Troglodyte

SEA BEAST is a rip-roaring little B-movie that shamelessly rips off the likes of PREDATOR in its tale of a marauding sea monster that comes up on land to stalk and eat hapless human prey, utilising its ability to make its invisible in the meantime. Hell, at one point the hero even says "It bleeds..." and you can almost see the scriptwriters winking at the viewers.

Like most B-movies, this film has its problems. The direction is slightly meandering, but at least the director avoids that annoying and pointless shaky-cam so beloved of B-flick helmers in recent years. The script is hardly polished; we're subjected to padded lines like "If we lose our heads, we're dead" and "I saw it...with my own eyes" and the no-name cast hardly give remarkable performances.

And yet, and yet, SEA BEAST is a lot of fun, it's hard to deny. The pacing is spot on, with the viewer thrown straight into the monster action - none of that slow build up nonsense here, just mayhem and death. The CGI effects are pretty poor, yes, but you feel the animators have at least tried to do what they can with the technology available.

And it's GORY, damn it! Entrails are strewn asunder and heads torn loose, all captured with loving relish. It's hard to dislike this stuff. At one point, the chief critter gives birth to lots of little critters, like in a scene from Emmerich's ill-advised GODZILLA, but SEA BEAST definitely has the edge on that movie, as unlike GODZILLA it's a real hoot!

For those who are looking for Jamie Foxx doing huge stunts with mega explosion, This is not the movie for you... But for those who enjoy some low budget horror movies, this mix of predator/ jaws & aliens low budget flick is a fun one. When you see the cover of this DVD, you know exactly what you're in for. I rented this last night because I thought it was time to check out a monster movie :D I was surprise, I admit there are many bad straight to DVD horror & Sci - fi movies out there I was impress with this movie Personally, I think the creatures look a lot better than I am Legend, and the movie is way better than the 1998 Godzilla. So if you enjoys flicks like Tremors, The Mist or even Frankenfish, give Sea Beast a try

Believe it or not, "Sea Beast" originally appeared as "Troglodyte" on Syfy in 2008. It goes without saying that it was a good call to change the name seeing as how there are no troglodytes in sight.

As the cover of the DVD would suggest, "Sea Beast" is another take on the well-worn "Jaws" theme. This one takes place in the Vancouver, BC, area (big surprise). The creature has the ability to appear nigh invisible and render its prey immobile. This may sound cartoonish, but the way it's explained by the requisite scientist makes it semi-believable.

Other than "Jaws," the plot borrows from other creature flicks like "Predator," "Gremlins" and "Godzilla ('98)." It's reminiscent of the latter film in that there's a mommy monster and a bunch of little tykes, just as ferocious.

What makes "Sea Beast" work is that the material is taken seriously and it has a quality cast, not to mention solid locations. The cast is highlighted by a strong male protagonist, Corin Nemec as Will Mckenna, Will's ditzy daughter, Carla, who can be ultra-violent when necessary (Miriam McDonald) and Will's female sidekick scientist, Arden (Camille Sullivan). Miriam possesses such a cuteness she's somehow just enjoyable to look at. Also, the creature effects (CGI) are well done. Not to mention it's very gory, if you're into that.

There's not much else to say. If you like well-done creatures-on-the-loose TV flicks, "Sea Beast" provides well enough to satisfy. It's far from great but it delivers just enough to grant it a marginal thumbs up.

GRADE: B-

Depending on your point of view, this movie either delivers what you would expect from a low budget creature feature or you should avoid at all costs. There are some similarities here with another "Sci-fi Channel" movie "Loch Ness Terror". The difference being that "Sea Beast" runs off in several different directions at a frantic pace, while "Loch Ness Terror" is far more deliberate. The CGI monsters are about equal, and interestingly both films have young creatures getting in on the carnage. One major annoyance about "Sea Beast" is the daughter, played by Miriam McDonald. Her acting is so amateurish that you will be rooting for the creature to end her misery and your's. The creatures are on screen in daylight for a good amount of time, which maintains interest throughout, although there is never any attempt to explain where they came from in the first place. - MERK

Being a fisherman is a difficult job, particularly during a rough storm. But things can only get worse when a sea beast decides to make your crew its meal. In this small fishing town, the sea beast and his family follow the seamen ashore... to destroy every living thing in their path. How do you stop a creature that you cannot see?

This happens to be another film in the "Maneater" series of films, which started off with vicious animals (blood monkeys, crocs, and more) and has ventured into some strange territory. They recently came out with "Yeti", for example (you can read the review for this on Killer Reviews). And now, the sea beast, formerly titled "Troglodyte" (which is grossly misleading). It's "Jaws" meets science fiction meets "Raptor Island", which is either awesome or horrible depending on how you feel about those three things.

Personally, I love "Jaws" and science fiction has its good points, but "Raptor Island" is a CG piece of offal. Now, to be fair, "Sea Beast" isn't as poorly animated as "Raptor Island", but they fit in the same category. But we've come to expect that from the Maneater series. Cheesy plot, minimal gore (though this one does alright), little or no nudity or cursing. Your basic TV-ready film. And don't get me wrong, if you want an hour and a half of beer-swilling entertainment, this film will fir your needs. But if you try to dissect it, you'll claw your eyes out. It simply doesn't make much sense.

If you want to watch this film, my best recommendation is that you try to catch it on TV or borrow it from a friend or rent it. There is no reason to purchase this film. It doesn't have a lot of replay value, and there are literally no special features (unless you count scene selection). No subtitles, no languages, no audio commentary, nothing. It's about as bare bones as DVDs come, which is rare these days.

Bottom line: cheap, cheesy entertainment. If that's what you're into (and I guess some people are because they keep making these movies), go for it. If you want more substance or a good scare, this is not the film for you. Seriously, watch "Jaws" for the tenth time before you see this if you want a quality man versus fish story.