20141117: SciFi Review--Agency of Vengeance

Agency of Vengeance: Dark Rising (original title, Dark Rising 2: Summer Strikes Back!)

1. Fundamentals, reception.
1. Canadian live action feature length film, 2011, NR, 93 minutes, SciFi, camp.
2. IMDB: 3.3/10.0 from 125 audience ratings.
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 'No Tomatometer score yet...,' 'No score yet' from 7 audience ratings.
4. Written and directed by Richard Cymek.
5. Starring: Brigitte Kingsley as Summer Vale, Landy Cannon as Jason Parks, Cory Lee as Holly Wescott, Kyle Buchanan as Daniel Evans, Mike Nahrgang as Bulo, Michael Ironside as Colonel Haggerd, Matty McLean as Weeber, Richard Cymek as Kyle, Julia Schneider as Renee.


2. Setup and Plot
1. Before this sequel started, Summer Vale had been killing monsters in the 'demon dimension;' she came to our dimension through a portal with the assistance of Jason Parks, an agent of the Rising Dark Agency.  By the start of the current film, Jason and Summer had broken up, and Summer was about to marry Kyle.


2. As the second film's narrative begins, Jason, Daniel, and Holly are chasing a sandworm.  They track the worm down, but are not able to save Kyle from being eaten by it.  Summer may have lost her groom, but she dispatches the worm.


3. Back at headquarters, Colonel Haggerd advises his black ops team that there is more than usual supernatural activity near the portal.  The point of the movements is preparation for the return of Mardock to our dimension from the demon dimension.  A mysterious agent X is leading this effort.  Haggerd advises Jason separately that the Book of Shadows has been stolen, and that the thief must be apprehended as well as the Book returned.


4. X strikes rather hard, converting Holly to a demon, killing all but eight of the agency, and taking Summer back to the demon dimension.  Summer gets to meet an old acquaintance on the other side.


5. Will Jason and company be able to turn the tide, rescue Summer, return the Book, and seal off the portal?  Will we get to see the face of agent X?


3. Conclusions
1. One line summary: Director made an art of making the actors look stupid.
2. One of ten


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 5/10 Basic shooting, not so bad.  SFX, not so much.


2. Sound: 2/10 Sadly, I could hear the dialog often during breaks in the sound track, which was entirely too loud.


3. Acting: 1/10


4. Screenplay: 0/10 Poor dialog.  Well, times 1000.