Movie Review: The Hive

credit: The Hive

Trying to figure out how many ants there are for every human is kind of interesting but also a little horrifying since when one really gets into the numbers, it’s fair to state that the number of ants in this world far outstrips that of any other creature save for much simpler organisms. The Hive makes that even worse by introducing an alien hive of ants that starts to cause trouble for humanity right away by attacking villagers and killing people outright, as it’s seen that this hive can move quicker than most and strip the flesh from a body in moments. As a B-horror movie, it’s very simple to get into this idea as it doesn’t come off as the type of movie that was meant to be a big-budget blockbuster. But even as a TV movie that was meant to be just another story to watch, this tale is something that one can’t help but start to laugh at when the real action starts. The ants are vicious little buggers, that much is obvious, but one of the main characters appears to have devised a way to fight back.

credit: The Hive

The viciousness of the ants is kind of disturbing. 

Had this movie been given a bigger budget, it’s very easy to think that it might have been something that people would have talked about. But with the low budget and the special effects that were used as a result, it’s something that diehard Indie fans might enjoy, since otherwise, it feels like something that was made simply because it could be. That’s a good enough reason most times since, despite the less than useful dialogue and the over-the-top utterances that came throughout the movie, the overall idea was kind of interesting since the truth that ants outnumber humans and can be particularly vicious are truths that could help to drive a horror movie forward, especially since a swarm of insects can overtake a populace without much effort, especially if people don’t expect them to attack in such massive numbers. But while locust swarms have been a talking point over the years, one can’t help but think that an ant swarm would be exceptionally terrifying. 

The weaponry that is used to combat the threat is kind of amusing. 

Whatever energy the pulse guns that are used in this movie are pumping out, it’s effective against the ants since it obliterates large sections of the swarm at a time, but they become kind of ineffective after a while when the larger part of the swarm is introduced. Thinking of using high-tech weaponry to fight insects is kind of insane, even when they’re amassed in a swarm. But, the weapons do the trick until the ants start showing that they’re getting smarter and can communicate with humans. When they bring the two main characters into their cave to communicate with them, however, it’s seen that these ants are quite intelligent and are learning at a rate that’s a little disturbing since it indicates that they could very easily become a global threat if they were allowed to do so. The extraterrestrial nature of the ants gives them the capability to form giant tentacles that are made entirely out of ants and even form a giant, monstrous ant near the end. Hey, I guess it was morphin time. 

credit: The Hive

Yes, it’s ridiculous, but it’s not the only movie out there that leaps off a cliff with the hopes that it can fly. 

B movies like this are pretty common, and when it comes to horror and science fiction, it’s not hard to see why so many of them are made every year since a lot of people simply enjoy the challenge and are out to get the kind of attention they want. The premise is kind of interesting, but the follow-through is, well, about what one would expect. This is the type of movie that one might expect to see from those who are attempting to make their way up or simply stay where they are as they continue to pump out one story after another in an attempt to simply do what they love to do. Hey, there are plenty of people out there that do this and happen to enjoy the process of making movies that people routinely laugh at. There are plenty of people who enjoy these movies as well. 

When all is said and done, it’s not a bad attempt to be realistic. 

The premise is sound enough, the idea of fighting the ants is kind of intriguing, and the weaponry could be great if better special effects had been used. When trying to follow the story, it does feel as though it gets a bit disjointed at times, but overall, it’s an interesting tale that shares a title with a few other movies.