Customer Reviews

Project Grizzly

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A must see for lovers of the wilderness. Clear proof that truth is in fact stranger than fiction. High points are, without question, Troy's description of his encounter with "the old man" and long-shots of Troy doing karate in the Canadian rockies in his long-johns.

Definitely best when you see it for the first time, because you just don't know what happens next. It's a slow bit paced, so sometimes it makes your mind wander. My big complaint is that they left out LOTS of great footage from the final. I have a tape of the extra footage, and it would definitely have made this film much better (extra scenes include Troy getting shot with a .45 revolver, wrestling with bears in the junk yard, Troy on the Roseanne show/Canada AM/interview, him getting hit by a pickaxe, etc...). I live near Troy and have gone up north to gold pan too, so technically it's pretty realistic. The soundtrack is good and editing job also, but some scenes drag on with people talking about things you really don't care about, that don't have much to do with anything. This is still probably the most entertaining and uninformative documentary ever.

If Motorhead moved in next door, your lawn would die. However, if Motorhead became farmers, they would grow copies of "Project Grizzly." This is cinema at its most powerful and gripping. This movie depicts a man who is somewhere between brilliant and ridiculous, visionary and villain, demi-god and dunce. You will not be sure whether to ask for his autograph or help in the effort to have him driven from your town. You will certainly be inspired to buy a Bowie Knife.

Northern Canada must be a very, very boring place! So this freak decides to build a suit capable of withstanding a grizzly bear attack. The suit looks like RoboCop and the "Danger Will Robinson" robot's love child. Classic scenes that you'll watch again and again include him getting knocked out by a log and rammed by a pick up truck, all while wearing the Mark VI Grizzly armor. It is totally bizarre and very amusing, especially when the host fills you with stirring insights like, "anyone worth half a sh** carries a bowie knife into the bush and knows how to use it." You'll find yourself asking if this guy's for real, and you'll have to decide that for yourself. This is definitely worth watching, if only once, for the sheer spectacle of this absurd character and his hunt for the elusive grizzly.

This is the best movie that I have ever seen. What could be better than a guy in a protective suit getting hit by a truck at 30 mph? I dunno. And then a log. I wish he were here now so I could beat him with a bat.

It's hard to believe that this is a "real" person's life that you're watching. Much is left out and that which isn't is manipulated heavily by the director. Troy Hurtubese is so over the top it's hard at first to come to grips with the fact that he's not an actor. It's more than a little disturbing and can be a blast if you watch it with a bunch of friends who are all drunk!

This is a terrific video for repeated viewing. My teenage son declared it "Best thing to ever come out of Canada!!" The previous complaint, that Troy Hurtubise doesn't actually do battle with a grizzly in this film (best left to the pay-per-view folks, eh) doesn't diminish the fact that it's a hilarious character study, drenched with testosterone and swathed in 4000-plus feet of duct tape! The final scene, where Hurtubise details his encounter with the grizzly, and re-enacts it in a snowstorm, is compelling to watch AND riotously funny. The scene with he and his mother reminiscing about his childhood makes you wonder how the poor parents survived it. We're certainly pleased that he's guarding our northern perimeter, and I would recommend this video to any one.

It's a rare moment in which I appreciate any form of performance art. That's what this is, performance art followed on film, and it is awesome.

It's not for everyone. There are slow bits, and there are disappointments. If you're expecting a movie, something with high production value, a thoughtfully written script, or even a coherent plotline, this will not satisfy you. If, however, you seek out that underlying weirdness that makes humans interesting, the one that every reality TV producer tries to fabricate with little success and that too often flounders in the drudgery of actual life, then you need to meet Troy Hurtubise. Bring a little vision of your own to the viewing, and Project Grizzly is a masterpiece.

If you lack vision, you still may find refuge in the simple fact that a guy has built a bear-proof suit in his garage and is testing it in the most ridiculous manner possible for your entertainment.

Bears don't have flame-throwers, but in Troy's mind... why take the chance? It is a damned good time.

It would be easy to make fun of the subject of this doc. It's about Troy, a Canadian who after a brush with a bear, decides to build a bear proof suit. Yes, this was parodied beautifully on the Simpsons, but I can tell you right now, Troy is much more complex and compelling than Homer.

Let's get something straight here. Troy is not the mountain man / engineering genius he wants to be. He's just a regular joe trying to be something more. That he's chosen this road just shows how misguided we humans can sometimes be. On the other hand, there's something truly compelling his quest. Like Don Quixote, Troy lives largely in a fantasy world where he gets to be Davy Crocket and Jaques Costea at the same time.

This movie has more than its share of silly moments. Shots of Troy getting hit by cars or thrown off cliffs to test (uh, yeah that makes sense) his suit. Watch Troy rant about knives or give a story of his dramatic bear encounter (which amounts to basically a bear pushed him down and walked away) or hear him talk about the "Science" of his bear suit. All of which are absurd and unbelievable except that they are real moments. I could not look away, and I can't tell you why. And for some reason, by the end, I even respected misguided Troy because at least he's out there, trying to make his own legend.

I also recommend listening to the commentary tracks. The directer track sheds such fascinating light on this character that by the end, you realize there's more going on in Troy's head then even he knows.

No offence to Troy, obviously this movie has annoyed some bush types who feel it portrays him as pathetic. While I admire Troy's love of the wild and industrious methods of building a grizzly proof suit, what the hell is he thinking in building something that you can't walk around in? Did he expect to have a helicopter at the ready to fly him around? All he needs to do is put a jet powerpack on the thing and his problems would be solved! Seriously though, I really felt for the guy when he got so close to his goal of fighting a grizzly in his suit only to have to abandon the thing because he kept falling over. It's humours but also very painful to watch, his disapointment is obvious.

This film is a look into the male mind, specifically those survivalist types who seem to be actually hoping that the world will descend into chaos so they can test all their commando techniques. But this film reveals that realty keeps getting in the way with these guys, the world is not a comic book story. As Troy is Canadian, he is rather harmless and is non uses of guns is commendable, if he were american, he would be armed to the teeth. Troy's stories of his seeming mental instability makes me also question the whole bear encounter entirely.

My other concern with this movie is that $150,000 of tax payer money went into this crazy project, didn't anyone from the government question building a 200lb suit that you can barely move around in?

Oh well, watch and enjoy, it's an interesting story and Troy is a fascinating character, if a bit nuts.