A Bengal tiger is on the loose in the woods near a North American community. The local authorities can't seem to do much to stop its rampage, and the National Guardsmen don't look like they'll be much use. A young boy (Ty Wood) feels a connection to the beast, and feels some sympathy for it; meanwhile, a veteran tiger hunter (Ian D. Clark) would appear to be the most knowledgeable and capable person on the scene. The local sheriff (Gary Busey, the movies' one name actor) tries to warn citizens of the danger.
'Maneater' earns some points for not being the usual ultra-cheesy creature feature that this viewer was expecting. We do occasionally see the tiger attack, but kills are often performed off screen; we only see the gory aftermath. Plus, these filmmakers look like they used an actual animal much of the time (on the few occasions when we see the beast); there's no ropey CGI to turn the story into a live-action cartoon. Plus, the scenario is treated with some gravity. The viewer won't see any self-aware or self-referential humour here. The actors put on their best poker faces in this thriller that is therefore a bit more nuanced than what one is used to if they've seen a lot of made-to-order monster movies, whether done for TV or home video.
The performances are generally decent. Nothing spectacular, but they get the job done. The hunter, the kid, and the sheriff are the three roles that get fleshed out to any degree. The kid, in particular, is amusing because he's the product of an isolated existence, home-schooled in a trailer in the woods by a deeply religious mother. But he has no fear of constantly traipsing through these woods and possibly being mauled by the big cat. He also possesses great tracking abilities.
Overall, this is very passable stuff. Hardly inspired, but it's not nearly as goofy as this viewer thought it might be. It was filmed on location in my home province of Manitoba (Canada).
Six out of 10.
'Maneater' earns some points for not being the usual ultra-cheesy creature feature that this viewer was expecting. We do occasionally see the tiger attack, but kills are often performed off screen; we only see the gory aftermath. Plus, these filmmakers look like they used an actual animal much of the time (on the few occasions when we see the beast); there's no ropey CGI to turn the story into a live-action cartoon. Plus, the scenario is treated with some gravity. The viewer won't see any self-aware or self-referential humour here. The actors put on their best poker faces in this thriller that is therefore a bit more nuanced than what one is used to if they've seen a lot of made-to-order monster movies, whether done for TV or home video.
The performances are generally decent. Nothing spectacular, but they get the job done. The hunter, the kid, and the sheriff are the three roles that get fleshed out to any degree. The kid, in particular, is amusing because he's the product of an isolated existence, home-schooled in a trailer in the woods by a deeply religious mother. But he has no fear of constantly traipsing through these woods and possibly being mauled by the big cat. He also possesses great tracking abilities.
Overall, this is very passable stuff. Hardly inspired, but it's not nearly as goofy as this viewer thought it might be. It was filmed on location in my home province of Manitoba (Canada).
Six out of 10.