Customer Reviews

Creature Unknown

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Sparing you a briefing of the weak and equally useless plot, "Creature Unknown" is one of those direct-to-DVD horror flicks that are more fun than they are scary. The reason it's worth three stars is the monster. Ignoring the recent craze of CGI, the crew created a full-body suit for the actor playing the creature -- and the hard work certainly payed off. The costume is very realistic and keeps the viewer interested. But, sadly, that's all there is to this movie. The only reason you should rent "Creature Unknown" is if you're a monster fan who enjoys the simple pleasure of seeing a murderous creature rip apart naive teenagers (including decapitations and gut-slashing). Not to mention, decent special features such as bloopers, a documentary on the film, and a documentary on the creature.

The good stuff :
The production quality is fantastic. This is a single sided DVD (4GB) and has better video quality than most of the big-hollywood dual-layer DVDs that I have. Im watching on a 200" screen with a Panasonic PT-AE500U projector, and very few DVDs I own look as good as this one. The sound is equally impressive. Whoever put this on DVD did a great job.

The acting is decent too, for a B movie its far better than average.

The bad stuff.
The story tries to have a few twists, but if you think you know what will happen you'll probably be right. Thats the trouble with movies like this, they are one trick. If you figure it out ahead of time, its just boring to watch, especially considering all the possibilities that were ignored. This is a movie that opens alot of doors, but never even peeks into them... you have a hot mad scientist, a genetic mutant monster, 4 hot women (and a couple dorky guys) SOOO much potential there! And I dont just mean excuses to show some skin - but I digress. Instead of going somewhere the story just goes through the standard paces. If all they wanted to do was make a cutesy little pseudo murder mystery with a "twist" at the end, they could have just done so. Why even have a monster? Why even have a scientist? Why even have all those babes and a lab, and genetic mutation stuff.... and all this potential!?!? Argh... (yeah, im a sicko, but also the likely intended audience)

Ultimately, this movie was disapointing (only a 3) because of missed great potential, with a little imagination alot more could have been done with this story and these characters. As it stands, I've seen this movie about 50 times already. Teens go to woods. Some teens die. Inconsequential plot twist. Survivors ride away. Small hint at sequel... Oh yeah, and I think I saw a monster. zzzzzzzzzzzzzz..zz.z.z

I must come out and defend this movie for one simple reason - the monster. In this age of CGI, it's quite refreshing to see a very high quality monster suit worn by an actor. CGI has gotten so good in big budget movies that it's indistinguishable from reality, but lower budget movies that can't afford the real good stuff always have bad CGI. You instantly know it isn't really there. Bless Creature Unknown for making the effort to create an old-school rubber suit that looks absolutely great (no wrinkles, bending fingers, or blatant seams), and is really *there*. For creature fans, you can't beat it, and you get to see a LOT of it. Even quite a bit in broad daylight. There's nothing to hide on this suit. Bravo for the monster!

The rest is, of course, completely forgettable. There was a little more of an attempt at character building than you usually get with popcorn B movie horror, but the plot is nothing new in any way. As other reviewers have said, there's also the ridiculous. First is the biker chick genetic engineer with a lab out in woods. What is the bunker-like underground building she's using? How did she get it? How does she afford supplies?

There are also many moments of "well...well...HELLO!" such as when the main protagonist tells the biker chick scientist that she's holding his father's (or maybe grandfather's, I forget) shotgun. And...that's it. He doesn't insist on having it back, doesn't ask how she got it, doesn't make any accusation of her robbing from the cabin. One character is attacked in what should clearly be a fatal scene, then later he turns up with just a bad stomach-scratching. This was clearly a cut-away death scene, the creature had him on his back and was toothily moving in for the easy kill, then the scene cuts. Later the guy's OK with no explanation ("Yeah, he had me, but then this mountain lion came outta nowhere and scared him off"). It's those little things that stick out like a sore thumb constantly and guarantee B movie status.

Oh well, there's always that creature and he looks excellent. I could have been spared the drool in a couple of scenes (does every damn critter have to drool?), but if you love the creatures then this movie is very good for that. Ignore the same-again plot, fast-forward through the petty, typical arguments, and check out that great monster. I'd say fast forward through the entirely unnecessary and blatantly gratuitous shower scene, but you get a great look at the creature at the same time. Besides, I'm sure most out there find the T & A less tiresome than I.

So, don't expect a fresh plot, exciting new twists or stellar cinematography. Just dig that monster!

The monster from Enemy Mine somehow made his way into a small mountain community, where he has taken up residence. He's being hunted by a female doctor-turned-vigilante who is out to exterminate him. This female assassin, who looks like a refugee from a Motley Crue video, rides around on a motorcycle and tries to save a bunch of kids who have chosen to have a Big Chill weekend right smack dab in the middle of the monster's turf.

Decapitations and lots of blood are primarily in place to draw attention away from the story which limps along like a bad version of the Island of Dr. Moreau (and yes, it's worse than the one with Val Kilmer).

I'm shocked that someone gave this 3 stars, but about fell out of my chair when someone gave it 5. This is it people, this is "the bad b-horror" movie everyone refers to when they talk about bad movies. This is the bottom, you need not search further. Want to see how bad horror can get? Rent it! I dare you! The good: a nice clean picture, the bad: (it has it all) bad acting, bad gore, very cheesy man in lizard costume running around jumping out of trees on people while you look through his eyes (distorted and blurry) most the movie is a image of this lizard-guy leaping from a tree, you hear a scream, and that's it. The FX suck, and there was far from enough gore. When the movie wasn't ticking me off from its cheesiness, it was putting me to sleep. I didn't even care if the monster was going to kill another person. The movie is the equivalent to giving big bird a knife and having him chase people (better yet not even that good, that might be scary). Watching this is the equivalent of wiping you're a s s

I guess since I just watched the abominable DEADLY SCAVENGERS last night, viewing CREATURE UNKNOWN was like GONE WITH THE WIND. At any rate, this movie reminds me a lot of those tacky scifi films from the fifties. Although the creature's effects are by no means state of the art, they are much better than the cockroaches in the aforementioned Scavengers flick. And I give the screenwriters credit for coming up with an unexpected "twist" at the end regarding the identity of the genetically mutated lizardman. The actors won't make us forget truly good actors, but they passed the easy on the eye test, and you'd appreciate that after watching the cast of the once again aforementioned Scavengers movie. All in all, my wife and I were entertained, and we're hard to please sometimes, but when comparing this to the uh oh once again aforementioned Scavengers movie, this one is a gem.

The movie opens with lizard man killing two girls. We know lizard man is watching because the film gives us a blurry fish eye. During the credits we see a "subplot" of a woman experimenting with lizards.

After the credits, Steve is e-mailing/texting his close circle of friends who are not close anymore and haven't been since high school when his brother Wes was killed. They are getting together, 4 years late, to pay homage to Wes. The personalities don't mesh as they all ride up in a single van...to the land of no cell phone reception where monsters roam and people die.

While they are there, Chase Masterson shows up on a motorcycle.

While this is not the worst horror film, this isn't one for the ages either. Too many daylight killings to be an effective horror movie. The creature was better than the rubber masked kind. The special flame effects was bad. The music was hit or miss as was the acting.

F-bomb, brief nudity (Kristin Herold shower scene)

This is one of those cheapee direct to video schlockfests that you find yourself watching the whole thing and then saying, "God, I can't believe I actually watched that whole movie". It's the classic setup of a groups of kids out in the woods who get slaughtered by a guy in a rubber suit. Nothing wrong with that, I love that kinda thing, but it just looks and flows like any other B horror movie of recent years. I can't put my finger on what it is, but all of these low budget movies have a look about them I don't like. Whether it's Andre the Butcher, Arachnia or whatever, something is wrong. At least in the good ol days even the microbudget movies were shot on film and looked like REAL movies, now everything looks like it was shot on someone's snazzy digital equipment and was probably shown on the sci-fi channel at some point. So yeah, a lizardman is killing these kids off. Sure, there's an attempt to add more depth and a twist in the plot, but essentially that's it. The lizardman was created by a sexy, gun toting, biker chick scientist(only in the movies, my friends, only in the movies). I don't know squat about genetics and such, but I'm pretty sure that injecting lizard DNA into a human won't turn them into a rampaging, rejuvinating lizardman. Plus, the film's title is misleading because you find out what it is. But in the end all is well and of course there's an explosion(courtesy of the handy dandy flammable gas tank that's just hanging around the creature's lair). All in all, this was moderately entertaining schlock fare. It's 100% heckle material all the way, so make sure you don't watch it alone. The film doesn't go the crappy CGI route, instead leaving us with a good ol fashioned lizardman outfit. Hey, if you're making a schlock film anyhow, might as well go with it, right? I'd certainly rent before buying. Better yet, sucker a friend into renting it so you can see it for free.

This movie has a poor plot, cheesy effects and forced acting. 'Prom Night' is a masterpiece next to this movie and with the exception of Chase Masterson, it would be a major accomplishment for any of the actors in this film to end up on the Surreal Life.

I felt this film was a cross between The Island of Dr. Moreau
and Ten Little Indians. It's a monster movie with enough threads to please a mystery fan. The Creature is very sympathetic and
yuo will probably end up rooting for it.The Doctor character puts
Lara Croft to shame.