Customer Reviews

Sand Serpents

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

 

 

This is a really good creature movie. Contrary to what you might read from other people, the acting isn't bad at all. The special effects by far exceeded my expectations and were very impressive. The worms in the movie are very large too. The characters are actually very likeable as well. Overall I really enjoyed this movie, and I think if you don't expect some huge epic blockbuster or something, you will too.

If your a sci fi nerd ( like me a doctor who lover) you'll like this movie because if gives you a scare knowing afterwords you can go to bed at night. Dont watch if your under 10. And remember this is a b movie so the effects are not going to be amazing but still pretty good. Watch if you like suspense horror and somewhat gore.

Sand Serpents is actually about giant worms. "Sand Worms" doesn't quite have the alliterative quality to it, so Sand Serpents it is.

Like Manticore, horror filmmakers have found America's overseas operations a real goldmine of new settings to play in. Every ancient evil can be played out against a backdrop of conflict, which means there are plenty of soldiers with guns available to helplessly fire at the beast. Who needs the Colonial Marines from Aliens when we've got real Marines?

That's the sales pitch anyway. The truth is that director Jeff Renfroe just wants to remake Tremors.

Because it's Afghanistan (instead of Iraq, like in Manticore) there's lots of talk about the Taliban, captives getting their heads cut off, and innocent citizens caught in the crossfire. It's pretty clear that Renfroe has a political ideology he wants to push, and he pushes hard.

In between the proselytizing, cardboard characters get eaten by giant worms. These worms are bigger than the critters from Tremors. They're Dune big, which makes them nigh impossible to shoot or really avoid. The worms are fond of chomping down on top of anybody stupid enough to stand out in the open and, just like Tremors, they navigate by sound. When they're on camera, the worms are suitably imposing. Most of the time, see the worm's point of view, which involves soldiers shooting over their shoulders at the camera while they flee. It's about as exciting as it sounds.

One by one, the stereotypes (angry black guy, underclass girl scrabbling for a second chance, sarcastic guy, dweeb who just wants to get home to his family, etc.) are sucked up into those awful maws. Occasionally, the Taliban gets caught too. The movie's emotional core rests on the small shoulders of a young girl and the wide-eyed blonde private (Tamara Hope as Jan Henle) who's determined to save her.

The problem is that young girl doesn't speak English, so she conveys emotion with only her eyes. Cute as she is, this gets old fast. Henle, on the other hand, has all the charisma of a rock - she speaks her lines like she's in some sort of trance. Her foil is the team's captain, played by Jason Gedrick. Gedrick tries hard to whip up something, anything, between him and Henle but there's nothing there. He has a more convincing connection to the worms.

Speaking of the worms, Renfroe has a message that involves American soldiers wearing suicide belts. The movie's final iconic scene (interrupted by a commercial on Syfy channel - I nearly shut my Tivo off because I thought the movie was over) is both disturbing and peculiar. What's the director trying to say? Where did the giant worms come from? And why isn't anyone calling in a missile strike on worms that can be seen from space?

Sand Serpents doesn't have any answers because it's like Tremors without humor, or Dune without religion - just another can of worms.

this movie is good it has

gore,creature violence,guns,

explosions.and the most

important thing a good ending.

so just do good reviews ok

Like many said, it's like tremors. Going straight to the point, there's a lot of bad acting and really bad script to follow. I found the action very lacking because I wanted to see more monster-related action. However, being obviously low budget, the worms are just there for show, you don't ever see one truly explode or any cool, epic, or memorable scenes. They were decently created, but again, it's just there for show.

There were no truly suspenseful moments in this movie that put me somewhat close to the edge of my seat, second guessing what might happen. Soldiers got worm issues, finally got helped and got out of there. The movie had a boring, too straight forward storyline without any real twist, it ran a typical hour and a half, only a handful of people survived in the end, usually that's about 1-3 as the typical number. Bored me, will not watch again.

I enjoy this type movie. Reminds me of all the SciFi movies that came out in the 1930s-1950s. They may not be overly well acted, but they are certainly entertaining to watch. Even classics like Frankenstein never got rave reviews from the critics. So I expect them to turn noses up at this one. If you enjoy SciFi movies about giant monsters you will probably find this worth watching. Rent it and then you can decide if it is worth buying. I think the current price is reasonable for the story, casting, directing, special effects, and music. if you enjoyed this, catch Raptor Island

CA Luster

The other reviewers nailed it pretty well. The ending of this movie brought up my opinion of this flick. When you watch this movie, look for a large truck in the background that is not supposed to be there,I guess the editor was asleep at the helm. This movie is a good value if you buy the triple feature set that is now available. This set included, Wyvern, Sand Serpents, and Carny, takes the sting out of the price.

The acting and special effects are a notch above the usual RHI production on Sand Serpents. I found the Sand Serpents to be very realistic looking, perhaps because underground creatures don't need a lot of detail and color. However, the film sagged at points where characters bickered while waiting to be attacked. Perhaps a little humor would have helped. By the way, Jason Gedrick was actually quite good as a weary, on-edge soldier.

Part of the Manhunter series, Sand Serpents (2009) is set in Afghanistan, and follows the ill fated adventures of a small group of US army soldiers, who are threatened not only by the Taliban, but also by giant carnivorous creatures that live underground.

The completely computer generated "sand serpents", actually look more like worms. The special effects are decent, although nothing new or original. The worms are so huge, that only explosives seem to be effective at injuring or killing them. Perhaps their size contributes to their hearty appetite, as the creatures are willing to travel underground for great distances, and then pop up for a bite to eat. No explanation is given for the monsters presence.

The army unit is led by Lt. Richard Stanley (Jason Gedrick), with Captain Jan Henle (Tamara Hope) along as an advisor. The soldiers appear to be reservists, rather than career soldiers, perhaps reflecting current conditions in the military. There is plenty of bickering and backtalk in the ranks. The unit runs into a civilian and his daughter, who become their guide, as they attempt to evade the enemy and the worms, long enough to be evacuated.

Outside of the worms and a couple of minor action scenes, there isn't a lot to recommend here. The soldiers don't seem to be very competent or likeable, and their numbers steadily decline with each misstep. Lt. Stanley's actions in the final scene, puts a nice cap on this disastrous mission, that you can probably catch on SyFy if you are really interested.

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Please note that the rating above might not accurately reflect my thoughts, you will see a rating sentence at the end of the review.

I was falling asleep while I watched this so excuse me.

The one thing different about this SyFy movie is that it has pretty good acting. It isn't all lame and emotional like others, instead it feels like Godzilla mixed with Commando. Godando? I like that, I'm gonna write a script called Godando. Of course, this isn't the best CGI, but it is better than the usual. Something that is kept like normal with the design for the good of mankind is the design itself, the actual picture of something like this if it weren't CG looks like a Bad@$$ worm right there.

So there's my short thoughts. Enjoy.

The Rating? 3.9/5