Likeable, watchable B-grade trash as giant mozzies threaten locals in the manner of 70s disaster pics like ‘The Swarm’…only better. Among the bland protagonists are a young married couple (Tom Lovelace and Rachel Loiselle), a black meteorologist (Steve Dixon), a nervy deputy ranger (Ron Asheton), as well as a redneck survivalist/armed robber (Gunnar ‘Leatherface’ Hansen) and his dimwit sons.
Look, you rent this out and you get what you deserve/respect. Me, I love this sort of thing, though the current crop (inspired by the tepid and unconvincing ‘Anaconda’) of these films is pretty lamentable. It’s not nearly as laugh-out-loud funny as the dreadful ‘King Cobra’ (along with ‘Python’ it could almost compete with anything Edward D. Wood Jr., ever made), but out of all of these films (including the pitiful ‘Shark Attack’ and the underrated camp classic ‘Lake Placid’), this one comes out on top in terms of the filmmaking involved. Even the genre picture in-jokes, now being used far too often since ‘Scream’ (and let’s face it, Joe Dante was doing it for years before that, John Landis, too), are rather funny here, mostly referring to Hansen’s most important contribution to the world of cinema.
It’s the FX that really surprised me here, some of the blue screen work is atrocious, but mostly the FX look rather good for the budget. The mozzie design is fun, and the subsequent sound FX are absolutely hilarious. Even better, there’s loads of gore, something missing from many modern horror films. The film’s best scene, perhaps even topping similar content in ‘Humanoids From the Deep’, is a bit where a mozzie interrupts a couple of campers gettin’ jiggy wit’ it in a tent- priceless stuff.
It’s such a shame that the film spends too much time on dull characters, with Dixon and the hilariously overacting Asheton the best of the bunch, but the married couple, and Hansen and co. (who are really stupid. Not only are they bank robbers, not only are they hicks, but they’re survivalists too. Oh, god, shoot me now!) get the majority of the screen time, and they’re no fun.
OVERALL SUMMARY
A must for B monster movie fans, the film gets off to an awfully slow start introducing characters, but the finale, seemingly inspired by ‘Day of the Dead’ is one wild ride, creepy and funny at the same time. It’s not as funny as ‘King Cobra’, but that was a BAD film (Remember Mr. Miyagi drop-kicking the snake?).
