Apparently a remake of an Islamic horror film, RED SANDS turns out to be an entirely defunct horror yarn and indistinguishable from many, many others over the years. The idea of a squad of soldiers stumbling upon a nameless and ancient evil has been explored in everything from THE KEEP to OUTPOST to DEATHWATCH, along with R-POINT, THE GUARD POST and many Hollywood B-movies besides.
I don't mind familiar plots in films but they do have their work cut out in terms of delivering decent entertainment, i.e. making up for the lack of originality by offering good scripting and direction. RED SANDS doesn't. The writing is clichéd, the direction is sub-par and the movie resorts to cheesy CGI effects time and again.
I admire the efforts of the unknown cast (and it is really unknown when SPIDERMAN's J. K. Simmons is the only familiar face they could afford) but they're on a hiding to nothing with this film, where the paucity of imagination leaves it an entirely wishy-washy and sub-standard affair.
I don't mind familiar plots in films but they do have their work cut out in terms of delivering decent entertainment, i.e. making up for the lack of originality by offering good scripting and direction. RED SANDS doesn't. The writing is clichéd, the direction is sub-par and the movie resorts to cheesy CGI effects time and again.
I admire the efforts of the unknown cast (and it is really unknown when SPIDERMAN's J. K. Simmons is the only familiar face they could afford) but they're on a hiding to nothing with this film, where the paucity of imagination leaves it an entirely wishy-washy and sub-standard affair.