I have seen the immediate future and it is filled with monsters of the most heinous sort. But enough about the Republican candidates. This week, while I prepare for some intense dental surgery and have that surgery and recover from that surgery with the assistance of a variety of pharmaceuticals, I’m going to be reviewing “B” movies. Because the critters preying on mankind in these films are so much more believable than the afore-mentioned candidates.
Today, I’m looking at Amphibious [2010], also known as Amphibious 3-D and Amphibious, Creature of the Deep. Directed by Brian Yuzna, who is also one of the film’s four writers, it’s a often-chilling, sometimes surprising examination of the life and times of a giant prehistoric scorpion who terrorizes a fishing rig in the middle of the ocean. I’m just kidding about that whole life and times part. Though “Scorpy” does look pretty damn cool when we finally get to see him, the human characters and the unique setting are what drive this picture.
Jack Bowman [played by Michael Paré] is a charter boat captain who owes too much money to the movie’s more unsavory characters. He’s hired by marine biologist Skylar Shane [Janna Fassaert] to help her find prehistoric life forms. Her future depends on the success of this expedition and she’s desperate enough to twist the truth a wee bit when she feels she must. There’s no perfect heroes or heroines in this movie.
The villains, on the other hand, are pretty much perfect villains. The guy who owns the fishing rig [Francis Bosco] has two kinds of employees: brutal adults and enslaved children who will grow up to become either brutal adults or dead.
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
The most sympathetic of the kids is Tamal [Monica Sayangbati], an orphan sold into slavery by a sorcerer uncle [Bambang B.S.]. Tamal reminds Shane of her lost daughter Rebecca and she is determined to rescue the child from the fishing rig.
We don’t learn Tamal is a girl until well into the movie and that is one of those surprises I mentioned above. There’s a connection between Tamal and the scorpion monster, but I’m going to leave that one for you to discover yourselves.
SPOILERS OVER
SPOILERS OVER
SPOILERS OVER
SPOILERS OVER
SPOILERS OVER
SPOILERS OVER
The best part of this movie might be the fishing rig. Even before we get any creature action, the place is so oppressive it made me want to take a shower after every scene in which it appeared. You know from the moment you first see the rig that there are many ways to die there. The giant scorpion is just one of them.
Some reviewers have written the movie drags, but I think it builds to its climax. The final battle with the scorpion is both exciting and surprising. However, the biggest surprise comes in the movie’s incredibly creepy final moments. I didn’t see that ending coming, but it’s not going to leave me any time soon.
Amphibious is a solid monster movie thriller. The acting is shaky in parts, but the film holds together well and delivers some real gut punches. It may not bear repeated viewing, but it is definitely worth watching once.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more scary cinema.
© 2015 Tony Isabella
Today, I’m looking at Amphibious [2010], also known as Amphibious 3-D and Amphibious, Creature of the Deep. Directed by Brian Yuzna, who is also one of the film’s four writers, it’s a often-chilling, sometimes surprising examination of the life and times of a giant prehistoric scorpion who terrorizes a fishing rig in the middle of the ocean. I’m just kidding about that whole life and times part. Though “Scorpy” does look pretty damn cool when we finally get to see him, the human characters and the unique setting are what drive this picture.
Jack Bowman [played by Michael Paré] is a charter boat captain who owes too much money to the movie’s more unsavory characters. He’s hired by marine biologist Skylar Shane [Janna Fassaert] to help her find prehistoric life forms. Her future depends on the success of this expedition and she’s desperate enough to twist the truth a wee bit when she feels she must. There’s no perfect heroes or heroines in this movie.
The villains, on the other hand, are pretty much perfect villains. The guy who owns the fishing rig [Francis Bosco] has two kinds of employees: brutal adults and enslaved children who will grow up to become either brutal adults or dead.
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
The most sympathetic of the kids is Tamal [Monica Sayangbati], an orphan sold into slavery by a sorcerer uncle [Bambang B.S.]. Tamal reminds Shane of her lost daughter Rebecca and she is determined to rescue the child from the fishing rig.
We don’t learn Tamal is a girl until well into the movie and that is one of those surprises I mentioned above. There’s a connection between Tamal and the scorpion monster, but I’m going to leave that one for you to discover yourselves.
SPOILERS OVER
SPOILERS OVER
SPOILERS OVER
SPOILERS OVER
SPOILERS OVER
SPOILERS OVER
The best part of this movie might be the fishing rig. Even before we get any creature action, the place is so oppressive it made me want to take a shower after every scene in which it appeared. You know from the moment you first see the rig that there are many ways to die there. The giant scorpion is just one of them.
Some reviewers have written the movie drags, but I think it builds to its climax. The final battle with the scorpion is both exciting and surprising. However, the biggest surprise comes in the movie’s incredibly creepy final moments. I didn’t see that ending coming, but it’s not going to leave me any time soon.
Amphibious is a solid monster movie thriller. The acting is shaky in parts, but the film holds together well and delivers some real gut punches. It may not bear repeated viewing, but it is definitely worth watching once.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more scary cinema.
© 2015 Tony Isabella
No comments:
Post a Comment