Extrañas criaturas

Critters (1986)

*** (out of 4)

Fun sci-fi spoof about a Kansas family who finds themselves under attack from small fur balls that can shoot out poisonous darts and have an appetite for flesh. CRITTERS was New Line's reply to GREMLINS and for my money it's the better movie. There's no question that this film was made for a rather small budget but I think it's a perfect example of how the genre can be done right without having to spend a lot of cash on special effects. The film offers up some fun homages to other films, some great characters to root for and we're also given some terrific villains who you just love to hate. I think the creatures themselves are certainly the highlight of the picture. Their design really was a work of genius in the way that they can roll to wherever they're going and the darts are just an added goodie. I really loved the way that they looked and there's no question that those teeth are priceless. While the things aren't ever scary I really don't think they need to be because this picture really isn't about being scared but it's about just having fun. It also doesn't hurt that we're given a great family to cheer for along the way. Dee Wallace Stone play the mom, Billy Green Bush the dad, Scott Grimes the son, Nadine Van Der Velde the daughter and M. Emmet Walsh plays the local Sheriff. We also have Billy Zane in a small role as a boyfriend. The performances are also extremely good here including the always reliable Dee Wallace Stone. Grimes makes for a good guy to cheer for as well. The film really doesn't contain any major violence, which wasn't the norm for the horror and sci-fi genre from this period but the creativity here really makes up for that. Director Stephen Herek really does a nice job mixing everything up and he keeps the film moving at a terrific pace. The film has plenty of laughs but best of all is that you can just sit back and have a good time with it.

and they roll and they chew and they eat and eat and eat. Darn those space people for solving the critter problem.

This was one of those TV late night movies that is totally awesome because of its creativity. Oh course while I watched it, I had no dreams of Gremlins and never connected the two.

In reality, I guess Critters are Gremlins without the Gizmos, but then again Gremlins without Gizmos are just plain mean.

and Critters are just mean....

They kill with no reason, they eat like there is no tomorrow, and even the Church cannot save the poor town's cattle.

As far as a classic, this is not, but it and Tremors are up there with the most immaginative and creative horror movies of the past few decades.

This movie is one of the rare low-budget horror flicks that are actually good. The basic plot is that little furry monsters (kind of like hairy kirbys with teeth) land from outer space and begin to eat the town they land by. Pretty basic storyline, but this is a monster movie you know. The Critters (or Krites, to be precise), are, while obviously puppets, very cool and well done. The human actors on the other hand...well, they are terrible. The dad, his shoulder and leg practically gnawed of by critters, remains alert and vigilant, even though he's covered in blood. The boy is average, at best. The bounty hunters are alright. The best actor is Charlie, the drunk. He pulls off a very good performance.

Ok, so this movie won't make any headlines, or be famous. But if you are looking for a late night horror movie, with a dash or two of humor, Critters is a good choice!

Critters tries to be nothing more than good entertainment and simple fun and succeeds admirably at both. Decent acting, believable characters, and an engaging story prove once again you don't have to spend tons of money to make a good picture.

Jay and Helen Brown (Dee Wallace) live on their rural farm with their son Brad and teen daughter April. The town is invade by space critters which escaped from intergalactic prison. They are pursued by two space bounty hunters who took the shape of band members from a music video. Brad has an older friend in Charlie McFadden. April has boyfriend Steve (Billy Zane). Harv (M. Emmet Walsh) is the sheriff.

I really love critters, the space creatures. I also like the space bounty hunters. This is strictly B-movie with B-movie acting and story. It does have some notable performers but they're not asked to do great work. It's just fun to have these critters rolling around.