Common Sense Media Review
By Alistair Lawrence
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Australian sci-fi sequel has violence, more language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Occupation: Rainfall
What's the Story?
Two years after aliens first invaded Earth, OCCUPATION: RAINFALL picks up the action as a group of humans in Australia must come together in order to survive.
Is It Any Good?
Low-cost Australian sci-fi "blockbuster" Occupation found a surprise international audience on streaming services. Occupation: Rainfall, the sequel the original's ending hinted at, is delivered with a bigger budget than perhaps anyone expected. Once again, co-writer and director Luke Sparke leans in hard to his obvious love of intergalactic Hollywood adventures of years gone by, this time with a much better-funded visual effects team to back him up. The aliens are more convincing, the explosions are bigger, and the battle sequences last (much) longer.
The problem is that character development is now almost completely missing in action. New additions bloat the size of the main cast with little explanation about who they are or why they matter. Second-half cameos from Ken Jeong and Jason Isaacs crank up the odd-couple humor. But their scenes play like they belong in a different movie, given that most of the dialogue before that point is exposition yelled over gunfire. This is a well-funded B-movie with a convoluted search for a deadly weapon at its center and no surprises along the way. Not least that a third installment in the series is reportedly in the works.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the action scenes in Occupation: Rainfall. Did you enjoy them, find them scary, or both? Were there any scenes that surprised you? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Talk about the strong language in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
How do the characters demonstrate teamwork and courage? Why are they such important character strengths?
Discuss the relationship between humans and aliens. What did you think of their attitudes toward each other? What does the movie tell us about how some people judge others who aren't like them?
How did this movie compare to the first film? What were the similarities and differences?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 11, 2021
- On DVD or streaming : June 11, 2021
- Cast : Dan Ewing , Lawrence Makoare , Jet Tranter
- Director : Luke Sparke
- Studio : Saban Films
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Run time : 128 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language
- Last updated : August 13, 2021
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