Komodo (1999)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

So much average

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Blistering performances.

Komodo is amateurish trash in every sense.Jill Hennessy looks and sounds a lot like Jodie Foster, shame she doesn't act like her. The writing is atrocious, the characters are atrocious, everything is bloody atrocious. I'm a big fan of the creature feature type film, but this is just atrocious.Victoria: Is there anything these things won't eat? Denby: Yea, anything faster than they are, I guess. And raisins. They don't eat raisins. :)

15-foot long Komodo dragons elect to stalk the meagre pickings on an island off North Carolina (though filmed in Australia), rather than be starved into extinction. Holidaying family run afoul their insatiable appetite, save for the adolescent boy, who must return to the island to overcome the subsequent psychological trauma that has him on the verge of being committed to an asylum. Child psychologist (Jill Hennessey) encourages the boy to return along with his only remaining relative, and soon discovers perils that occupy the mind, often exist in the flesh.While the visual effects are well crafted, and, dare it be said, virtually seamless in terms of the juxtaposition of CGI and animatronics, the narrative is laboured and slow-moving, and never really develops the identities of the characters. Hennessey is unconvincing, and the supporting cast are stereotypical and superficially drawn (Westaway's evil corporate crony is embarrassing courtesy of the rubbish dialogue and forced cockney accent), but still manage to somehow command an attempted tear-jerking epitaph after they're fatally mauled.While the prospect of the Komodo dragon preying on humans isn't that far-fetched under any circumstances, the formula is routine, and the emphasis misplaced – the film attempts to build characters and invoke sympathy, when it should have concentrated on suspense via its already impressively manufactured title creatures. Sporadic thrills for the casual viewer, but too much bark and not enough bite for a genre fan.

I mean, with a name like Komodo and the way the movie case and posters look, whoever expects this to be good from the get go is crazy. Well, I had watched it over 5 years ago and had forgotten about it until now, and decided to watch it again, because I didn't remember a thing about it. I remembered it being laughable, but here again, I didn't remember anything about the actual movie, so I was not that excited about rewatching it, but I felt like I could get a good laugh at it in any case. Well, I didn't laugh one bit! In fact, I was very pleased with how this movie turned out! As it started off I was immediately entertained. The plot was as thin as paper and the characters became questionable at times, but overall this movie was very satisfying and not bad at all. The performances were surprisingly over average! I could watch an hour and a half of Kevin Zegers laying in the floor reading the newspaper or something like that anyway for he is a fantastic actor and is not bad to look at at all. The main girl did astonishingly well too; She made her lines and character believable, and though of course this movie isn't a masterpiece it turned out to be way more than I thought it would be.The special effects were surprisingly really good as well, I mean, for a B-Movie. This film obviously wasn't given a high budget and job well done with the special effects for such a small amount of money! Overall, I actually even think a 3.7 is too low of a rating! There are a lot worse films than Komodo, for this was not bad at all and is even worth a second watch! Great opening act, pleasing performances, nice special effects, but a plot that is so dull it's see through and around the end felt rushed and a little mediocre. Still, I enjoyed this film and recommend it if you can appreciate it for what it is.

It's not really an awful movie, but it is pretty bad. At least, the plot and acting are pretty mediocre at best and downright terrible in places. The effects are surprisingly good for a movie this cheap. In fact, I was favourably impressed by them. There are one or two obviously bad animatronic moments, but on the whole the dragons look good to the eye.This isn't a movie which will win anything, but it's reasonable fare for a rainy day when you're bored. Or a beer-night with friends. Don't expect Jurassic Park in terms of acting or effects, let alone story, and you might actually think this movie isn't half bad. No, wait....the story is still too lame. Ok, think of it as a tolerable film if you're desperate.Watch out for the flaregun effect right at the end. I was quite surprised to see this effect in a low-budget flick that it stands out as a "Wow!" moment. One of the more original effects I've seen on film. In fact, the effects are what saves this movie from being a real turkey. Watch it for them.