RG
Roberto Giacomelli
•On a tropical island, the biologist Nathan Phipps, his daughter Rebecca, and a team of government scientists are conducting genetic engineering experiments for military applications; the test subjects the scientists are working on are the ferocious Komodo dragons, also known as monitor lizards, that live on the island. When a group of criminals, fleeing after a bank robbery, arrive by helicopter on the island, the situation deteriorates, and the ferocious mutant monitor lizard begins to wreak havoc among humans. Launching into a review of a film like "The Curse of Komodo" is exactly like shooting the proverbial red cross. What could one ever expect from a film titled "The Curse of Komodo", with a plot based on giant monitor lizards and government experiments and a funny poster in which a sauropod emerges from the undergrowth? Exactly what "The Curse of Komodo" offers: a lot of stupidity, sloppiness galore, terrifying special effects, and actors recycled from soap operas and soft-core. Therefore, "The Curse of Komodo" should be praised for the honesty of its intentions and faithfulness to its promises; a trash film from the outset that actually offers only idiocy. But seriously, even being cult followers of Z-grade cinema and lovers of trash, how could one ever praise a film like this? One would really have to be dishonest with oneself. Jim Wynorski, who bids farewell from the director's position, has an incredible resume, absolutely dedicated to the d.o.c. hoax; browsing through his very long filmography (for some time now, he consistently directs four films a year) means having four laughs right away: "Project Viper - The Mutant", "Sea Ghost", "Gargoyles", "Komodo vs. Cobra", the most squalid and trash home video products that have appeared in recent years bear his signature (always excluding David DeCoteau, whose primacy is unmovable), not to mention the numerous softcore spoofs with hilarious titles that he has collected and is collecting: the saga of "The Bare Wench Project", "Busty Cops", "The Witches of Breastwick", "The Breastford Wives", "House of Hooter Hill" and so on. But let's not forget that Wynorski began his first steps in the world of cinema thanks to horror, consistently directing films that today we remember for the sympathetic trashy tone or we would prefer to forget: "Supermarket Horror", "The Return of the Swamp Monster", "976 - Call for the Devil 2: The Astral Factor", "Ghoulies IV" and "Vampirella". But let's return to "The Curse of Komodo". The film in question fits into that mini-genre dedicated to animals enlarged by human intervention that would like to cite the beloved monster movies of the 50s and 60s, in this case the source seems to be "Godzilla" & co., but removing the vintage charm and professionalism that resided behind many of those productions. Then, curiously, this film poses as a threat an unusual animal, the Komodo monitor, the largest existing reptile and a truly aggressive animal, strangely never used by the most prominent film productions. This sauropod has indeed been the protagonist of only a couple of home video films distributed in recent years ("Komodo" in 1999 and the infamous "Komodo vs. Cobra" always by Wynorski) as well as a little-known film by Ishiro Honda from 1958, "Varan the Unbelievable", a direct descendant of "Godzilla". The plot of "The Curse of Komodo" is genuinely absurd and full of improbabilities, so rich in megalomaniacal finds from high-budget productions that it becomes ridiculous in every turn. The special effects, which are heavily relied upon, are really bad, at least ten years old at the time of its production, which propose a fake monitor lizard and visibly "impeded" in its movements by a primitive computer graphic. Some of the most embarrassingly hilarious scenes see the monster immobile in front of the protagonists who riddle it with bullets, never getting even a scratch. In some points, "Jurassic Park" is cited shamelessly, to the point that there is even the famous jeep chase with the monster in close pursuit. The acting department is exceptional as it is mediocre. From the inexpressive Paul Logan ("Way of the Vampire"; "Komodo vs. Cobra") who seems to really believe it, to the beauty of the moment Melissa Brasselle ("Cheerleader Massacre") who performs some fantastic tough expressions, passing through the busty Glori-Ann Gilbert who guarantees a free nude for applause. In short, "The Curse of Komodo" is really one of those lowbrows on which it is impossible to find anything good, productions that are hard to understand how they found a real realization. Surely suitable for a trashy night among friends since, at least, this film does not bore and tears some goliardic and unintended laughs.
