'Creature' Lets Down Horror Fans, Critics

The modern day monster movie "Creature" came out in limited theaters this weekend. Clips and images from the movie reminded me of "Swamp Thing" and "The Creature form the Black Lagoon" if they were mixed with a slasher like "Friday the 13th" and others of that nature. Did "Creature" entertain or frighten critics and moviegoers off?

Mirroring the reaction to Frankenstein's Monster, critics hated "Creature." ReelViews' James Berardinelli wrote, "There is a perverse enjoyment to be had from something this cheesy, although not enough of one that I can recommend sitting through it." Bruce Demara of the Toronto Star stated, "May have been intended as a homage of sorts to 'Jaws' but it comes across as more like a rip-off of a film that is far, far, far out of its league." Reeling Reviews' Laura Clifford complained, "Production designer Fred Andrews makes his directorial debut here and can't even manage coherency."

A couple of reviewers found something redeemable about "Creature." Mark Olsen from the Los Angeles Times declared, "With dependably creepy character actor Sid Haig to goose things along as leader of the locals, 'Creature' is delightfully dopey." CinemaDope's Glenn Lovell stated, "Heaps on the gore and can best be described as 'Swamp Thing' with teeth, razor-sharp teeth ... Delivers the goods in old-fashioned, knee-to-the-jugular jolts."

Movie audiences were mainly disappointed. Maridia M. related, "'The Princess and the Frog' had a New Orleans-feels-like-home kinda thing to it. This just spits on it and rolls it around in swamp mud." Zion C. complained, "Please... I want my one hour and 33 minutes of my life back. This movie was a waste of time." Marty B. said, "Low-budget creature feature that should have aired on a Saturday night on the SyFy Channel."

A few moviegoers enjoyed "Creature" for what it was. Dan H. stated, "While it may not be an Oscar contender, 'Creature' represents a return to form for modern day B films. It is decently acted with surprisingly good character development... Just don't take your kids to this one." James W. declared, "Visually, the film is gorgeous, the production design and everything that entered the frame of the lens was a feast for the eyes. What matters most is that I had some laughs, a couple of jumps and I totally enjoyed the ride. 'Creature' delivers as promised." Heather W. claimed, "I liked it! It was everything it was supposed to be. The casting was great and the location was lush and creepy."

Fred Andrews directed "Creature." It starred Mehcad Brooks, Serinda Swan, Aaron Hill, Amanda Fuller, and Sid Haig. The movie was rated R for bloody violence and grisly images, some sexual content, graphic nudity, language, and brief drug use. It was released through the Bubble Factory in limited theaters September 9, 2011.

For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:

'Creature' Looks to Marry Slasher and Sci-Fi Genres Together
Movie Animals You Don't Want to Run Into
Interview with Swamp Thing Creator and Comic Book Artist Bernie Wrightson

Eric Shirey is the founder and editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. He also served as a news reporter for the award winning movie website GordonandtheWhale.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo! Movies, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! TV, Associated Content from Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other national entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with iconic movie and TV actors like Harrison Ford, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Brooke Shields, Brendan Fraser, Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Gene Simmons, and many more. His personal website is www.ersink.com.