It's been a very long time since Hollywood released a good "monster movie," and I was glad to see this one. Lately, Hollywood's idea of monsters has been virus outbreaks, misunderstood monsters, and vampires that sparkle...ugh. So the return of the run-or-it's-going-to-eat-you bad guys is a welcome revival of the genre.
Special effects are good; the little creeps are really creepy. You go for most of the movie without seeing them, which is a smart move. There are several scenes in which they are right in front of you, but you don't see them until they move. Again, very masterfully played on the part of the director, and adds definite points to the creep-out factor.
The movie's pace is solid, though it does have its slow scenes. Good foreshadowing throughout and allusion to the end. Acting is solid by all involved (can Kevin Costner make a bad film?); I though Costner did a good job of being a good father whose faced with difficult odds, and the tensions in the film climax into an okay ending. Be warned, the ending is dark... darker than I was expecting. Similar to "The Mist".
All in all, this was a great return to the long-lost sub-genre of the "monster movie." Used to love 'em when I was a kid, and while this one will not spawn it's own franchise or line of action-figures, the baddies are an interesting and different type of creature. Certainly they are creepy and very deserving of a facefull of buckshot!! I rate this film a 7 because a 6 is too low, and an 8 is getting too close to perfect 10. A 7 is accurate, I think. If you're a fan of suspense and monsters, then this is a good one. Not too gory, though there is some blood and one tough scene. Plenty of suspense; most of the movie is a well-written mystery with some shotgun-mayhem monster-mashing at the end.
Definitely a fun, popcorn movie night! And with a PG-13 rating, the kids can enjoy it too.
Special effects are good; the little creeps are really creepy. You go for most of the movie without seeing them, which is a smart move. There are several scenes in which they are right in front of you, but you don't see them until they move. Again, very masterfully played on the part of the director, and adds definite points to the creep-out factor.
The movie's pace is solid, though it does have its slow scenes. Good foreshadowing throughout and allusion to the end. Acting is solid by all involved (can Kevin Costner make a bad film?); I though Costner did a good job of being a good father whose faced with difficult odds, and the tensions in the film climax into an okay ending. Be warned, the ending is dark... darker than I was expecting. Similar to "The Mist".
All in all, this was a great return to the long-lost sub-genre of the "monster movie." Used to love 'em when I was a kid, and while this one will not spawn it's own franchise or line of action-figures, the baddies are an interesting and different type of creature. Certainly they are creepy and very deserving of a facefull of buckshot!! I rate this film a 7 because a 6 is too low, and an 8 is getting too close to perfect 10. A 7 is accurate, I think. If you're a fan of suspense and monsters, then this is a good one. Not too gory, though there is some blood and one tough scene. Plenty of suspense; most of the movie is a well-written mystery with some shotgun-mayhem monster-mashing at the end.
Definitely a fun, popcorn movie night! And with a PG-13 rating, the kids can enjoy it too.