RAZORBACK

Journalist Beth Winters, sent to a desert area of Australia to do a report on the unjust killings of kangaroos, mysteriously disappears without a trace. After learning of his wife's disappearance, Carl decides to go to the same area where his wife was supposed to go for the report. There he will learn that Beth was devoured by a Razorback, a giant boar as big as a rhinoceros that has been spreading terror in those desert and dusty areas of Australia. Sharks, crocodiles, snakes, and giant spiders… these are the animals that generally played the main role as a threat to humans. And yet, in 1984, it was decided to change, to create a new animal to fear, a big, in fact, a giant boar. The idea, which initially may seem a bit risky (hard to imagine a boar that devours people), turns out to be not only original but decisively spot on. The film, directed by Russell Mulcahy ("Highlander", "Talos – The Shadow of the Pharaoh"), relies on a base idea that is decidedly likable and engaging, but unfortunately, it was not managed to carry it out in the best way. The movie relies on a poorly professional screenplay that does not manage to create any suspense scenes and turns out to be tiring and uninvolving, especially in the central part; many scenes clash with the story, seeming a bit intrusive and artificial; then, some characters, who from the beginning seem to have a fundamental role in the development of the facts, are quickly and superficially taken off the scene. The cast is certainly not the strong point of the film. In fact, all the actors, little known, seem unprofessional and do not always manage to perfectly embody the roles assigned to them, especially the protagonist played by Gregory Harrison. But all in all, one can also overlook and pay more attention to the positive aspects that the film can offer us. First of all, notable (as previously mentioned) the choice of the "monster" of the turn: a huge boar. An animal as dirty as it is fierce, which, thanks to an optimal realization due to a more than convincing puppet, appears huge and fierce despite being often shown in poor lighting conditions, thus managing to instill quite some fear in the spectator. Another strong point of the film is the effective photography that is quite well cared for in every frame; but even more admirable is the scenery, entirely composed of the dusty landscapes of Australia, which turn out to be very fascinating and worthy of admiration. Too bad that the film does not benefit from particularly bloody or violent scenes that would have improved the overall result satisfying even more the lovers of the genre. In conclusion, "Razorback – Beyond the Scream of the Demon" is a curious beast movie that relies on an excellent antagonist, well thought out and well realized, but that unfortunately did not manage to make the most of the material available. Recommended especially to lovers of beast movies.