The Lost Colony DVD Review

Written by Sharon Davies

DVD released by Safecracker Pictures

Directed by Matt Cord
Written by Rafael Jordan
2007, Region 2 (PAL), 95 minutes, Rated 15 (UK)
DVD released on 30th April 2012

Starring:
Adrian Paul as Ananias
Frida Farrell as Eleanor
Rhett Giles as George
Michael Teh as Manteo

Lost Colony Dvd Cover

Review:

According to the opening titles:

“In 1587, 117 brave men and women set sail from Britain to establish the first English colony in the Americas. They landed on Roanoke Island, off the coast of Virginia. They built a settlement and planted crops. And then they disappeared without a trace. No one has ever solved the mystery of the lost colony.”

Brilliant, guess we all know how this one ends then!

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SciFi presents another low budget made for TV piece, which is pretty much summed up in the opening title quote above. Ananias and his pregnant wife Eleanor, plus another 115 of their colony, have arrived on Roanoke Island looking to build a new life for themselves while also being tasked with using the island as a base should war come knocking on England’s door. Shame the island is possessed by some Iron Maiden’s “Eddie” looking warriors.

As soon as they arrive the group typically ignores all warnings to turn back, including a hanging skeleton who warns them in its own blood to “save your soul before they take it for you” and Native American Manteo, who looks more pained with every step onto the land. With Ananais left in charge to look after the colony while his father in law sails back to fetch supplies, things go from bad to worse. His pregnant wife is seeing visions of past torture and murder, the evildoers want his baby and the colony gets picked off one by one.

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What will these malevolent “wraiths” use to destroy their island invaders? Well a real mix of face melting, possession and… trees. Apparently they can command trees. Naturally.

Will he survive? Can he save the day? Check out the opening statement again, I’d bet on a no.

Adrian Paul looks natural wielding a sword, but that’s to be expected from his Highlander days and the general acting from the cast is good. Frida Farrell looks a little too flawlessly beautiful through the film and, except for the shots of the actual baby, holds the worst baby prop I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t move, flop or grow from ages 0-6 months - miraculous. With this being “inspired by actual events”, it’s an interesting take on what could have happened to the missing souls, but on the whole I was a little unimpressed by it all. It does sometimes creep onto the cheeseometer and made me roll my eyes a little with Ananais’ constant knowledge of things that come in handy. Ancient language on the wall? He speaks it. An historic legend that would help them to solve the mystery? He knows it, etc. I’d be doomed if I was on the island, unless the legend was somehow connected to the history of Lynard Skynard.

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The CGI is rather mediocre (although I have seen MUCH worse) although when faces get melted I’d hand them a 7/10 star, but unfortunately on the whole the special effects are too obvious to keep the viewer immersed. The film overall is OK and there’s nothing wrong with a story that gets you looking up history tales, but I also will probably have forgotten The Lost Colony in a week.

Video and Audio:

The music is bare throughout but I’d rather that than some overpowering symphony blasting through the trees. The video on the whole is fitting to the forest conditions they are surrounded by. The overall feel of this film is very well put together in terms of sound and picture quality although with a rumoured $2,000,000 budget it really should be.