Behemoth

release year: 2011
genre: sci-fi/drama
viewing setting: home DVD 2/28/13

synopsis: A northern mountain and the town below it are victimized by mysterious ever-increasing-in-intensity earth tremors that ultimately prove to be the doing ofa giant monster.

impressions: It was pretty good for a SyFy original movie. Some of the acting was strong, there was a lot of good, breathtaking outdoor scenery, the plot was generally easy to follow, and the stupidity was kept to a minimum. Just a few gripes: 1) when a cliff face is falling apart in front of you, it's always a good idea to run. 2) when you're fleeing a monster, screaming and loud talking never helps. 3) when running through the wilderness, it's best to not venture near the cliff's edge. Also, the monster's size was inconsistent at times (the final full reveal has it sprawled over the top of a very large mountain.) And a thing that big wouldn't target individual humans, becuse to it they would be no more than fleas. And the Zoe character, while cute, was unable to pull herself up through a ceiling hatch? Huh? Final note: this movie would've worked fine as an isoated incident - there was really no need to hint at worldwide scope.

activation point: 42:00 - this is when we realize that whatever the monster is, it's absolutely huge

body count: 5 humans, 3 squirrels (not all were directly killed by the monster)

acting: Ed Quinn is the main protagonist, a man of action who never loses his cool. Pascale Hutton is his ex, who's also competent. Cindy Busby is his younger sister, who has moments of stupidity and weakness. William Davis (better known as the smoking man from The X-Files) is their father, who appears to be crazy. Jessica Parker Kennedy is the aforementioned Zoe, who lacks the strength to accomplish a simple physical feat that I, fifteen years her senior, could do without thinking.

final word: Entertaining monster flick with a fairly low body count.

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