One half dozen of another. That’s all I have to say as of late when it comes to the vast majority of killer mutant animal movies that are flooding our rental shelves and the Sci-fi channel. So why not add another poorly made giant killer snake movie to the mix. Pretty much that’s what we get with CARNIVOROUS, although I do give it credit for the way it tried it’s best to be something more than just another giant killer snake film.
Here’s the lowdown, CARNIVOROUS is about this giant killer snake with a head like a crocodile that goes around eating anyone that happens to come upon the cornfield. There is however a pretty interesting back story as how this snake came about. When Adam Cade was young he stole an ancient writing tool from a voodoo priest who lived near him. Sick and tired of his father beating him and his mother, he drew a picture of this snake like creature biting the head off his father. Little did he know that whatever he draws with the writing tool will actually happen, and the snake like creature comes to life and kills his father. Years later Adam is happily married, but when a group of drunk kids driving a jeep hit his wife and kill her. Adam once again uses the tool (Which he wife dug up in the garden moments before she was killed.) to draw the serpent to take revenge on the kids. But the voodoo priests grandson (DMX) has been waiting for years to kill the serpent. He has armed himself with an arsenal of weapons to take on the beast.
CARNIVOROUS has a script that does have a decent story that has a bit more dimension to it’s story than most of the killer mutant animal movies made out there. I give the writers credit for putting together a story that has at least some kind of effort put behind it. But where the script falls apart is in it’s dialogue and it’s third act which ends in a very predictable manner.
The acting in the movie is pretty bad, with the exception of a few of the characters whom have smaller roles. The lead actors plated characters that were very disposable as snake food and it seemed like DMX just wanted to be in this film to shoot guns and kick ass. Which is all he really did in the little time he was in this movie.
The movie had some simple production value that was nothing special. The sets and locations were pretty basic and served their purpose. Some of the effects make up wise were decent, but the snake it’s self looked very fake as it was pretty obvious that it was a giant CGI, video game looking creature. The visuals are pretty bad, and just like all of those other films you see on the Sci-fi channel and although there are no signs of it playing on that channel yet, I won’t be surprised if we see it on there.
Overall, I can only recommend this one to people who actually enjoy these low budget sci-fi horror flicks with killer animals and bad visual effects. I know there are people out there who do enjoy them, I just don’t happen to be one of them. What I do give this film credit for is that I was able to sit though the the whole thing from beginning to end. The movie is also known as Lockjaw: Rise of the Kulev Serpent.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
