Terrordactyl

Stumbling upon the 2016 movie "Terrordactyl", I had to sit down and watch it. The concept of the movie seemed like something that could be fun, and it also looked like one of those cheesy bad B movies.

Needless to say that I had never heard about "Terrordactyl" from writer Don Bitters III. But I will say that this movie was actually every bit as campy, cheesy and low budget as you would assume it to be - but in a good way. Yeah, this is one of those movies that are so bad that they are actually enjoyable to watch.

The storyline is pretty simplistic, if not actually a bit too simplistic. But it actually works well enough in favor of the movie, and it makes for a good, cheesy 95 minutes of fun watching.

The acting performances in "Terrordactyl" were actually okay. I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble at all here, but they put on good enough performances to make the movie worthwhile watching.

And the special effects were actually not that bad. Sure, every now and again there was something toe-curling, but for the majority of the movie then I will say that the special effects were actually good. Not blockbuster Hollywood good, but surprisingly good for a movie of this caliber.

However, "Terrordactyl" is a movie that came and went without leaving much of a lasting impression. Sure, I can tick it off of my to-watch-list now, but I doubt I will ever return to it a second time.

My rating of directors Don Bitters III and Geoff Reisner's 2016 "Terrordactyl" lands on a five out of ten stars.

This B-Movie Indy film was released in 2016 and is labelled as an action, adventure, comedy. Directed and written by Don Bitters III (with Geoff Reisner also getting a directorial credit too), this 95 min film is filmed in LA and is brought to UK audiences by the SyFy channel.

A mysterious meteor shower crashes down outside of LA. Two friends (Lars and Jonas) race to find something that could change their lives and make them rich from the space debris. After finding a good meteor they head back home but are stalked by Terrordactyls. Once into LA the prehistoric menace starts demolishing the city, it is up to Lars, Jonas, Candice, Valerie and Sampson to save the day.

The premise for this story was obviously stolen from classical cinema, possibly Ishiro Honda's Godzilla films or films of that ilk. A space dinosaur, in this case a Pterodactyl, attacks earth and causes death and destruction in its wake. It is up to a bunch of losers and has-beens to save the world from this menace. It's nowhere near as good as the likes of "Rodan" (1956), "The Giant Claw" (1957), or even "Q - The Winged Serpent" (1982) - but if you have seen those you should know what to expect here.

I like low-budget, cheesy, and indie. I will not beat around the bush though, this film is pretty garbage, but it is not the worst garbage I have watched and in places it is actually quite entertaining. It is not in any way original; the CGI is pretty poor (but I've seen worse - give me an actor in a rubber suit stomping on an over-sized model town any day of the week!); there are plot holes and inaccuracies; and it's all pretty silly all around. The acting is ham and cheese which is good, by the way it is delivered the actors know that this is not a serious film which needs to be played straight. I think the script was meant to be funnier but that falls flat on its face if it is the case.

If you want to watch a colourful and silly film which pits young modern(ish) kids against a space-alien-dinosaur that doesn't require too much of a brain, then this is something you might enjoy (while drinking heavily too of course!) . It is like a poor man's "Sharknado" (2013) but not as ludicrous and enjoyable. If you want something more credible or engaging, then maybe avoid this one.

There are 100 things you could do which are better than watching this, but if you have done all those things and still have some spare time then this will not hurt too much. 3 out of 10.

Hilarious premise, overall funny movie. The acting isn't great, but you can largely blame the script for that. Lots of gags don't land, the CGI is questionable, I'm not even going to go into the science, or the concept that only one character had ever heard of a pterodactyl, or knew that a meteor wiped out the dinosaurs. So why is this film so hilarious? I have no idea. Objectively it should be awful but now all I want to do is watch it again.

Terrordactyl (2016) is an action comedy horror film released in 2016 that tells the story of two friends who searched for a meteor and found that the meteor is an egg from a prehistoric reptile. They come from outer space and attack the city of Los Angeles. Chaos occurs where the two men are trying to stop the chaos .. The movie is so ridiculous .. Petrosaur from space ??? Strange storyline, horrible CGI, but this movie is quite entertaining with all the silliness and oddity. Petrosaurs from the sky .. Is there a dinosaur there ??? Another giant creature ??? Or King Kong ...

For those that care to know, I am an average professional male who admits to this guilty pleasure, I enjoy low budget sci-fi / indie action flicks. It doesn't mean I will rave about the movie, or try to defend them as cinematic masterpieces. I will simply admit that I enjoy them as a mild fan of the genre and as a mild diversion from my rat race professional life.

Most movies, I admit, aree mediocre and not well made. Some, however, seem to rise above the norm even though they have little work with as far as budget or originality. I feel that this movie is one that does rise above that base line of ho-hum.

The premise and plot has been done before. However, the special effects are above what is commonly expected in a movie like this, and I felt the actors did a good job selling the comedy and dialogue.

Two landscapers are called on to save the world after trying to cash in on a meteor they found. Needless to say, they found more than a meteor. No cops are armies in Los Angeles, just them and a hot bartender to take on an army of ancient reptilian birds.

I enjoyed the flick more than I expected with a title such as "terrordactyl." For a mindless diversion from the rat race of life, and an enjoyable flick for this genre, give it a try. I don't think you will be disappointed.