• Written and directed by Manny Coto
• Starring
  • Joseph Mazzello
  • Joey Simmrin
  • Richard Gilliland
  • Corinne Bohrer

This one actually turned out to be an enjoyable flick. Heaven knows, I’ve seen enough Gamera flicks, Power Rangers clones flicks, and Moonbeam Entertainment flicks with my five-year-old to deserve a good one.

Joseph Mazzello (the kid from Jurassic Park) is Spencer, a twelve-year old with the typical movie problems: a pretty girl he can’t talk to, a bully who delights in tormenting him, a deceased mother, and a dad who loves him but has to work late every night, leaving him in the company of his bitchy teenaged sister.

But that all changes when he sees a meteor come down in the auto salvage yard near his home. (And which no one else in the town saw, apparently.)

What he finds is an prototype assault cybersuit created by a child-sized race called the Trelkins to combat the evil Brood, then rocketed to earth to keep it out of the hands of a Brood attack on the Trelkin laboratory. The suit is sentient, but can’t move without a “biotic host”, i.e. someone inside it. With much coaxing, Spencer obliges.

First thing, of course, he scares the bejeezus out of the bully, then watches his paramoure from across the county fair. But things take a turn for the worse when a member of the Brood comes looking for the suit.

Obviously, none of this is original. But who’s looking for originality in a kid’s movie? At least it doesn’t talk down to kids — a twelve-year old could watch this without thinking it’s “baby stuff.” Characterizations are good and dialog is realistic.

Special effect, while obviously inexpensive, are well-done. The cybersuit has almost a cartoony face which is quite expressive; the Brood warrior looks like a Power Rangers villain on steroids. (Interesting side note: All of the Brood’s weapons are organic — they’re little pods or slugs stuck to him with mucus. Nice touch.) CGI is used sparingly to enhance the action and live props (unlike a recent unnamed movie which went CGI-loco).

I wouldn’t recommend this for an adult, but if you’ve got kids you can certainly enjoy this with them. Think of it as Power Rangers-style fantasy fulfillment done right.