Now this is a b-movie done right. And make no mistake, everyone involved from the director to the cast and crew knew what kind of movie they were making and decided to run with it. The result is a film that is incredibly fun for those of us who like monster movies. Sure, it follows the familiar formula--a group of young adults are stranded out in the woods while a monster stalks them and dispenses bloody death with an axe--but it's the execution that always makes the difference. The script isn't particularly original but it is clever, the actors seem to all be having a blast playing their roles, and the monster is really pretty neat. I mean, it's Paul Bunyan, for crying out loud! Look, this is genre filmmaking, with all that implies. Axe Giant could be a Syfy original in a lot of ways, though it's generally much better crafted than your typical Syfy flick. It's all extremely rough around the edges, but that never detracts from the fun factor. The acting is good enough from everyone involved, the kills are terrific, and the giant, ogre-like monster is a welcome deviation from masked sociopaths and zombies. The woods in which all the mayhem goes down are a great setting for a tale of bloody murder, and the cinematography puts a lot of great scenes together. Finally, the plot rolls to a satisfying climax that has an actual conclusion, unlike many other genre efforts that close with the obligatory, and usually quite stupid, lead-in to a sequel. If you don't like b-movies, then you won't like Axe Giant. But if you do, then you'll love this one. And you'll never think of the legend of Paul Bunyan in quite the same way again!
Review of Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan
