Let's get it out of the way now - this movie has not an ounce of originality in its body. The creature is brazenly stolen from Predator, and the plot incorporates elements of Jurassic Park shamelessly.
It is also an incredibly fun film to just sit back and enjoy.
Part of this is the surprisingly earnest performances turned in by the main cast. Despite the silliness of his role morphing from a scientist to a doctor to an action hero as the plot demands, Mark Dacascos fills his part capably. Robin McKee is serviceable in a sidekick role that doesn't feel like a waste, and Tom Taus performs well as a surprisingly capable stock child companion. The underrated Roger Aaron Brown has a good part as a scientist working for the villain who has a crisis of conscience about the experiment. The real show-stealer, however, is Jurgen Prochnow, who chews the scenery but just avoids pushing it too far as the mad scientist main antagonist of the film. He is always entertaining when he is on screen, and his death comes far too soon.
The plot is standard, and the visual effects bounce between impressive and bad. Mark McCracken (of Pumpkinhead 2) has a dual role as a tough soldier and the man inside the creature's costume. When he is in the costume, the creature has a nicely slimy and menacing appearance. CGI, however, is poor, both for the creature and for other scenes, especially the infamous helicopter crash.
All in all, though, this is a very enjoyable film for fans of B-movies. If you're into such things, seek it out.
It is also an incredibly fun film to just sit back and enjoy.
Part of this is the surprisingly earnest performances turned in by the main cast. Despite the silliness of his role morphing from a scientist to a doctor to an action hero as the plot demands, Mark Dacascos fills his part capably. Robin McKee is serviceable in a sidekick role that doesn't feel like a waste, and Tom Taus performs well as a surprisingly capable stock child companion. The underrated Roger Aaron Brown has a good part as a scientist working for the villain who has a crisis of conscience about the experiment. The real show-stealer, however, is Jurgen Prochnow, who chews the scenery but just avoids pushing it too far as the mad scientist main antagonist of the film. He is always entertaining when he is on screen, and his death comes far too soon.
The plot is standard, and the visual effects bounce between impressive and bad. Mark McCracken (of Pumpkinhead 2) has a dual role as a tough soldier and the man inside the creature's costume. When he is in the costume, the creature has a nicely slimy and menacing appearance. CGI, however, is poor, both for the creature and for other scenes, especially the infamous helicopter crash.
All in all, though, this is a very enjoyable film for fans of B-movies. If you're into such things, seek it out.