CRITTERS ATTACK! Reviews and overview

‘This time everyone is on the menu’
Critters Attack! is a 2019 American comedy horror film directed by Bobby Miller (The Cleanse). It was produced by Adam Friedlander and Armand Leo (Tremors franchise). The movie stars Dee Wallace – who was in the original Critters – Tashiana Washington, Ava Preston, Jack Fulton, Jaeden Noel and Vash Singh.

Plot:
Twenty-year-old Drea (Tashiana Washington) reluctantly takes a job babysitting for a professor of a college she hopes to attend.

Struggling to entertain the professor’s children Trissy (Ava Preston) and Jake (Jack Fulton), along with her own little brother Phillip (Jaeden Noel), Drea takes them on a hike, unaware that mysterious alien critters have crash-landed and started devouring every living thing they encounter…

Our review:
Surprisingly unamusing for a supposed comedy-horror outing and definitely betraying its TV movie origins, Critters Attack! is a decidedly unwelcome and belated addition to what was a previously enjoyable franchise. It plays like a Disney channel kids movie via Stranger Things and there is a plodding half-hour in before we finally see a “cute” Crite, ala’ Gremlins. Some dodgy puppets turn up as we go along, however, the emphasis still remains largely on juvenile angst and not the alien beasties the audience expects to see.

Inexplicably, Critters Attack! was shown at the London FrightFest in August 2019. Cripes, why? Critters Attack! isn’t even decent Syfy channel material, let alone worthy of a film festival date. It’s obviously aimed firmly at kids. Kids at home.

The finale is poorly lit (a common problem with many recent movies) presumably to cover up the lacklustre special effects. Even the welcome presence of Dee Wallace can’t obviate the blandness. It’s hardly spoiler worthy to say that badly-played bagpipes save the day. Comedy bagpipes scenes are obviously hilarious, after all.
Ade Smith, MOVIES & MANIA

Release:
Critters Attack! was rated ‘R’ by the MPAA for “bloody creature violence.”

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released Critters Attack! on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital on July 23rd, 2019.

Image credits: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

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