Found footage genre hasn't found much success after the initial trend start with REC or Cloverfield. It attempts to create a more personal experience with first person view often falls flat with cumbersome shaky shots and unclear scenes. Area 51 suffers from the same exact problems and it stutters towards the end, but it also manages to set an occasionally interesting trip, especially in the first half.

Story follows Reid and his friends as he tries to infiltrate the highly secured titular facility. To do so he must investigate the area and bypass many security measures. For most early parts, the film delivers quite the ride as audiences follow these guys on Vegas and its surrounding. Some investigations and interviews set the tone right, and not in overly silly way. Characters are also pretty decent and likable as though they are real life friends.

Unfortunately, it soon arrives at familiar territory of hazy shots and mindless running. The scenes in the city or desert are identifiable, but when it is stranded in dark corners, the movie loses the momentum significantly. Script is also numbingly bland as characters would yell the same thing over and over again, this is especially true when they are repeatedly shouting, "We gotta go". With both visual and audio decrease in quality, it just turns into a confusing escapade.

Cinematography is to be expected from this kind of found footage flick, it's rather elementary, but there are a few good shots with modified vision. At several scenes the film builds up the suspense pretty well, these are not all translated into thrilling moments. It almost seems like it has problems in latter half, resorting to cheap alien gimmick and nullifying its early decent production.

Area 51 has a presentable start with more engaging use of the found footage, but it falls to the same issues and ends up like the rest without accomplishing much.

Three guys plus a woman conspire to break into Area 51 and learn its secrets. The secret US test base for experimental aircraft? Nope. That other Area 51 with all those alien secrets. Filmed in Nevada, the film spends the first hour attempting to make us believe these High Tech Macgyvers can pull it off. Then the rest of the film attempts to be interesting, but fails, thinking throwing a few decent special effects at us will compensate for a boring first hour and haphazard ending.

My advice is to fast forward through the first hour, so you won't be out of steam when it starts to get decent.

Guide: F-bomb and nudity

Do you believe in Aliens? Does it matter? Everyone knows about Area 51 and the rumors ... probably even a new born baby. Alright I may exaggerate a little by saying that .. or a lot. Add to that the found footage aspect and you got a winner/loser - depending on your first feelings on hearing that. I'm certain the movie will not convince you of the other if you already have strong feelings towards it.

It has its moments of course and especially the beginning is quite intriguing ... and then the end on some level of course. The added scene after the credits is a nice touch, but again ... do we need it? How many have seen it and would they even feel they missed out on something?