THE PLOT: In the Great Northwest the Walsh family’s patriarch seems to be going crazy with his blathering on mythical prophecies about some colossal beast awakening and creating havoc. Meanwhile there are ominous geological signs that something earth-shattering may be occurring. The local authorities finally take heed and give the word to evacuate. The problem is the beautiful Walsh daughter is camping with her fiancé on the mountain, which is the focal point of the catastrophe. Her older brother and a scientist girlfriend go to the mountain to save her. There’s also a government agent investigating things. All hell breaks loose literally.
“Behemoth” combines the plot of “Dante’s Peak” with countless monster-in-the-woods flicks, so this may not be the most original film out there but it’s well done for what it is. Where it scores high marks for originality is the cause of the disaster, the behemoth itself. Most monster-in-the-woods flicks feature creatures about the size of Bigfoot, e.g. the many “Sasquatch” flicks, “Goblin”, “Man-Thing”, “It Waits”, “Carny”, “Prophecy” (’79), “Gargoyles”, etc. Not so here. The creature in “Behemoth” is indeed a behemoth, so huge that it literally sleeps/lives inside a mountain!
Some have complained about the appearance of the monster as goofy and badly done. I don’t get this. I think it’s pretty cool looking — a multitude of tentacles, malevolent head, gaping maw. What do you expect for low-budget CGI? I think it’s better than any creature in the ridiculously expensive cartoon “Avatar” (no offense to “Avatar” fans, my wife loved it, it’s just not my cup of tea).
“Behemoth” was shot in Squamish, BC. Although this is a dreary area (cloudy with lots of rain) it’s exceptionally scenic!
The likable cast is a plus, particularly the Walsh family, but the ages are off. Ed Quinn as the main protagonist, Tom, is old enough to be Cindy Busby’s father. Cindy plays Grace and is said to be 20 whereas Quinn is 42. The Walsh father is played by William Davis who’s past 70. He should’ve played the grandfather and Quinn the father. Oh well, no big deal.
Like I said the cast is very likable and I like their closeness and love for each other. It’s nice to have a group of people you can root for.
Another plus is the babe factor. Cindy is gorgeous to say the least. If you don’t know who she is imagine Lindsay Lohan if she were prettier, healthier and had better curves (instead of resembling a stick). The scientist, Emily, played by Pascale Hutton is also good. And then there’s the girl-next-door, Zoe, played by Jessica Parker Kennedy, an obvious acquired taste.
Some have complained that the ladies scream in terror too much rather than doing something useful, but one of the main protagonists is the geologist Emily, who pretty much keeps her head at all times, so that blows that contention. Yes, Grace & Zoe scream a lot but a freakin’ mountain is coming alive and destroying everything & everyone around them, including their loved ones. I think it’s a fitting occasion to scream, don’t ya think? Besides, screaming babes is a horror tradition.
Some complain about the slow build-up but this is par for the course for disaster/monster flicks, e.g. “Dante’s Peak”, “Alien”, “Prophecy”, “Jaws”, “Man-Thing,” etc. Giving away the creature or crisis too early spoils the mounting crisis. Besides, the film only runs 90 minutes and so the build-up merely involves the first hour. Plus the creature is fully shown in the last act.
BOTTOM LINE: Don’t listen to the grumps, “Behemoth” is a worthy low-budget TV creature feature. It has all the staples you’d want for a disaster/monster-in-the-woods flick, including a likable cast, gorgeous women, spectacular locations and an original monster.
