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Cast:
Eric Berner, Clay Brocker, Darrin Dickerson, Jaimee Gray Simon, Jeff Hime, Ted LeGarde, Vicki Askew, Greg Wilson, Jennifer McReynolds, "Big" Mike Ulm, Laine Dubroc
A team of ex-military mercenaries is hired by a wealthy doctor to rescue her kidnapped child from a supposedly abandoned government facility. Once inside, they discover they're not alone, and what was meant to be a simple search and rescue quickly turns into a fight for survival.
Finally a film that mixes genres together the right way. "D4" is a perfect mix of action, sci-fi and thriller that makes for one entertaining ride. The story is simple, at least on the outside, it's about a group of mercenaries who are hired by a very rich woman to rescue her son from a facility known as D4, plus there's a side story of an old man whose grandson was also taken there. Those that took the boy promised that they were going to treat his epilepsy but the boy's grandfather fears there is more going on. Getting in was the easy part, as trained as this group of four men and one woman are they could not of been expecting what they found inside. Writer/Director, Darren Dickerson does a great job at telling the story and interweaving the group's mission with the old man's mission to find his grandson. I also loved the way the film quickly shifted back in time a bit and then back to present time in order to catch us up on what led to the showdown at D4, it's brilliant story-telling and it's all done seamlessly perfect.
Dickerson must of grew up loving these kinds of films because he certainly as the eye when it comes to making one, the story is also highly influenced but his own son's epilepsy and the struggles he and his wife faced with it, there's a bit more about it in the Special Features section on the DVD so I won't go into details here but I do hope his son is doing well.
Now back to the film, this rag tag group of soldiers are a fun bunch and easily likeable characters, each brings their own brand of justice. The cast did a great job playing their roles including, Eric Berner as Sloan the leader of the group, Clay Brocker as Brocker, Darrin Dickerson as Smoke, Jeff Hime as Cutter and Jaimee Gray Simon as Snipe the only female in the group who is not only deadly with a rifle but she also gives us guys some nice eye candy as well. I also must mention actor, 'Big' Mike Ulm who plays the beast, he did a great job playing this scary character and man is this guy huge. His character reminded me a bit of the hulk the way he ran around all menacing. Also it wouldn't be fair not to mention actor, Ted LeGarde who play's the grandfather simply because I felt he brought a lot of the emotion to the film and was certainly a highlight.
"D4" is a fresh, exciting film that plays out much bigger than it's budget would suggest, the cinematography, sound and settings are all fantastic and the effects used in the film were excellent as well. My only complaint here is the film ended too soon, I was left wanting more so lets hope there's a sequel coming at some point. The potential for wide appeal here is very high simply because of the genres, there's action, some sci-fi and even thrills along the way plus a tiny bit on humor tossed in for good measure but not enough to take away from the film's main goal. "D4" delivers on every level, the film has won numerous awards from Festivals such as:
BEST FEATURE - 2011 Fright Night Film Festival
BEST DIRECTOR - 2011 Fright Night Film Festival
BEST FEATURE - 2010 Paranoia Film Festival, Los Angeles
BEST FEATURE - 2011 Nashville Full Moon Horror Film Festival
2nd PLACE FEATURE - 2011 Gatlinburg Screenfest
BEST ACTOR, TED LeGARDE - 2011 Gatlinburg Screenfest
BEST PRACTICAL SPFX - 2011 Fright Night Film Festival
The story is refreshing and cleverly told and it has just the right amount of awesome action and suspense. I look forward to seeing what this talented filmmaker has up his sleeve for a sequel if there is indeed going to be one, but either way whatever he does next I for one will be watching. The DVD comes with Special Features that include:
The Story Behind D4
Teaser Trailer
Full Length Trailer
You can order the DVD HERE you can also keep up with the latest news on the film over at it's Facebook page HERE.
Released by Ghostwater Films
**** Out Of *****