The first time I saw Komodo was eight years ago, not long after it came out. I also saw Bats, Octopus, Crocodile, Python and about twenty others in the same three or four month period. I thought this was the worst. Having seen it again eight years later, my opinions have not greatly changed, but I think I know what the problem is. Quite frankly, Komodo is dull. All attempts to create an original story backfire, because of bad acting, no direction, and a lack of intelligent dialog. Komodo forgets that it is a mere monster flick, it shouldn't attempt to be anything more intelligent or dramatic when it is incapable. One never expects these films to be smart, but they should be entertaining at least. The komodos in this film may be lively and mobile but watching the film itself, is not much more captivating than watching real komodos in a zoo, where they do nothing but sleep and occasionally blink. But I've digressed; my point is, skip it.
Set on the fictional Emerald Island, one night a moronic truck driver transporting a shipment of various animals dumps a piece of his cargo because it stinks; a crate of komodo eggs. Twenty years later, young Patrick Connally and his parents go on holiday to the island where they have a nice little house away from civilization. On the night of their arrival his family is killed. Patrick is taken to a hospital on the mainland, suffering from PTS. A pretty young psychiatrist comes and takes him back to the island where she hopes to find out what made the poor kid crack. She is about to find out. After a near fatal encounter with the dragons, Patrick runs away. With the help of a local biologist acting as a lizard hunter for the government the psychiatrist goes to find him.
Michael Lantieri may be a one-time director, but he has an impressive career in visual effects, and won an Oscar with Stan Winston for Jurassic Park. The komodo effects here are surprisingly convincing, and the lizards are created with fair scientific accuracy. The komodo dragon (which now number only a few thousand) can grow to ten feet in length. They are among the smartest lizards, with keen eyesight and an even keener sense of smell. They have toxic saliva and they hunt in packs. I doubt however if they growl or snarl the way they do in the film.
On these technical grounds, Komodo is superior to its b-movie contemporaries (including those I've named), but as a thriller it's dull as a doorknob. Unless you are a skilled filmmaker, there is a price to pay for choosing to shy away from the fun stereotypes of the genre. Komodo loses all potential to be a worthy watch for the monster fans.
Set on the fictional Emerald Island, one night a moronic truck driver transporting a shipment of various animals dumps a piece of his cargo because it stinks; a crate of komodo eggs. Twenty years later, young Patrick Connally and his parents go on holiday to the island where they have a nice little house away from civilization. On the night of their arrival his family is killed. Patrick is taken to a hospital on the mainland, suffering from PTS. A pretty young psychiatrist comes and takes him back to the island where she hopes to find out what made the poor kid crack. She is about to find out. After a near fatal encounter with the dragons, Patrick runs away. With the help of a local biologist acting as a lizard hunter for the government the psychiatrist goes to find him.
Michael Lantieri may be a one-time director, but he has an impressive career in visual effects, and won an Oscar with Stan Winston for Jurassic Park. The komodo effects here are surprisingly convincing, and the lizards are created with fair scientific accuracy. The komodo dragon (which now number only a few thousand) can grow to ten feet in length. They are among the smartest lizards, with keen eyesight and an even keener sense of smell. They have toxic saliva and they hunt in packs. I doubt however if they growl or snarl the way they do in the film.
On these technical grounds, Komodo is superior to its b-movie contemporaries (including those I've named), but as a thriller it's dull as a doorknob. Unless you are a skilled filmmaker, there is a price to pay for choosing to shy away from the fun stereotypes of the genre. Komodo loses all potential to be a worthy watch for the monster fans.