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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
...particularly if you're casting a movie in Canada.
The movie itself is actually better than expected. No, it does not deliver on the promise made by the box art (which is great if you happen to have any fondness for the cheat art they used to use on Italian Jaws rip-offs in the eighties), so gore fans are bound to be disappointed, but some care has been taken in the writing of the two main characters, and Castillo's character even turns out to be a bit of mystery, which adds much needed intrigue to what would otherwise be a pretty straightforward (and probably actionable) remake of Peter Benchley's The Beast. But, pleasantly, this turns out to be a much more enjoyable film than the adaptation of that book, and a large part of the reason for that is down to the casting of an actress I'd never heard of before.
In one of the lead roles as the Metis fisheries officer, I was first struck by how realistically pretty Alexandra Castillo is -- and by pretty I mean attractive in a human kind of way, not at all the kind of plastic-surgery addicted anorexic horror we're used to seeing in these things. Which was the first surprise.
The second surprise was when she began interacting with the rest of the cast -- who range from okay to pretty bad -- and seemed ABSOLUTELY natural. It literally caused me to sit up and take notice of what I'd assumed was going to be a complete waste of time. James Vanderbeek, the second best actor in the cast, gives her more to work with, and the skill with which she handles her scenes with him is pretty remarkable. She managed to convince even when it meant fighting through the dialogue, which she had to do from time to time. (Though, to be honest, the script was much better than anyone renting this thing has any right to expect, and at no point does anyone say those -- I thought -- inevitable lines regarding the necessity of getting either a bigger boat and/or gun).
I don't know. Maybe there's a problem when you notice the acting -- maybe it should be an invisible art in film, and like the editing or the direction itself it fails if it draws attention to itself. Perversely, every time Ms. Castillo gave me the sense that I wasn't watching an actor, but a completely natural human being, it sort of drew me up short and popped me out of the story long enough to chuckle my pleasure at what she'd just pulled off with such ease. Except it probably wasn't easy, was it? Yes, the special effects in this thing were pathetic, even in comparison to that Peter Benchley's Beast thing, but this little film, with Ms. Castillo's help, proved to me yet again that the small pleasures of even one really good performance, and some obvious care in the writing of the script (which deserves applause even when it doesn't always work out), trump the hell out of a better giant squid in another lesser film.
Right about now I'd be asking myself if this reviewer isn't either related to Alexandra Castillo or wishing to be. No. But someone should congratulate her on her work, and someone else should put her in a better movie. Her five star performance earns this two star video three stars.
The movie itself is actually better than expected. No, it does not deliver on the promise made by the box art (which is great if you happen to have any fondness for the cheat art they used to use on Italian Jaws rip-offs in the eighties), so gore fans are bound to be disappointed, but some care has been taken in the writing of the two main characters, and Castillo's character even turns out to be a bit of mystery, which adds much needed intrigue to what would otherwise be a pretty straightforward (and probably actionable) remake of Peter Benchley's The Beast. But, pleasantly, this turns out to be a much more enjoyable film than the adaptation of that book, and a large part of the reason for that is down to the casting of an actress I'd never heard of before.
In one of the lead roles as the Metis fisheries officer, I was first struck by how realistically pretty Alexandra Castillo is -- and by pretty I mean attractive in a human kind of way, not at all the kind of plastic-surgery addicted anorexic horror we're used to seeing in these things. Which was the first surprise.
The second surprise was when she began interacting with the rest of the cast -- who range from okay to pretty bad -- and seemed ABSOLUTELY natural. It literally caused me to sit up and take notice of what I'd assumed was going to be a complete waste of time. James Vanderbeek, the second best actor in the cast, gives her more to work with, and the skill with which she handles her scenes with him is pretty remarkable. She managed to convince even when it meant fighting through the dialogue, which she had to do from time to time. (Though, to be honest, the script was much better than anyone renting this thing has any right to expect, and at no point does anyone say those -- I thought -- inevitable lines regarding the necessity of getting either a bigger boat and/or gun).
I don't know. Maybe there's a problem when you notice the acting -- maybe it should be an invisible art in film, and like the editing or the direction itself it fails if it draws attention to itself. Perversely, every time Ms. Castillo gave me the sense that I wasn't watching an actor, but a completely natural human being, it sort of drew me up short and popped me out of the story long enough to chuckle my pleasure at what she'd just pulled off with such ease. Except it probably wasn't easy, was it? Yes, the special effects in this thing were pathetic, even in comparison to that Peter Benchley's Beast thing, but this little film, with Ms. Castillo's help, proved to me yet again that the small pleasures of even one really good performance, and some obvious care in the writing of the script (which deserves applause even when it doesn't always work out), trump the hell out of a better giant squid in another lesser film.
Right about now I'd be asking myself if this reviewer isn't either related to Alexandra Castillo or wishing to be. No. But someone should congratulate her on her work, and someone else should put her in a better movie. Her five star performance earns this two star video three stars.
By zoe2006
Format:DVD
This was a fast and easy way to get my father a movie that I could not find anywhere local for Fathers Day! Thanks
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars
18 reviews
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Biologist's View
Jun 20 2008
By Wayne A. Brofka
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have seen this movie a couple of times on the SciFi Channel and eventually bought it. The acting for this movie is above average as had been commented on by several other reviewers. My interest in this movie however is how it treats scientists and some of the social issues. Compared to some other SciFi/horror films recently, this film is a bit more reasonable in portraying a fisheries scientist. Still kind of ridiculous but in a more reasonable way (just watch Snakehead Terror or Frankenfish if you want to the the unreasonable version).
The fisheries scientist does not have super human powers (as far as scientist go) compared to Snakehead Terror. The equipment he uses is reasonable (and he seems to have lots of it)though his results are generally hard and fast which isn't the way it really happens.
Besides the better than average acting and screenplay I was very impressed with the social issues that this movie touches on. The first is the conflict between the white fishers and the aboriginal fishers on the lake. I work on the Great Lakes and this conflict has occurred in the past and still in the present, especially in the upper Great Lakes. The second point I was impressed with is the conflict between the scientist and the fishers. In the past the fishers have cooperated with the scientist/government and seen their position reduced to the point of hostility to the scientist. And in the past 20 years I have seen that happen on the Great Lakes, where the data collected by scientists working with the commercial fishers hurts the fishers lively hood.
So I feel that this movie (even though it concerns a giant freshwater squid) touches on some current issues and that makes it a cut above other horror films that touch on freaks of nature.
The fisheries scientist does not have super human powers (as far as scientist go) compared to Snakehead Terror. The equipment he uses is reasonable (and he seems to have lots of it)though his results are generally hard and fast which isn't the way it really happens.
Besides the better than average acting and screenplay I was very impressed with the social issues that this movie touches on. The first is the conflict between the white fishers and the aboriginal fishers on the lake. I work on the Great Lakes and this conflict has occurred in the past and still in the present, especially in the upper Great Lakes. The second point I was impressed with is the conflict between the scientist and the fishers. In the past the fishers have cooperated with the scientist/government and seen their position reduced to the point of hostility to the scientist. And in the past 20 years I have seen that happen on the Great Lakes, where the data collected by scientists working with the commercial fishers hurts the fishers lively hood.
So I feel that this movie (even though it concerns a giant freshwater squid) touches on some current issues and that makes it a cut above other horror films that touch on freaks of nature.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Alexandra Castillo is the reason to see this film...
April 18 2008
By Jonathan Allen
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD
The movie itself is actually better than expected. No, it does not deliver on the promise made by the box art (which is great if you happen to have any fondness for the cheat art they used to use on Italian Jaws rip-offs in the eighties), so gore fans are bound to be disappointed, but some care has been taken in the writing of the two main characters, and Castillo's character even turns out to be a bit of mystery, which adds much needed intrigue to what would otherwise be a pretty straightforward (and probably actionable) remake of Peter Benchley's The Beast. But, pleasantly, this turns out to be a much more enjoyable film than the adaptation of that book, and a large part of the reason for that is down to the casting of an actress I'd never heard of before.
In one of the lead roles as the Metis fisheries officer, I was first struck by how realistically pretty Alexandra Castillo is -- and by pretty I mean attractive in a human kind of way, not at all the kind of plastic-surgery addicted anorexic horror we're used to seeing in these things. Which was the first surprise.
The second surprise was when she began interacting with the rest of the cast -- who range from okay to pretty bad -- and seemed ABSOLUTELY natural. It literally caused me to sit up and take notice of what I'd assumed was going to be a complete waste of time. James Vanderbeek, the second best actor in the cast, gives her more to work with, and the skill with which she handles her scenes with him is pretty remarkable. She managed to convince even when it meant fighting through the dialogue, which she had to do from time to time. (Though, to be honest, the script was much better than anyone renting this thing has any right to expect, and at no point does anyone say those -- I thought -- inevitable lines regarding the necessity of getting either a bigger boat and/or gun).
I don't know. Maybe there's a problem when you notice the acting -- maybe it should be an invisible art in film, and like the editing or the direction itself it fails if it draws attention to itself. Perversely, every time Ms. Castillo gave me the sense that I wasn't watching an actor, but a completely natural human being, it sort of drew me up short and popped me out of the story long enough to chuckle my pleasure at what she'd just pulled off with such ease. Except it probably wasn't easy, was it? Yes, the special effects in this thing were pathetic, even in comparison to that Peter Benchley's Beast thing, but this little film, with Ms. Castillo's help, proved to me yet again that the small pleasures of even one really good performance, and some obvious care in the writing of the script (which deserves applause even when it doesn't always work out), trump the hell out of a better giant squid in another lesser film.
Right about now I'd be asking myself if this reviewer isn't either related to Alexandra Castillo or wishing to be. No. But someone should congratulate her on her work, and someone else should put her in a better movie. Her five star performance earns this two star video three stars.
In one of the lead roles as the Metis fisheries officer, I was first struck by how realistically pretty Alexandra Castillo is -- and by pretty I mean attractive in a human kind of way, not at all the kind of plastic-surgery addicted anorexic horror we're used to seeing in these things. Which was the first surprise.
The second surprise was when she began interacting with the rest of the cast -- who range from okay to pretty bad -- and seemed ABSOLUTELY natural. It literally caused me to sit up and take notice of what I'd assumed was going to be a complete waste of time. James Vanderbeek, the second best actor in the cast, gives her more to work with, and the skill with which she handles her scenes with him is pretty remarkable. She managed to convince even when it meant fighting through the dialogue, which she had to do from time to time. (Though, to be honest, the script was much better than anyone renting this thing has any right to expect, and at no point does anyone say those -- I thought -- inevitable lines regarding the necessity of getting either a bigger boat and/or gun).
I don't know. Maybe there's a problem when you notice the acting -- maybe it should be an invisible art in film, and like the editing or the direction itself it fails if it draws attention to itself. Perversely, every time Ms. Castillo gave me the sense that I wasn't watching an actor, but a completely natural human being, it sort of drew me up short and popped me out of the story long enough to chuckle my pleasure at what she'd just pulled off with such ease. Except it probably wasn't easy, was it? Yes, the special effects in this thing were pathetic, even in comparison to that Peter Benchley's Beast thing, but this little film, with Ms. Castillo's help, proved to me yet again that the small pleasures of even one really good performance, and some obvious care in the writing of the script (which deserves applause even when it doesn't always work out), trump the hell out of a better giant squid in another lesser film.
Right about now I'd be asking myself if this reviewer isn't either related to Alexandra Castillo or wishing to be. No. But someone should congratulate her on her work, and someone else should put her in a better movie. Her five star performance earns this two star video three stars.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
No need to take a sleeping pill tonight!
Mar 26 2010
By superego
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This movie will probably zonk you right out, as it did to me several nights in a row as I tried to reach the end.
Please, don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad movie. As some of the other reviewers have said, the acting is actually pretty good, with "the Dawson" James Vanderbeek leading the way as a scientist brought in to discover what's causing all those pesky deaths and disappearances. While the scruffy look he wears does nothing to make his character look more legit(and it looks like he stole Richard Dreyfuss' beanie hat from the original Jaws) he does a fine job of acting the part. The woman who plays the sheriff in these parts also does a good job. Apparently she already believes in the lake monster, as it snatched up her daddy years ago and she now must convince the local fishermen. There is even a fairly interesting little sub-plot involving said fishermen, with the white locals and the aborigines (did I spell that right? Probably not) not liking or trusting each other.
Still awake? There in lies the problem for me. Out of everything I just wrote I mentioned the monster only once.
What you get of the monster is the occasional rubber tentacle (and sometimes a CGI one) snatching someone off of a pier or a boat, and that is it until the very end. For the finale, the head of the beast actually rises up in all of it's plastic and latex glory, the eye of the beast fully visible (hence the title), and then it just sinks away.
The thing I have never understood with a movie like this is why the creature gets such scant screen time. It wasn't a CGI creation, it was a prop actually produced and paid for with no limit on how much the filmakers used it. I realize that would have taken away from the final reveal of the creature, perhaps lessening the climax to a degree, but what good is a climax if no one is awake to see it.
Well, enough ranting. In conclusion, what I look for most in a movie about a giant creature is entertainment, not plot or character development. And while the two sides can certainly work well together (as it did in Jaws), the pacing and lack of action here brought me to snores. If a slow-building creature feature is your thing, then you will enjoy this. However, if your like me and are buying this hoping to see lots of good giant octo action, then steer way clear.
Please, don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad movie. As some of the other reviewers have said, the acting is actually pretty good, with "the Dawson" James Vanderbeek leading the way as a scientist brought in to discover what's causing all those pesky deaths and disappearances. While the scruffy look he wears does nothing to make his character look more legit(and it looks like he stole Richard Dreyfuss' beanie hat from the original Jaws) he does a fine job of acting the part. The woman who plays the sheriff in these parts also does a good job. Apparently she already believes in the lake monster, as it snatched up her daddy years ago and she now must convince the local fishermen. There is even a fairly interesting little sub-plot involving said fishermen, with the white locals and the aborigines (did I spell that right? Probably not) not liking or trusting each other.
Still awake? There in lies the problem for me. Out of everything I just wrote I mentioned the monster only once.
What you get of the monster is the occasional rubber tentacle (and sometimes a CGI one) snatching someone off of a pier or a boat, and that is it until the very end. For the finale, the head of the beast actually rises up in all of it's plastic and latex glory, the eye of the beast fully visible (hence the title), and then it just sinks away.
The thing I have never understood with a movie like this is why the creature gets such scant screen time. It wasn't a CGI creation, it was a prop actually produced and paid for with no limit on how much the filmakers used it. I realize that would have taken away from the final reveal of the creature, perhaps lessening the climax to a degree, but what good is a climax if no one is awake to see it.
Well, enough ranting. In conclusion, what I look for most in a movie about a giant creature is entertainment, not plot or character development. And while the two sides can certainly work well together (as it did in Jaws), the pacing and lack of action here brought me to snores. If a slow-building creature feature is your thing, then you will enjoy this. However, if your like me and are buying this hoping to see lots of good giant octo action, then steer way clear.
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Go to Amazon.com to see all 18 reviews
3.7 out of 5 stars
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