I really liked this film, as much for what went unsaid as for what was. The film gives us some odd ideas concerning characterizations.
For example, Detective Vincent D'Agosta (Tom Sizemore) is a VERY superstitious policeman. He obviously believes that old-fashioned good luck plays a major role in life- witness his response to the idea of stepping over a corpse ("Don't step over it! It's bad luck!") and the importance to which he attributes the position of a dropped penny (Face-up or Face-down.) And indeed, luck DOES play a major role for him: he enters the security control room just AFTER the two guards on duty have been killed and the monster has departed; when he runs after Brantley in the tunnels he finds the creature's lair and the decapitated body of Brantley just AFTER the Kathoga has headed upstairs for a snack.
I also like the characterization of the Kathoga. Unlike the Alien in ALIEN, the Kathoga doesn't seem interested in killing anything for the hell of it. It kills the humans for the hormones it needs to live, and it kills the first of two dogs (we don't see it, but obviously the dog attacked it, hence its response was quite normal.) When the other dog whimpers and cowers against a wall, the Kathoga stops momentarily to look at it, but since the dog doesn't possess the necessary hormones and isn't attacking, the creature moves on.
On to special effects. I liked them, too. The attack sequence in which the beast makes a standing leap at the SWAT man on the rappelling line, soars in a perfect arc through the air and brings the guy down is a great visual piece. The monster itself was very well animated.
One more thing: in most older horror films where someone ships something, the item sent causes some sort of havoc once it reaches its destination; in this film the item shipped provides the key to what the creature is and how it became what it was.
I think this is worth the time of anyone who likes a good, old-fashioned monster movie.
For example, Detective Vincent D'Agosta (Tom Sizemore) is a VERY superstitious policeman. He obviously believes that old-fashioned good luck plays a major role in life- witness his response to the idea of stepping over a corpse ("Don't step over it! It's bad luck!") and the importance to which he attributes the position of a dropped penny (Face-up or Face-down.) And indeed, luck DOES play a major role for him: he enters the security control room just AFTER the two guards on duty have been killed and the monster has departed; when he runs after Brantley in the tunnels he finds the creature's lair and the decapitated body of Brantley just AFTER the Kathoga has headed upstairs for a snack.
I also like the characterization of the Kathoga. Unlike the Alien in ALIEN, the Kathoga doesn't seem interested in killing anything for the hell of it. It kills the humans for the hormones it needs to live, and it kills the first of two dogs (we don't see it, but obviously the dog attacked it, hence its response was quite normal.) When the other dog whimpers and cowers against a wall, the Kathoga stops momentarily to look at it, but since the dog doesn't possess the necessary hormones and isn't attacking, the creature moves on.
On to special effects. I liked them, too. The attack sequence in which the beast makes a standing leap at the SWAT man on the rappelling line, soars in a perfect arc through the air and brings the guy down is a great visual piece. The monster itself was very well animated.
One more thing: in most older horror films where someone ships something, the item sent causes some sort of havoc once it reaches its destination; in this film the item shipped provides the key to what the creature is and how it became what it was.
I think this is worth the time of anyone who likes a good, old-fashioned monster movie.