Lost Planet
Genre: Sci-Fi
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Writer: Billy Cruder
Based on the video game
Cast:
Aaron Taylor-Johnson .... Wayne
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau .... Yuri Solotov
Mary Elizabeth Winstead .... Luka
Dacre Montgomery .... Rick
Christopher Eccleston .... Gale
Demian Bichir .... Commander Isenberg
Ali Larter .... Basil
Josh Pence .... Joe
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje .... Bandero
Plot: After the Earth's conditions become too hostile for humans due to war, global warming, and pollution, an interstellar megacorporation named NEVEC (Neo-Venus Construction) plans to colonize E.D.N. III, a new Earth-like planet in grip of a brutal ice age. NEVEC discover that E.D.N. III is inhabited by an aggressive and territorial insectoid alien species named the Akrid, which come in all shapes and sizes and generate their own thermal energy.
Wayne (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his father Gale (Christopher Eccleston), and a band of snow pirates taking on a mission to kill a giant Akrid known as Green Eye. During their mission, Wayne is separated from his squad and watches his father's VS explode. Wayne is left drifting in the snow and is frozen solid for 30 years. Wayne wakes up and finds himself in the care of Yuri Solotov (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his crew of snow pirates; Luka (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Rick (Dacre Montgomery). Yuri is particularly interested in the thermal extension (or Harmonizer) attached to Wayne's arm, which has enabled Wayne to survive all this time. Yuri tells Wayne that NEVEC is working on a project designed to thaw out the planet to make it safe to live on. Wayne joins Yuri's band, and while on a mission to wipe out an Akrid hive, fights a woman named Basil (Ali Larter). Basil tells him that Yuri has killed her husband and that she was looking for revenge. At the same time, Yuri mysteriously disappears, leaving Wayne to question his loyalty. With the help of Rick and Luka Wayne discover's the Green Eye's location and destroys it with Gale's VS. Shortly after, Wayne and his VS are attacked by NEVEC's field commander, Bandero (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaye). Slowly, after escaping the attack Wayne remembers that it wasn't Green Eye who killed his father, but Bandero and NEVEC who did so. Wayne barely escapes back to Luka and finds that their pirate fortress has been sieged and that Rick has been taken captive.
For the next year, Wayne and Luka initiate hit and run attacks against NEVEC, which has taken control over the human race. During one of their attacks, they discover Rick is still alive due to him being rescued by Basil. Basil and Wayne take a NEVEC trooper named Joe (Josh Pence) hostage. It is after taking Joe prisoner that Basil goes on to explain that the Harmonizer slows down the aging process and unlocks the powers to Gale's VS. After they interrogate him, they find out more about NEVEC's Frontier Project. Joe tells them it is NEVEC's plan to make E.D.N. III a safe place to live for humans. After joining the snow pirates, Joe arranges for Wayne to meet with NEVEC leadership, inadvertently leading to an ambush where Bandero shoots Wayne in the leg. During the confrontation, Wayne and Joe learn that the project will use T-ENG to wipe out all Akrid, but will also kill all humans left on the surface while all of NEVEC watches safely from the sky. Horrified, the pirates go on a final mission to stop the project. Wayne confronts Bandero a final time, killing him and regaining his father's rebuilt VS. Wayne finds Yuri and before dying from torture, Yuri gives Wayne an attachment to his Harmonizer which would allow him to unlock the true power of his VS.
While Wayne begins his attack on NEVEC's honcho, Commander Isenberg (Demian Bichir), Basil sacrifices herself to buy him time and Joe sets off explosives to destroy the elevator from which NEVEC would hide. Wayne confronts Isenberg and after fighting in VSs, shoots him in the head with a single pistol bullet right before he passes out, losing his memory again. Wayne wakes up to find Luka starting to melt all of the ice and snow from the planet, and slowly colonization begins once more.
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Writer: Billy Cruder
Based on the video game
Cast:
Aaron Taylor-Johnson .... Wayne
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau .... Yuri Solotov
Mary Elizabeth Winstead .... Luka
Dacre Montgomery .... Rick
Christopher Eccleston .... Gale
Demian Bichir .... Commander Isenberg
Ali Larter .... Basil
Josh Pence .... Joe
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje .... Bandero
Plot: After the Earth's conditions become too hostile for humans due to war, global warming, and pollution, an interstellar megacorporation named NEVEC (Neo-Venus Construction) plans to colonize E.D.N. III, a new Earth-like planet in grip of a brutal ice age. NEVEC discover that E.D.N. III is inhabited by an aggressive and territorial insectoid alien species named the Akrid, which come in all shapes and sizes and generate their own thermal energy.
Wayne (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his father Gale (Christopher Eccleston), and a band of snow pirates taking on a mission to kill a giant Akrid known as Green Eye. During their mission, Wayne is separated from his squad and watches his father's VS explode. Wayne is left drifting in the snow and is frozen solid for 30 years. Wayne wakes up and finds himself in the care of Yuri Solotov (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his crew of snow pirates; Luka (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Rick (Dacre Montgomery). Yuri is particularly interested in the thermal extension (or Harmonizer) attached to Wayne's arm, which has enabled Wayne to survive all this time. Yuri tells Wayne that NEVEC is working on a project designed to thaw out the planet to make it safe to live on. Wayne joins Yuri's band, and while on a mission to wipe out an Akrid hive, fights a woman named Basil (Ali Larter). Basil tells him that Yuri has killed her husband and that she was looking for revenge. At the same time, Yuri mysteriously disappears, leaving Wayne to question his loyalty. With the help of Rick and Luka Wayne discover's the Green Eye's location and destroys it with Gale's VS. Shortly after, Wayne and his VS are attacked by NEVEC's field commander, Bandero (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaye). Slowly, after escaping the attack Wayne remembers that it wasn't Green Eye who killed his father, but Bandero and NEVEC who did so. Wayne barely escapes back to Luka and finds that their pirate fortress has been sieged and that Rick has been taken captive.
For the next year, Wayne and Luka initiate hit and run attacks against NEVEC, which has taken control over the human race. During one of their attacks, they discover Rick is still alive due to him being rescued by Basil. Basil and Wayne take a NEVEC trooper named Joe (Josh Pence) hostage. It is after taking Joe prisoner that Basil goes on to explain that the Harmonizer slows down the aging process and unlocks the powers to Gale's VS. After they interrogate him, they find out more about NEVEC's Frontier Project. Joe tells them it is NEVEC's plan to make E.D.N. III a safe place to live for humans. After joining the snow pirates, Joe arranges for Wayne to meet with NEVEC leadership, inadvertently leading to an ambush where Bandero shoots Wayne in the leg. During the confrontation, Wayne and Joe learn that the project will use T-ENG to wipe out all Akrid, but will also kill all humans left on the surface while all of NEVEC watches safely from the sky. Horrified, the pirates go on a final mission to stop the project. Wayne confronts Bandero a final time, killing him and regaining his father's rebuilt VS. Wayne finds Yuri and before dying from torture, Yuri gives Wayne an attachment to his Harmonizer which would allow him to unlock the true power of his VS.
While Wayne begins his attack on NEVEC's honcho, Commander Isenberg (Demian Bichir), Basil sacrifices herself to buy him time and Joe sets off explosives to destroy the elevator from which NEVEC would hide. Wayne confronts Isenberg and after fighting in VSs, shoots him in the head with a single pistol bullet right before he passes out, losing his memory again. Wayne wakes up to find Luka starting to melt all of the ice and snow from the planet, and slowly colonization begins once more.
BOX OFFICE
Budget: $95,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $31,110,491
Foreign Box Office: $33,400,899
Total Profit: -$99,010,220
Domestic Box Office: $31,110,491
Foreign Box Office: $33,400,899
Total Profit: -$99,010,220
REVIEWS
"I was looking forward to this one, but I was ultimately let down. The set-up of the story is interesting and could definitely work as a TV show, but not enough is done here to exploit the concept to create entertainment." - Ben Mazur, SciFiNow
"The are some solid actors in the cast, but they are given nothing to do except fight alien bugs in the snow. I didn't know Wayne (Taylor-Johnson) any more at the end than I did 20 minutes into the film, because he doesn't develop as a character, nor does anyone else." - Paul Landon, Film School Rejects
"Lost Planet is a very generic sci-fi actioner starring a younger unproven star and directed by a young filmmaker yet to work with a big budget. This formula has worked in the past, but here it all just seems too familiar." - David Boorman, Film Threat
Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi action violence
Filming Locations:
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada