but the special effects – especially of crumbling cityscapes which have a real pulpy vibe to them – aren’t too bad as far as this sort of thing goes. The movie also makes effective use of some interesting South African locations. (This is the second movie in a row we’ve seen which was filmed in South Africa and stars British actor Sean Bean. Does he live there now?)

The plot is on the thin side however and when the attention wanders one can easily go fix yourself some snacks in the kitchen without losing the general gist of things. A young tribesman and his two cohorts must venture off into the unknown to find a cure for the humanity-killing virus when their settlement is besieged by those pesky Orc extras. There are load of action and the one CGI creature featured doesn’t look as bad as similar creatures in Syfy “original” movies.

The ending however seems to imply that it is all a pilot for a TV series (the film’s website claims that it is the first in a planned trilogy).

It’s been a while since we had a caveman movie and make no mistake: despite its “futuristic” post-apocalyptic setting The Lost Future is exactly that. This subgenre holds tongue-in-cheek pleasures of its own – civilization may have collapsed but all the main characters have perfect hair - and The Lost Future is a fun addition to it.

Something you’d catch on the TV one night when you’re in the mood for television no matter what is showing . . .