"Blood Monkey" is admittedly not everyone's cup of tea. But it sure is mine.
The acting is believable, the pacing is solid, the suspense is steady, and the film manages to keep a sense of wonder about it throughout its screen time.
The characters might seem like stereotypical stock, but their stories develop some depth to them: -Sydney, the "hot blond," who develops a soft spot for Josh, "the nerd"; -Greg, the "jock," who befriends (and later enters a relationship with) Dani, the camera girl; -Amy & Seth who, despite their comparatively reserved natures, form a couple before either of the aforementioned pairs; And let's not forget Dr. Hamilton, the focused professor who, in spite of his own monomaniacal motives, has a moment of mourning and emotional complexity when Chenne, his loyal assistant, dies. Some argue that Hamilton is a stand-in for Ahab, but I honestly disagree. Because whereas Ahab was bent on revenge, the professor is driven by the romanticism of adventure and discovery, as well as his own anthropological interest in the apes.
The actors performed their own stunts, which led to some surprisingly organic moments. And, similar to how people only ever catch passing glimpses of Bigfoot, we only see just enough of the titular apes to keep us wondering. Small details, too, helped flesh this movie out in ways we don't always notice on the first watch.
Since its release, "Blood Monkey" has been one of those movies that people either enjoy, or hate, with very little grey area. Watch it yourself if you care to; I certainly recommend it.
The acting is believable, the pacing is solid, the suspense is steady, and the film manages to keep a sense of wonder about it throughout its screen time.
The characters might seem like stereotypical stock, but their stories develop some depth to them: -Sydney, the "hot blond," who develops a soft spot for Josh, "the nerd"; -Greg, the "jock," who befriends (and later enters a relationship with) Dani, the camera girl; -Amy & Seth who, despite their comparatively reserved natures, form a couple before either of the aforementioned pairs; And let's not forget Dr. Hamilton, the focused professor who, in spite of his own monomaniacal motives, has a moment of mourning and emotional complexity when Chenne, his loyal assistant, dies. Some argue that Hamilton is a stand-in for Ahab, but I honestly disagree. Because whereas Ahab was bent on revenge, the professor is driven by the romanticism of adventure and discovery, as well as his own anthropological interest in the apes.
The actors performed their own stunts, which led to some surprisingly organic moments. And, similar to how people only ever catch passing glimpses of Bigfoot, we only see just enough of the titular apes to keep us wondering. Small details, too, helped flesh this movie out in ways we don't always notice on the first watch.
Since its release, "Blood Monkey" has been one of those movies that people either enjoy, or hate, with very little grey area. Watch it yourself if you care to; I certainly recommend it.
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