Snakehead Terror |
  • Canada / USA • 2004 • 92m •   • Directed by: Paul Ziller. • Starring: Alistair Abell, Doug Abrahams, Carol Alt, Bruce Boxleitner, Juliana Wimbles, Brenda Campbell, Gardiner Millar, William B. Davis, Bro Gilbert, P. Lynn Johnson, Gary Jones, Chad Krowchuk, Matthew MacCaull. • Music by: Ken Williams.      A small town, desperate to recover from hard economic times, is under threat when voracious Snakehead fish mutate and survive previous lake chemical poisonings. The fish transform from pests to predators when human growth hormones are dumped into the local lake in the hopes of reviving the local fishing industry. Thriving on the hormones, the Snakehead fish grow to monstrous proportions, devouring everything within reach. Capable of moving and eating on land, they are forced to leave the now barren lake in a desperate search for food - animal, vegetable or human.
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Review:
Co-produced & directed by Paul Ziller I thought Snakehead Terror was average at best. Personally I have never heard of the Snakehead fish before & wasn't sure if they had been made up but apparently they do exist, are very ugly & do indeed eat just about anything that moves. The script by A.G. Lawrence has all the expected clichés & it doesn't have an original idea in it's entire 90 odd minute duration. The Sheriff who becomes the hero, the female scientist, the official who doesn't want any bad publicity, the teenagers in peril & the disposable character's they're all here somewhere & they are as dumb as ever & make terrible decisions which will have you groaning at the screen. The film is perhaps best described as a cross between Jaws (1975) & Lake Placid (1999) as it has very similar plots, ideas & overall feel. The film moves along at a fair pace although it can become a little repetitive & drags a bit in places. That ending is also very stupid & it just wouldn't happen would it?
Director Ziller does what he can on a TV film budget but it has little in the way of atmosphere, tension & has no real scares either. It was shot in British Columbia, Canada & the scenery is quite nice. There are a few gory shots, a few mutilated bodies, Snakehead fish feasting on a dead body & a decapitated head although I thought the body count was a tad low.
Technically the film is OK but nothing outstanding, it's competent but forgettable. The CGI on the killer Snakehead's vary from good to bad, overall the special effects are decent enough. The acting was alright but no ones going to win any awards for it.
Snakehead Terror is an OK creature feature, it has all the expected clichés, it follows all the rules & sticks to a pretty rigid formula. Having said that it provides reasonable entertainment & passes an hour and a half without too much trouble. Worth a watch if you can catch it on TV for free but not really worth spending good money on.
Review by Paul Andrews from the Internet Movie Database.
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