Enxame Negro

The widow Deputy Sheriff Jane Kozik (Sarah Allen) moves from Manhattan to Black Stone, New York, with her daughter Kelsey Kozik (Rebecca Windheim) expecting to find a safe place to live. On the next day, a homeless is found dead with stings in the tool shed of Jane's blind friend Beverly Rowe (Sheena Larkin) and the exterminator Devin Hall (Sebastien Roberts) and the entomologist Katherine Randell (Jayne Heitmeyer) are summoned to help in the investigation. Devin is Jane's brother-in-law and former boyfriend, and Jane still has a crush on him. Meanwhile, Kelsey befriends the scientist Eli Giles (Robert Englund), who has developed genetically modified wasps to the army as a weapon, and now he is trying to revert the process. When the wasps attack Black Stone, Jane, Devin and Eli team-up to attempt to destroy the swarm.

"Black Swarm" is a lame and corny mess, with a flawed story that is so absurd and ridiculous that I am ashamed to have spent my leisure time watching this crap. There are so many imbecile situations that do not worth spending time to write about it. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Black Swarm" ("Enxame Negro")

Since satellite and cable have brought so many choices of what we can tune into on the box, it is only to be expected that the calibre of the content may drop from time to time. That being said it has provided an excellent opportunity for low budget movies and TVs show to help hone the skills of prospective Speilbergs and Scorseses. With this in mind I will often tune in, with gleeful optimism to what, on the face of it may sound like a bad idea at the time it was conceived, to she a glimmer of something to look forward to in the future at least. This however had absolutely no redeeming features. It was so bad that I barely made it through 20 mins, so forgive me if this is not a complete review.

The effects were adequate, but not really anything that a 14 year old could muster with a home PC and the smallest modicum of imagination couldn't put together on a rainy afternoon, if he was bored enough. As for the acting. Well lets just say I shouldn't think any of the cast were awaiting the postman when the academy made their shortlist. But they cant really take the blame for the dialogue and the plot. Overall this was awful. If you are planning to watch this, please find a newly painted room to watch instead, magnolia would be best. I promise a better time than however long this embarrassment lasts.

If still don't know how it all turned out so, if you know, my deepest sympathy.

You have been warned.

There are really only two reasons to watch this film: Robert Englund and Rebecca Windheim.

Director David Winning did a good job of keeping the action going, but the question remains: Do we need another film about a swarm of insects taking over? We have already had killer bees, what do we get different with killer wasps? The fact that the government is developing strange weapons that get out of control has also been done. Do we really need another? That aside, it is was good to see Robert Englund in another role; this time as the scientist that developed the killer wasps, and who is trying to fix his mistake. It may be the best work he has done.

Also enjoyable was young actress Rebecca Windheim in her first movie. Looking for good things from her.

It was interesting to see a different twist on zombies. This time as host for the killer wasps. Kind of scary.

A new breed of wasps, unidentifiable and unexplainable by petty exterminator and cop woman, are now going to kick some major booty! People are being stung and the ice-cream man doesn't seem to come to work sober anymore... something is going terribly wrong in Black Stone... a town... haunted with myths... a very very usual, safe town...

This is probably higher than moderate TV entertainment. Some people seem to forget this is a TV-movie, just Robert Englund alone is good enough reason to check it out, if not, and you are interested in swarms, check this one out while working or whatever, it's OK.

Black Swarm (2007)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Robert Englund plays a scientist who is hired by the government to create some wasps who they are going to use to kill terrorists. The only problem is that they have no way of controlling the wasps plus whoever they kill then turn into zombies. A new deputy in this small town doesn't think this is such a good idea so she plans to destroy the wasps no matter what it takes. This Canadian production is yet another entry in the unstoppable "nature runs amuck" series and I'm starting to realize that it's best to stay away from bees and wasps. THE DEADLY BEES is a deadly bore and everyone familiar with the genre remembers the disaster known as THE SWARM that was released with a big-budget and major stars. I think the closest this genre ever came to a good bee movie was THE BEES with John Carradine simply because it was so incredibly silly that you couldn't help but laugh and have a good time. BLACK SWARM really doesn't offer too many good things, although I'll admit that I thought the story was rather interesting but sadly nothing good is done with it. The thought of wasps stinging people and turning them into zombies could have been a good, fun movie but the filmmakers decided to take this silly plot and try to do something serious with it. The characters are all taking this thing way too serious and I think the filmmakers are too. There's nothing believable about the story and the reasons they come up with are just as silly. I think it really hurts a film like this when those making it don't realize they're dealing with camp. The CGI wasps don't look too bad but don't expect anyone to think they're the real thing. The attack scenes are all rather poor with some bad make up effects and some really silly sound effects. There are a few good things in the film and one is Englund who actually turns in a pretty good performance. I thought he was believable in the role and thought he had some terrific chemistry with the young actress Rebecca Windheim. The two are very good together and one wishes they had more scenes together. There's a required joke of some of the action taking place on Elm Street but outside of this there's very little going on here. It's a real shame too because there are enough interesting ideas here that should have at least given more entertainment to the viewers.