Metal Shifters (aka Iron Golem, aka Iron Invader) Review by Bobby LePire. Edited by Courtney McAllister.

 

Funny story about this movie- I bought it on DVD awhile back as its home release title, “Metal Shifters”. Since then, I’ve been searching for a movie by the title “Iron Golem” (aka “Iron Invader”). Well, cut to now, and I finally get around to watching “Metal Shifters”, and wouldn’t you freaking know it, that title is an alternate one for “Iron Golem”. All that time I spent looking for the same DVD I already own; funny as hell! So, with that saga behind it, upon watching the movie, was it worth the ceaseless searching under a different title? Does the pedigree in front of and behind the camera translate to fun? Almost, and sort of!

 

The plot is fairly original, as far as these things go-

A space object strikes a Russian satellite, and it crashes onto farmland in small town Redeemer, Idaho. Brothers Jake (Kavan Smith) and Ethan (Colby Johansson) investigate, and decide to sell the scrap metal to junkyard owner, Earl (Donnelly Rhodes). The space debris has green goo all over it, and it attaches itself to an iron golem statue Earl is making for the bicentennial celebration of the town. This causes the metal creation to come to life and wreak havoc upon the citizens. Can the brothers save the day? Can Earl prove it isn’t his fault?

 

The story, while being a creature feature of sorts, sports some nice twists and little touches that make it feel unique. Jake’s true love, Amanda (Nicole de Boer), has moved back to town, with her daughter, Claire (Merritt Patterson) from a failed marriage, just a few days ago. Jake sees her at the grocery store, and goes to say hi. As expected, their interaction is a tad awkward, and she brushes him off in a somewhat harsh manner. That night, she goes to his place to apologize, but he’s not there. The fact that a scene like that even exists helps make this movie memorable, and adds some nice characterization in a way that feels fresh. The creature racks up a surprisingly huge death toll, including a number of main (or seemingly major supporting) players. This helps the familiarly staged action beats stay engaging, as one is never sure which characters are safe or not. Director Paul Ziller and co-writer Gary Hawkes’ script is filled with these flourishes, which make for an overall excellent plot.

 

Unfortunately, Ziller’s directing is far less successful than his script. He and cinematographer Anthony Metchie can’t keep the damned camera still, even for a second. Every scene is either dutch angled to hell, or shaking for no reason. When Jake sees Amanda from across the parking lot, we are treated to a POV (Jake’s) wide shot of seeing her put groceries into her car. Said wide shot must have been handheld, as it shakes just enough to be noticeable, but not enough to have been completely intentional. It is so jarring and distracting, considering that all the movie is lensed by a blind mouse, and it constantly pulls you out of the movie. Some shaking, especially when the Iron Golem walks, makes sense, as it lends a sense of weight, but why is there a shaky zoom shot of Jake telling his brother to focus on the gutters?

 

The way the film is shot sucks, because it is really the only sin the film commits. Too bad then, that as a motion picture being visual unengaging (by either telling rather than showing, or if the visuals are so poorly done watching the film is sickening) is the worst sin any movie can succumb to! Add onto that, the laziness therein, where one shot is recycled at least three times, and another twice! I get that it helps save on budget, but it is so blatant, that it sucks you out of the story as well. What’s worse is that Paul Ziller is an accomplished director, with some of the most enjoyable and stylish b-movies under his belt- “Ba’Al: The Storm God” had an epic sense of scope, “Ice Quake” is one of my new favorite Christmas flicks- destined to be watched along side “Die Hard” and “Santa’s Slay” for holiday seasons to come, and “Ghost Storm” was creepy and atmospheric, with nice timing. Was he sleeping during the production of this one?

 

The action scenes, while familiar- there are only so many ways a giant metal alien can choke people out- are still fun. Later on in the film, the golem smashes into a dozen separate parts. These parts start attacking the humans on their own, and this provides a welcome change of pace, and some of the most intense moments. Most of our main characters take shelter in a bar, and a piece of the metal monstrosity gets in. This provides some interesting moments with a fire ax, and a hilarious montage of attempting to kill the goo- which has been determined to be an alien bacteria- with various cleaning supplies- bleach, antibacterial soap, laundry detergent, vinegar, and the one item that works, alcohol! Yes, alcohol is the baddie’s weakness, which is pretty amusing.

 

Kavan Smith has a relatability about him that makes you instantly root for him. He is only okay during the action scenes, but keeps things grounded, so it is not a bad tradeoff. His chemistry with Johansson, as his brother, is believable, and they play off each other quite well. However, it is Smith’s chemistry with onscreen romantic interest de Boer that really shines. They make for a nice pairing, and help keep the human element engaging. For her part de Boer is very good at keeping a somewhat optimistic attitude, despite the crazy mess her life is in. In different hands, that would have probably been annoying as hell, but not here. Johansson is annoying but fun, in that little sibling kind of way. If he had played it too much one way or the other the character would have been unbearable. The rest of the cast does a fine job, with no one being particularly bad.

 

The special effects are okay, with the golem looking impressively complicated, and rendered well. However, it is not matted into some scenes properly, so there are a few moments- very few, mind you- where there is an odd disconnect between the creature and the set. However, given the budget, etc., this can be easily overlooked as it is never huge problem. Happily, a great number of practical effects were used, and they look excellent.

 

The score by Christopher Nickel is solid, subtle, and effective; it’s never overpowering, or too in your face. The way it builds, when the thing is reassembling itself, is really great, with an appropriately cool big finish, that uderlines the dramatic tension.

 

“Iron Golem” (aka “Iron Invader”, aka “Metal Shifters”) has a lot of positives going for it- original plot, solid acting, great score, and good special effects. But, it stops well short of greatness thanks to inept camera angles and worse cinematography. There is fun to be had though, especially with a group of friends at a bad movie party; I foresee this becoming a big hit with those crowds.