Jurassic Predator

A low budget film with weak actors and terrible plot

Was not expecting much from 'Jurassic Predator'. It just sounded terribly derivative to the point of being a blatant rip off, the cover/poster looked cheap and like something you'd find advertised for a SyFy or Asylum film, it had a low rating and the reviews were less than promising. So in all honesty was expecting something terrible.

Seeing 'Jurassic Predator' with an open mind and fairness intended, it turned out to be not near as terrible as expected. At the same time, didn't find it a particularly good film either. Just for the record, am somebody who hates being critical and is more often than not encouraging and aims to be balanced and tries to evaluate rather than completely gushing or bashing, so will always severely object to being called an armchair critic/expert that is thrown around a lot immaturely.

There are positives. There is colour and atmosphere in the setting and some slickness in some of the shots. The music is not over-bearing, variety-less or monotonous, even when not being exactly memorable.

Some of the acting is okay, most of it is wooden though, and there is the odd thrill.

However, the limited budget shows in particularly the not always very well organised editing and the ropy effects. The dinosaur doesn't steal the show as much as it should and its contribution is not particularly memorable or well used, due to the lack of genuine suspense and horror and its viciousness downplayed too much. The human characters are underwritten and have little development or endearing personality with frustrating and illogical decisions and behaviours, despite the actors' best efforts.

Also found too much of the dialogue on the wrong side of dumb and cheesy, complete with some soapy moments, and that it didn't flow very well. Parts are too silly, others take themselves too seriously that it becomes dreary. The film is extremely derivative, interesting premise with far too over-familiar execution that has nothing new. The lack of imagination and suspense also hurts the film, too much evokes cringing and the thrills are sporadic, with a lot of predictability and contrivance. The direction felt like they were not in control of the material and not at ease with the genre.

Overall, not a disaster, not a thrill side. Instead on the lower side of somewhere in between. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Well, I was wrong. A low budget ($100,000) film that looks like it was made by a high school AV club. Simplistic plot. Filming of the dinosaur was not too convincing. Acting was bad in a lot of parts.

But, in fairness to the film, it did hold my attention well enough that I watched the entire movie.

This homemade film is a parody of movies, and a disrespect to dead dinosaurs. The write up explains what the movie can't show and promises what it can't give. Even the film's start is a write up. The name is taken from another, real movie, also called Predator X. Why not call it Rubberhead Rex?

A guy working at a multi-story housing estate or some ordinary building where they haven't even bothered to put up a sign, with absolutely no equipment, just empty rooms, makes the upper third of a dribbling rubber dinosaur, plus part of the back. It escapes its flimsy single chain, leaving lots of static intestines and limbs behind, and grows off screen somehow, apparently. All this insanity puts Asylum at studio level, relatively, who at least use whole dinosaurs.

But the worst is yet to go. If there is a T rex head on the loose, with no legs or arms or tail, well no body, why call on the Army and Air Force? Ex-crims are badder and better than soldiers. This crack-smoking team of soldiers is The Halfwit Half-Dozen or Stupid Six (I can't recall), The Fooling Five (I didn't count), or The Insignificant Seven (I didn't care). So, picking on stupid mistakes The Cocky Cockneys make after is even more stupid.

This film is a threat, not a fact. What a complete cockup, cocker.

The film does highlight a current disturbing trend that any quality is acceptable: A filmmaker who doesn't bother to learn his craft and clone a real dinosaur while staying within the limits he must can only make prolific failures. How this amateur shocker is released on DVD is even more disturbing.

Guide: No swearing sex, or nudity. Oh, but gore galore is heaped on after no fact.

Low budget cheapie with probably the most idiotic soldiers ive ever seen. some of their decisions made me want to tear my hair out. but on the plus side the situations which came out of their stupidity did give me some proper laughs. you can tell it was played for the jokes and if you check your brain in at the door it can be a fun film. I actually think the weakest parts of the film are where its trying to be serious, the comedy scenes and acting are far more entertaining. just don't expect any of the characters to do anything sensible!