Film Reviews

Alien Autopsy

• Rating:
• Director: Jonny Campbell
• Starring: Ant McPartlin
• Details: UK, 90mins, 12s.

Wide-boy Gary (Ant) ekes out a living by selling pirate videos he tapes in his grandmother's house while his best mate Ray (Dec) is content to labour away as an accountant in a biscuit company. On a trip to the states to buy some Elvis memorabilia that he can flog on the high street, Gary happens across a chance of a life time when he is approached by a grizzled old man (Stanton) who informs him he has footage of an actual alien autopsy shot in 1947. Gary and Ray borrow the $30,000 needed to buy the film reel from crop circle fanatic and sometime coke dealer Voros (Gotz Otto), but when the footage gets damaged, the Geordie boys decide to rope in a few mates and shoot their own film. When they convince a sceptic like Voros of the film's authenticity, they believe they can convince the world, and the boys set about selling the film around the globe. But will the hoax be found out?
A farcical comedy about aliens helmed by a TV director and starring the boys from Byker Grove who once had a hit with 'Our Radio Rocks' never should have worked, but Alien Autopsy will have you laughing despite yourself. Those of you who enjoy the Geordie boy's antics on Saturday evenings will enjoy this from start to finish but those who can't stand the sight of them may just change their opinion after leaving the theatre. Reversing the roles, Ant (usually the straight one) comes across like a Tyneside Michael J. Fox meets Del Boy and revels in this newfound freedom. He fares better than Dec in the acting stakes as he is given more screen time and has the better of the lines while Dec looks a little uneasy in his role. At any second it looks like the film will come apart at the seams but it moves at such a relentless pace, it is held together by momentum alone.

Review by Gavin Burke