Portal da Morte

Listen, I have seen REAL junk before seeing this movie - movies with worse scripts, worse special effects, worse acting, you name it. That's why I am kind of puzzled with everyone here claiming that those attributes in this movie are the worse possible. All I can think is that they have mostly or completely watched big-budget Hollywood product, and think that the only good films that exist must fit that criteria.

The movie starts off pretty well, thanks in part to an intriguing premise. And the investigation of the object and the events surrounding it keep up the interest, with some genuine intelligent touches. There is also some extra tension added with the subplot about the Chinese.

Okay, the special effects overall may not be up to a big-budget Hollywood movie, but they are far above average for made-for-video movies. (And a few, in fact, are excellent.) And yes, there are a few questionable things in the script, such as how the Chinese first react to the object when they get near it. The acting is mainly mediocre, but it's not so bad that it keeps distracting you from the characters and the events.

However, I will admit that the movie ultimately ends up being a big question mark. A lot of intriguing questions are brought up, but there is little done to answer them. Still, this is nowhere the worst movie that's ever been made. For those who think so, I say: Expand the range of what you watch! For starters, try watching movies made by Royal Oaks or Phoenician Entertainment, or movies produced by Lloyd A. Simandl!