The Relic is an entertaining, well-written and at times genuinely suspenseful monster movie. It doesn't pretend to be anything other than B grade in tone, but it does have an interesting and surprising plot twist, which is revealed late in the movie.
The Relic features a very impressive monster, both in design and execution. The 'Kathoga' is a full-scale 'physical effect', much like the Alien Queen in "Aliens" or the T-Rex in "Jurassic Park", and was created by the late, great, Stan Winston and his creature studio (he created the others mentioned, also). It is among some of the most convincing monsters ever created using physical effects, including those in "Alien", "An American Werewolf in London" and "Predator".
The film is directed by Peter Hyams, who has made some great 'popcorn movies' over the past thirty years, including thrillers ("Capricorn One", "Narrow Margin", "The Presidio"), science-fiction ("Outland", "2010: The Year We Make Contact", Timecop"), and action ("Sudden Death", "End of Days"). He is also a cinematographer, screenwriter and producer, with his own distinct lighting style. It is rare to see a film made this way nowadays, with heavy use of smoke, anamorphic lenses, and subdued, almost film-noir lighting. Since so much is in shadow, many details are lost on DVD, because the format lacks sufficient resolution. The results would be far better in High Definition (on Blu-Ray disk, for example), or on the big screen, as intended by the director.
The writing is solid and well-paced. Dialogue is snappy and never reveals too much, too soon. The cast is perfect, with some memorable supporting players among them. The score, by composer John Debney, works very well, adding greatly to the atmosphere of the film. The setting, The Chicago Museum of Natural History, is a major character in the film, and is used to full effect.
Movies of this kind, which combine a well-developed plot with humor, big production values and a cast of adults (not just teens with adults for support) are rare nowadays, sadly. The Relic is an underrated film that deserves to be seen by fans of the 'monster movie', or 'creature-feature' genre.
The Relic features a very impressive monster, both in design and execution. The 'Kathoga' is a full-scale 'physical effect', much like the Alien Queen in "Aliens" or the T-Rex in "Jurassic Park", and was created by the late, great, Stan Winston and his creature studio (he created the others mentioned, also). It is among some of the most convincing monsters ever created using physical effects, including those in "Alien", "An American Werewolf in London" and "Predator".
The film is directed by Peter Hyams, who has made some great 'popcorn movies' over the past thirty years, including thrillers ("Capricorn One", "Narrow Margin", "The Presidio"), science-fiction ("Outland", "2010: The Year We Make Contact", Timecop"), and action ("Sudden Death", "End of Days"). He is also a cinematographer, screenwriter and producer, with his own distinct lighting style. It is rare to see a film made this way nowadays, with heavy use of smoke, anamorphic lenses, and subdued, almost film-noir lighting. Since so much is in shadow, many details are lost on DVD, because the format lacks sufficient resolution. The results would be far better in High Definition (on Blu-Ray disk, for example), or on the big screen, as intended by the director.
The writing is solid and well-paced. Dialogue is snappy and never reveals too much, too soon. The cast is perfect, with some memorable supporting players among them. The score, by composer John Debney, works very well, adding greatly to the atmosphere of the film. The setting, The Chicago Museum of Natural History, is a major character in the film, and is used to full effect.
Movies of this kind, which combine a well-developed plot with humor, big production values and a cast of adults (not just teens with adults for support) are rare nowadays, sadly. The Relic is an underrated film that deserves to be seen by fans of the 'monster movie', or 'creature-feature' genre.