The Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

A promising premise and otherwise intense thriller (almost horror film) that quickly fades and ends like the B movie it so doesn't want to be: to say I was disappointed is an understatement. Four Americans along with some Norwegians go on an unconventional tour of a town near the famous Soviet Nuclear plant that has been abandoned since the tragic melt down 26 years ago. The set-up is pretty good, dueling brothers and two girl friends, a subplot about a marriage proposal, all of it quite nice. Then they get to the abandon town and things get creepy and in a good way. Unfortunately the terror to escape turns into a bunch of repetitive chase scenes and when the film makers get to the end they botch it, big time. Grade: B- (And the only reason I'm not giving it a C is because it did have a few scares that unsettled me.)

Spoilers: If you need to know what a copout is just watch this film's ending. The part I liked was that they end up going deeper into the radioactive zone ending up in Chernobyl’s reactor but the whole government conspiracy crap and the men in radioactive suits tossing our lone survivor into a pack of the very “monsters” she was trying to escape is just stupid. I'd have rather our couple make it out of the village, find a car and get away, only for die of radioactive poison when they arrive to their hotel rooms.