release year: 1999
genre: horror
viewing setting: home DVD, 9/13/00
what I expected: wasn't sure
what I got: a decent monster movie with some rough edges
synopsis: for some reason, big lizards are running around on a remote island; since the oil company there has killed off the environment, the dragons have nothing to eat. Cue arrival of tourists.
impressions: This one got all of the basic elements right, but it had some problems. First: how come the lizards had a tendency to bite people in the neck, fatally wounding them but leaving them just enough time to talk to other people, then hid in the shadows waiting to attack? Second, how could there be a dozen or more of these dragons (as shown at times) yet only one or two ever attacked anybody at a time? After watching the trailer included on the DVD, I realized that a lot of this movie must have ended up on the cutting room floor, which might explain some of the plot holes. Anyhow, the dragons did look realistic, and their attacks were often creepy.
acting: The leads did good jobs. There really weren't a lot of people in this movie.
final word: Basic monster fare, worth seeing once.
rating: C-