Director: Dan Treanor, David Treanor
Year: 2021
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Kaiju
Plot:
Following a series of strange incidents around the area, a scientist at a local geological research institute suspects something’s wrong when his findings don’t match up with the stories told by the local sheriff. When the strange incidents eventually force the two to turn to a Native American medicine man with knowledge about the wildlife in the area, he confirms their suspicions about the arrival of the ancient lizard Uktena. When the monster appears and lays waste to the city, nothing can stop the creature's wrath, forcing the military defense forces into action, but even they fail to do much damage against the mighty being. Down to their last resources, they’re forced to look to unconventional means of finally quelling the vengeful creature.
Review:
This one is quite a fun throwback effort. What really sets it up nicely is the opening introduction to the monster that plays perfectly as a twist on typical kaiju lore. The Native American legend retold, involving the origin of the beast, appearing alongside the native animals and the appearance of the land upon the formation of the planet, and being a fearsome creature of such rage and destruction that it needed to be sealed into the ground to preserve those around it. By itself, this is a classic piece of typical folklore usually associated with the genre, which helps the immersion tremendously, getting to know the stories retold by the tribes in the area. However, there’s also the added benefit of placing a localized flare to the production by tying the origin into Native American folklore. Starting life as a human before being wronged and merging with the spirits of the animal realm that produced his final dragon-like design is a means of unleashing death and destruction on the land. It all makes the film come together nicely with a fun story for the creature while playing into the genre overall.
To complete the film’s throwback feel is the gloriously goofy special effects work. Employing a tried-and-tested combination of suitmation work against green-screen insert shots, the idea of the giant rampaging monstrosity running amok in the woods or a suburban area is effectively captured. With the lizard-like face, ornate spike ring around the head, and tribal coloring that evokes power and majesty, the title creature is effectively realized when it stands still. As well, with the central rampage and follow-up military attacks creating a fun old-school spectacle as the monsters’ energetic outbursts and glee at toppling structures while also combating the forces against it, the spirit is clearly there.
However, for as much as this one gets right, there’s an equal number wrong with it. Most of that comes from the decision to film so many of the monster sequences in the wrong style, as the majority of the sequences should be filmed in high-speed with an overcranked camera that slows the footage down. Instead, the monster sequences are shot at regular speed, making it plainly obvious that the costume doesn’t hide the performer’s figure, nor do the special effects shortcuts get hidden away. The toy vehicles placed around the sets are sometimes laughable, while the buildings are painstakingly atrocious cardboard boxes that fall over in one piece, while CGI inserts of crumbling particles and dust fill the screen that is never matched in the slightest bit. The heart and spirit are there, but it just comes off in the wrong manner.
More than anything, though, is the curious ability that seems to steer towards parody rather than outright homage. The CGI graphics for explosions, crumbling infrastructure, and the monsters’ unnecessary laser beam attack add a far more modern touch to something that is far more old-school in approach as the toy models, simple-minded approach and non-stop storyline may be spiritually in sync with the films it’s homaging but feels starkly contrasted with these more modern effects. Perhaps had the film dropped the monsters’ needless beam weapon, which doesn’t fit in with the Native American folklore of the creatures’ origins or the pointless cutaways to the lone citizen watching monster movies on television, the resources for those scenes could’ve been utilized to improve the effects. These may be up to viewer preference, though, and shouldn’t be held against the film entirely.
Overview: **.5/5
Featuring some fun throwback elements of the genre but also containing some unpleasant technical aspects, the film is a mixed bag of affairs that is purely one-dimensional. Fans of the style and genre that will recognize the homages will be the main audience here, while viewers who don’t get the joke or are turned off by it should heed caution.
This review was originally written for Asian Movie Pulse and is gratefully reprinted with their cooperation.
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