Lavalântula - Aranhas de Fogo

I have no idea what other reviewers are complaining about, have they not seen a SyFy movie before? Did they expect a new 'INDEPENDENCE DAY' or what? This is a TV movie okay, you can't expect 100 million dollar special effects in a TV movie by SyFy.

So yes the effects are not that great BUT that's a big part of the charm with these kind of movies, and it's most definitely one of SyFy's better efforts, cheesy good fun.

For Police Academy fans it's a extra special treat because the lead is none other than Steve 'Mahoney' Guttenberg and not only that there are smaller roles by 3 other Police Academy actors: Marion 'Hooks' Ramsey, Leslie 'Callahan' Easterbrook and Michael 'Larvell Jones' Winslow.

And there are also multiple Police Academy references which observant fans will get and of course Michael Winslow gets to make a lot of funny noises which is his trade.

And co-starring with Steve as his wife is Nia Peeples who was 53 when the movie was filmed but looks more stunning than most actresses half her age.

So yeah, if you like these sorts of 'so bad it's good' movies plus the Police Academy films then I don't see how you could not enjoy this movie if just a little.

The rating I gave it might seem a little high, and perhaps it is BUT really come on people when it comes to SyFy TV movies this is about as good as it gets.

The first thing that comes into mind when you see a creature feature with big lava spiders and Steve Guttenberg is of course B-movie. And right you are, but it should be said that the 2015 "Lavalantula" is actually one of the better creature features out there and one of the more enjoyable of spider movies in a long time.

Sure, the concept is far fetched. But hey, an earthquake hits Los Angeles, unleashing erupting fissures and starts volcanic activity, and midst the chaos lava-spewing giant spiders scurry from the depths of the earth to wreak havoc on Los Angeles. Sure, it doesn't get any more generic and B-movie concept than this. But wait, "Lavalantula" is very, very enjoyable and is a fun watch.

I have seen many a creature features, most of which have questionable or laughable special effects. However, it should be said that the effects in "Lavalantula" were actually surprisingly good. The spiders looked quite cool and realistic, well as realistic as giant lava-breathing spiders can be. And that is one of the major things that really made the movie watchable and enjoyable.

Steve Guttenberg actually surprised me with his performance in this movie, as this is the first time I have seen him in a role that wasn't solely based on comedy elements. And for longtime movie lovers, then it was of course a treat to have "Police Academy" stars Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook and Marion Ramsey join in alongside with Steve Guttenberg. But there was another "Police Academy" reference in the movie, and it was when Pirate Jack (played by Ralph Garman) said "Oh, they took out the Blue Oyster. I loved that place."

I nearly tipped over when Ian Ziering made a short cameo in "Lavalantula" as Fin Shepard from the "Sharknado" movies, and he dropped a very lovely single line here. That was just candy for us lovers of the B-movie creature features.

The dialogue is as to be expected from a movie such as this. A lot of outrageous one-liners and dialogue to be heard and witnessed here, alongside with some equally colorful characters. But hey, we all love that in these kind of movies, right?

If you are looking for a serious movie, then "Lavalantula" is not the best of choices, because it is a creature feature after all. But if you enjoy a good laugh and a good action-packed ride in a city ravaged by lava-spewing giant spiders, then "Lavalantula" is definitely worth watching.

"Lavalantula" was a nice surprise of an entertaining movie, and it more than delivered beyond my expectations to it. It is a movie that you can watch more than once.

I am rating this 2015 movie a solid six out of ten stars rating, no doubt about it.

It doesn't matter if you could have made better special effects in your basement, this movie is actually pretty good. There's lot's of action and plenty of silliness. I loved that the road was so hot it melted car tires but not shoes. See it.

Lavalantula (2015)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

90's action star Colton West (Steve Guttenburg) is having a pretty bad day. It starts off with a bar fight bringing him bad publicity and then it goes to him walking off a movie set, which was a cheap part in a cheap movie. After getting stuck in traffic and being late to pick up his son, his real trouble stars when an earthquake unleashes giant spiders who spit lava. Now the action star must try to rescue his family before it's too late.

LAVALANTULA works on a number of levels. For starters, it's a pretty fun monster that manages to stick out among the countless monsters that appear in SyFy movies. I thought the CGI effects, while very cheap and obvious, were actually pretty good and made for a fun villain. Their burnt design was a major plus and the fact that they could spit at lava was another fun aspect. I will say that these monsters needed to be in even more of the film but I'm sure the eventual sequel will work on that.

The second thing this succeeds at is reuniting four members of the POLICE ACADEMY series. If you weren't a fan of that series then you're obviously not going to care but as someone who grew up watching these movies it was pretty cool getting to see members reunited. In fact, I'd say it was excellent to see Guttenberg leading up a movie again and he manages to be quite fun here as he's sense of humor really works well with the material. Marion Ramsey, Michael Winslow and Leslie Easterbrook also appear as does another cameo from a SyFy series that I won't ruin. Nia Peeples was also fun as the wife. Patrick Reena (THE SANDLOT) is also on hand and adds some fun.

LAVALANTULA features a number of fun but gory deaths and overall it's a nice entertainment. For a monster feature it works and if you're a fan of POLICE ACADEMY then you're going to get an added bonus.

Yes, just as the title indicates, one shouldn't expect too much from this film. The script isn't great and the visual effects aren't mind-blowing, but then again, this is a TV movie. The only reason I decided to watch this, is because it is a 'Sharknado' spinoff (badly made films I enjoy very much!).

The film features surprisingly good acting. It is also very well shot, and the visuals aren't the best, but not entirely cringe worthy either. You know what you're in for from the very beginning, so just sit back and enjoy the ride. This disaster creature feature delivers lots of action and even a few rather suspenseful scenes with youngsters being pursued by giant spiders.

I loved the cameo by Ian Ziering, saying he has "shark problems". This just proves 'Sharknado' has become a cult classic. Steve Guttenberg - star of the 90's playing a has-been star of the 90's - leads the film, becoming the film's hero. If you don't take it too seriously, you will be entertained.

Would I watch it again? Maybe.