Day 2: The Rig
This time we take a look at one of the Direct to DVD films I watched when I first started "DC Review"ing. At the time, I chose to review other films and eventually realized it had been a long time since I recorded my thoughts on it. So for this month, I picked it up and re-examined it.
The plot is a typical horror set-up, just in a different location. Instead of being stranded in a cabin the characters in this movie are on an oil rig in the middle of a heavy storm. Even going out on the deck is (supposed to be) a dangerous move. Suddenly, they realize they're not alone and there is a sharp clawed creature drilling for blood.
There are still plenty of cliches to be found however, this movie gave me hope early on. It seemed to be building to more than just a group of people being slowly chipped away to one or two. Among the characters, was an interesting tension built around the main female, her boyfriend, and her father. Being on an oil rig, the father is the man in charge, his daughter there against his wishes, and the boyfriend a lower-level worker.
Early on, the conflict between a father wanting more from his daughter and a significant other wanting to not be questioned. She tries to hide her man from her dad, while the dad tries to make the boyfriend a better man. There's an interesting dynamic to it. Of course, it means nothing because the moment the monster appears, all issues are made moot immediately.
However, there is another male character we're supposed to care about because he's a strong, hard-worker and he has an argument with his bright, but meek younger brother. The brother is escorted off the rig when the storm starts and the film keeps cutting to him looking forlorn because he had a fight and wouldn't it be horrible if big bro died before they could reconcile?
Yeah, that goes nowhere, too, except for a brief stop at "Unlikely" Town at the of the film.
And this would be my major view on the film. It had potential to be a very engrossing and entertaining film, but seemingly abandons the interesting themes to fall into the SyFy friendly "Ten Little Indians" plot.
GRADE:D
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What I hint at regarding the father/daughter/boyfriend thing is how quickly it doesn't matter once the monster arrives. I started wondering if there may be an issue, such as:
The monster attacking out on the deck, the father slips and slides off the rig, managing to cling to a rail while dangling. The boyfriend is pinned down trying not to get mauled. The girl has a blunt weapon. She has to choose between saving her father or the boyfriend. I would've found that interesting.
What did I get? The father is alone in his office and is killed immediately before the rest of the "Little Indians" know what is going on. Yawn. Also, a great way to write out the man whose name is on top of the poster. Great.
However, beyond backseat screenwriting, there were things in the film that were just plain dull. An "Ex-Acronym" man who stalks around the boat with a makeshift weapon, looking to take out the monster is silly. It only provides the info that there is more than one creature since he goes to kill one and gets blindsided by another. You'd think that would be a shock but it's more of a "Oh, okay," moment with how it's presented.
The ending is ridiculously done, too. The girl survives and the boyfriend shows just how much he learned from her father by dying in an explosion. Awesome job. Then, a helicopter appears and the before-mentioned younger brother arrives. Young brother and Other Guy search and find Older Brother who was drug offscreen, yet not killed by the creature that ALWAYS EVISCERATED its prey IMMEDIATELY.
Anyway, after that, the last of the monsters arrives and Other Guy kills it because, suprise, he was Ex-Acronym's brother. Whole lot of family going on in this film.
Day 2 complete. Thanks for reading. And hopefully Day 3 will actually be up tomorrow (unless I get lazy).
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