Okay, I’ll say it.
I submit that John Carpenter's They Live is not
a very good movie. It’s not a
disaster: it features a great premise, a tight screenplay, and a stable of
solid supporting actors.
But those laudable elements can’t help They Live conform to anything like a pattern for a good movie. It has low production values, a cheap
synth soundtrack that will put you to sleep, a simplistic political viewpoint
requiring next to no thought, and a wooden lead performer.
Everyone may love star Roddy Piper in Hell Comes to Frogtown, but I didn’t buy him here. He comes across like an amateur,
desperate to remember his lines and hit his marks, and I never once believed
that his character was an actual human.
Yet, They Live
really does get the most out of its premise. It features great monster design, some iconic imagery, and
more than enough chuckles to keep things light as you watch TV. I don’t know how much media you
consume; even though They Live isn’t
very good, however, you may want to put this one on the menu.
