A movie I've heard about for years was "The Relic" directed by Peter Hyams. Made in 1997, it's based on a horror novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I knew very little about it, so one day when I happen across it I decided to see what the fuss was about. Sure wish I can take that speck of life back.
Plot: Set in the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, a police detective investigates a series of strange, gruesome murders before a series of new exhibits are open to the public. The deaths happen to coincide with the arrival of a strange artifact. As the night sets and the museum opens, it soon becomes clear that the killer isn't human and it's hungry.
I didn't have high expectations for this going in and for what it is the basic story is interesting. That said, the execution leaves much to be desired. The detective and main biologist are okay I guess, but I couldn't get into the rest of the cast. In fact, a lot of them are straight-up @$$holes, almost reveling in their smugness. The film is also very dark much of the time, though not as bad as "Alien vs Predator: Requiem" as there's a decent lighting from time to time. The biggest problem comes down to pacing. This is a film that could pretty easily be 90 minutes at minimum and yet it drags at 110. A lot of fat needed trimming to cut to the chase. The highlight is, of course, the monster Kothoga which you finally see a little past the halfway point. Designed by the great Stan Winston (Aliens, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park) and portrayed via puppetry and CGI, it's a unique-looking beast with reptilian and feline traits with a dash of insect. It has the right mix of power, speed, and intimidation and delivers buckets of blood+gore. My issue is how Kothoga appears from one end of the museum to another so quickly with little explanation, like it shows up when it's convenient to the plot.
Outside the creature, "The Relic" is a pretty dull film. With some tweaking and better directing, it could've been better as I do like the general setup. As is, I suggest you skip this one if you happen to run into it.
Plot: Set in the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, a police detective investigates a series of strange, gruesome murders before a series of new exhibits are open to the public. The deaths happen to coincide with the arrival of a strange artifact. As the night sets and the museum opens, it soon becomes clear that the killer isn't human and it's hungry.
I didn't have high expectations for this going in and for what it is the basic story is interesting. That said, the execution leaves much to be desired. The detective and main biologist are okay I guess, but I couldn't get into the rest of the cast. In fact, a lot of them are straight-up @$$holes, almost reveling in their smugness. The film is also very dark much of the time, though not as bad as "Alien vs Predator: Requiem" as there's a decent lighting from time to time. The biggest problem comes down to pacing. This is a film that could pretty easily be 90 minutes at minimum and yet it drags at 110. A lot of fat needed trimming to cut to the chase. The highlight is, of course, the monster Kothoga which you finally see a little past the halfway point. Designed by the great Stan Winston (Aliens, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park) and portrayed via puppetry and CGI, it's a unique-looking beast with reptilian and feline traits with a dash of insect. It has the right mix of power, speed, and intimidation and delivers buckets of blood+gore. My issue is how Kothoga appears from one end of the museum to another so quickly with little explanation, like it shows up when it's convenient to the plot.
Outside the creature, "The Relic" is a pretty dull film. With some tweaking and better directing, it could've been better as I do like the general setup. As is, I suggest you skip this one if you happen to run into it.