I must admit that I was initially lured in to watching the 2021 sci-fi thriller "Risen" given the movie's poster/cover, as it seemed like something that could be interesting. And I hadn't seen the trailer for the movie, nor did I know absolutely anything about the movie that I sat down to watch.

Well, the concept of the movie was solid enough. However, the movie itself was just shoddy at best. Writer and director Eddie Arya was initially on to something here with "Risen", but the storyline quickly went astray and turned into a boring experience of grand magnitude.

I wasn't familiar with anyone on the cast list, which is normally something I tend to enjoy. However, the cast here in this movie were just not handed a proper script, nor given fulfilling characters to work with on the screen. So the outcome of the performances were lukewarm at best.

For a sci-fi movie then the effects and usage of green screen in "Risen" was just appalling to look at. For a movie made in 2021, it felt like watching something from the early 1990s. And a sci-fi movie with bad special effects or CGI is just something that is holding it back.

While I managed to endure "Risen" to the very end, I can't claim to be particularly entertained, nor having overly enjoyed the story told here by writer and director Eddie Arya. And "Risen" is by no means a movie that I would recommend you waste your time, money or effort on. Some of us did so you don't have to.

I am rating "Risen" a very generous two out of ten stars, given the movie's first quarter and the fact that there was potential to work with there.

Intro is sudden and not convincing. Graphics at some parts look like cartoon, video game, or some graphic software experimenting. Story is unclear, even at the end nothing is explained. Looks like a joke or dream or somebody's interpretation of something. Only bit good because it's magical like dream, adventurous, and presence of nature, religious mentions, and national mentions and soldiers. But very amateur and without a purpose.

The film has some good ideas in the Alien Invasion Sci Fi thrope, but the screenplay is poorly written and to be frank, dull. Both the special effects and CG are both poor. I feel CGI should not be this bad in 2021 when an off the shelf Mac or PC can produce better effects in AfterEffects. But as I said, it had good ideas, just poorly implemented. Acting and directing wasn't good. The films score, however, is actually not bad. I think they did a good job on the score.