Ben

This is one of those films that you hear about for years but never get the chance to see. I've been aching to see this for ages, but never came across it until recently. It's not a bad little piece of early '70s horror, really. Actually, I only have two major gripes: First, the kid. He made me want to feed him to the rats for the majority of the film. The strange marionette obsession, the circus-like songs he 'wrote', the annoying heavy breathing when he'd supposedly overexerted himself....the kid's weird and in a male-Shirley-Temple kind of way. He's creepier than Ben ever thought about being. But I suppose it was meant to make his outcast status believable, in which case it works beautifully. No other kid in their right mind would hang out with Danny! My second gripe is with the climax of the film. Frankly, it just runs on too bloody long. Seems like watching the same scene over and over for twenty minutes, which is monotonous. Aside from these two small quibbles, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed 'Ben'. I've never had a horror villain make me cry before, but Ben not only had me all weepy at the end but I was rooting for him pretty much the whole movie. He's just so darn cute!

OK I'm a sucker for a good b movie,and i loved this movie,better then the first one;Willard.well this time the fleeing rats led by Ben end up underneath the city storm drains.Ben then befriends a terminally sick boy played by Lee H Montgomery,who helps him.this time the rat army is much bigger.i wont reveal the ending but its a rather good one.the rest of the cast is very good,Meredith Baxter as the boys sister,Joe Campenella is the cop in charge,and Arthur O'Connell is the pushy newspaper reporter.Ben and his fellow rats should've received awards for their performance.and don't forget this features the late Micheal Jackson song called Ben.i call this a friendship between a boy and a rat.i recommend this movie to all fans of the horror genre.8 out of 10

BEN opens with the ending of WILLARD, setting up this film's premise: Not satisfied with the death of his former human friend, Ben sends his sewer-full of villainous vermin out to cause havoc and death for mankind.

But wait!

A little boy named Danny (Lee Montgomery), who lives right around the corner from Willard's place, is lonely and needs a friend! He's also got a heart condition and plays the harmonica! So, Ben finds the time between marauding attacks, to be Danny's best buddy. Bully's beware! Picking on the Dan-ster will now get you a visit from the hairy horde of doom!

Meanwhile, police are flummoxed by a series of rat-involved crimes against humanity. This all leads to an apocalyptic showdown in the sewers beneath Los Angeles!

While not as intriguing as its predecessor, BEN is a lot of fun to watch! Especially, if you love rats in big numbers! While groan-inducing, the relationship between Ben and Danny is oddly mesmerizing, that is, if you enjoy puppet shows and listening to Danny wheeze.

Not a bad way to spend one's viewing time, as long as cuddly sewer rats don't offend...

I have pet rats and they are the most sweet and loving creatures. This movie portrayed the love that people can share with rats and it was truly a beautiful movie. Ben was beautiful and Lee was a little cutey too. The lyrics to Ben ring out beautiful and true. This is really a must see for anybody who loves rats or even those who love animals in general. Some people may view this as a horror movie, but it is really soooo much more. A remake of Williard is apparently in the works, so fingers crossed that these wonderful movies will be released on DVD.

Michael Jackson's title theme is a moving ode and that it applies to a deadly pet rat makes for an odd, if memorable association in this sequel to the hugely successful "Willard" the year before. Youth Lee H.Montgomery is the new "Willard", essentially imprisoned in his parent's home by a rare medical condition, finding a quirky friendship in a stray rat (Ben) who is capable of marshaling the local rat population into war against mankind.

Joseph Campanella is the no-nonsense police detective, while Meredith Baxter (pre David Birney) plays Lee's older sister. There are a number of familiar faces in the supporting cast (e.g. Paul Carr, Kaz Garas, Ken Tobey etc) and the film's rousing conclusion in the city's sewers with the main antagonist cornered, is a tense climax.

The hyperbole written about this film relegating it to turkey status is unwarranted; while not as textured as its predecessor, it's much like the AIP genre films of the early-to-mid seventies in atmosphere and personnel and should entertain accordingly.