Razorback - Kampfkoloß der Hölle

Judging by the external reviews, quite a few people appear to hate this film. I can see why, but I think they're coming at it from the wrong angle.

I see it as - intentionally - trying to send up the whole genre of vengeful animals horror flicks. In truth, neither sharks nor grizzlies, and certainly not razorback hogs, are smart enough to conceptualize, let alone carry out, acts of vengeance on humankind. The film simply takes the "rules" of this particular genre and applies them to a ludicrously unfit vehicle: a giant pig. And there are some pretty funny scenes, notably one where the monster eats a nasty watchdog that's chained to the side of a house; naturally, the corner of the house to which the chain is attached comes off and Joe Couch Potato is left sitting in a wall-less abode, staring quizzically as his television disappears into the outback.

Treat it as comedy, and the film makes a lot more sense.

I first saw this film over 20 years ago and it has remained a favourite of mine ever since.The plot is a little bizarre but the performances and cinematography are excellent in evoking a nightmare world of loss,desperation and pain.I wouldn't automatically bracket this film as a "Horror" at all but more a violent depiction of loss and the need for revenge.The grandfather obsessively searching for the Razorback is brilliant-pain,loss and terrifying determination.For me the only down is the ending which I felt strays into "schlock horror" territory too much.It could have been much better and more interesting in keeping with the rest of the film but,overall,it doesn't do the film too much harm.Quirky,bizarre,nightmarish and crazy-nice one.

One striking shot follows the next in this monster B-movie, and the overall tone of the visuals is beautiful, I think. And there is some thick, intense atmosphere. In those departments it's so stunning that the many flaws can't ruin the film. The acting is OK all in all but there are some moments that make you want to put your head through the next wall. The action scenes and especially the ones with the razorback, a huge boar, are more or less comprehensible in that you get the basic idea of what's going on but all the crucial scenes happen between cuts, so the editing is jumpy, kind of like a TV edit. The worst example is the movie's finale and the destruction of the monster, which after an exhaustingly loud, dark, monotonous battle between man and monster plot-wise also ends on a ridiculous and schmaltzy note and so the film leaves you with a bad aftertaste. But those visuals, man, those visuals... It's kinda like a more extreme 'Alien³'. Worse plot, more stunning visuals. What else could I do but consider this a new B-movie favorite?

Call me stupid, but this is actually one of my favorite horror flicks. The story's about a giant wild boar munching on Aussies in the outback. Our hero goes in search of his wife...she's missing out there. Many interesting ideas come forth in this movie. I especially like the kangaroo killing brothers Benny and Dicko (hehe). The way the movie portrays them is interesting, contrasting the life of the outback trash to the much more civilized life of Bill, the hero. I also enjoyed the use of weird settings(the desert with that "horse") to create atmosphere. Overall, I enjoyed this flick a lot, and I think most horror fans would if they look beneath the seemingly ridiculous plot.

Plot

As a vicious wild boar terrorizes the Australian outback, the husband of one of the victims is joined by a hunter and a farmer in a search for the beast.

Cast

Not familiar with anyone involved except the ill fated Arkie Whiteley.

Verdict

This was recommended to me by a guy who likes throwing me the absolute most dire and cheesy monster flicks, it's because of him I'm pretty sure I've seen the entire Scyfy original catalogue.

Razorback most certainly comes under that category, namely a dire cheesy monster flick! Set in the outback we see our hapless hero teaming with a grizzled hunter who has history with porky and fending off two local miscreants who are more of a threat throughout than the beasty itself.

Our piggy is barely on screen and when it is it's generally ultra close up shots of its tusks/nose at no point do you really get a proper look at it and I'm sure the reasons for this are pretty obvious.

The plot is bland, it never reels you in. You never feel the threat of this creature, you're more annoyed by the other pair of antagonists who are just dreadful! And our lead? He couldn't have been anymore bland if they tried, awful awful character.

Razorback is not an 80's classic, it's a movie kept afloat in peoples mind by the power of nostalgia.

Rants

Oh Arkie, what could have been? There was a young talented actress with a successful career on the up! What a dreadful shame, so incredibly young, she hadn't even hit 40 before falling. I'd have loved to see how her career would have inevitably blossomed.

The Good

Arkie Whiteley

The Bad

Weak creature effects Awful finale Bland leading man Antagonist humans were simply too annoying Fails to engage the viewer.