Mammouth : La Résurrection

Not a *good* movie exactly, but a significant improvement over most Sci-Fi Channel original movies. It had some humor, and the movie worked best when it was its silliest. The more serious scenes tended to just slow the movie down.

If you like Vincent Ventresca (Invisible Man), he does some decent work with a not too great script. There are some other good actors too, but they don't quite manage to rise above the script as much.

Unfortunately, the best that can be said about Mammoth is that it is an improvement for Sci-Fi Channel. Hopefully their original movies will continue to improve.

This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a great movie. I have long said SciFi Original is synonymous with "crap" when it comes to movies. They don't have a very good track record when it comes to movies, but I'm beginning to think that this one shows they know it.

The actors, mostly B-movie and TV types, with Summer Glau probably being the biggest name in it, aren't the worst actors SciFi has put in a movie. The writing actually has some quotable lines. The special effects are bad for modern era CGI, but we're talking about a low budget horror film. We've all seen them, and some of us actually enjoy them. So, if you like the corniness of so many horror films from the 50s and 60s, or maybe the camp of the Killer Tomatoes series or perhaps Tremors, you will actually enjoy this movie.

Having read the few lines we get on the on-screen TV guide, I was sure this would not be great. Poorly put together with some really average CGI, it was only (slightly) saved (for me) by the performance of Tom Skerritt as Simon Abernathy (Frank's father), he held the thing together. Even the presence of Summer Glau as Frank's daughter, Jack (silly name for a girl, I know) didn't make it any better. I'll give honourable mentions to; Vincent Ventresca as Dr. Frank Abernathy, Cole Williams as Squirrelly, Charles Carroll as Sheriff Marion Morrison (that's John Wayne's real name for those that don't know), Leila Arcieri as Agent Powers and Marcus Lyle Brown as Agent Whitaker.

For a script that was meant to be playing for laughs, I found very little to laugh about. To say the jokes were (for the most part) pretty lame would be putting it mildly. The plot was all over the place, there were holes in it you could drive a truck through… and at one point I think they did! It did try to rally at one point and almost grabbed my attention, but then lapsed back into banality yet again… Sadly. NOT RECOMMENDED, but the good films will look all the better for seeing it.

My score: 3.8/10

IMDb Score: 3.8/10 (based on 1,533 votes at the time of going to press).

MetaScore: No Data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes 'Tomatometer' Score: No Score Yet… (based on 1 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes 'Audience' Score: 18/100 'Liked It' (based on 838 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).

You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

OK. It's made by the Sci-fi channel, one of the kings of B (ok too generous) C/D movie production. (Does anyone know if they ever made a good movie that wasn't a miniseries? Dune and Children of Dune were good. Does anyone actually expect Sci-fi to make a good made for TV movie that is not a miniseries?). The writers, director, and actors all know this and play to it. The movie is bad, but because everyone involved knows this, it actually becomes very funny at points. It even makes fun of some the classic horror movie clichés. The requisite couple having sex that dies early (everyone knows that the first people to have sex or get into their skibbies always dies) are two geriatric escapees from a nursing home. Realize what we all know, its bad, its meant to be bad, and enjoy, and revel in the badness.

(must have for B/C movie collectors)

I know, I know, there is no such word as Stupidest!!! but honestly, what else would describe this drivel.

Absolutely horrible. And the acting!!! it's all camp and no drama. If they are going to make it like a Roger Corman, campy, Saturday afternoon at the movies, well, get better plots and keep out the comedy. I mean really. Reminded me of MARS ATTACKS!!

The special effects were not special, believe me. The only interesting thing was the female agent. I couldn't tell if she was a black woman or a white woman. She has the most amazing face. I looked it up and her mom is black and her father is Italian. What a beautiful combination. I did not understand the ending. If someone does, please let me know.

This reminded me of the Sabretooth and the Sasquatch, (those were better). Anything with David Keith and Lance Henricksen, well, I'll watch them any day. Also, Michael Ironside. Why don't they just make another Watchers Sequel? the Sci fi channel could use one of those.