Review of Tremors (1990) by Brett C — 18 Jul 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

I came about this film through my dad deciding to put it on the player randomly and I was bored enough to sit down and go through this film. I had almost had no expectations coming into this film due to me not knowing of the film's existence but then I saw the cover of the case before the film started and had me thinking that this was a B grade monster film, and I was right but definitely better than I thought it would be.

Tremors story is quite simple; it is about creatures that travel via underground suddenly appearing in a small isolated town and picking off individuals one by one. The plot has been recycled time and time again through extensive franchising of successful films and most of the time showing no effort or sense of imagination. Tremors actually impressed me, featuring a creature that is almost completely unique and placing individuals in situations that are, not as thrilling as say Jaws or Alien, but enough to keep me from feeling bored; the sequence on the rooftops were one of the film's highlights.

The film's characters, I felt were a bit bland, but by the end of it, they didn't turn out as dull as I thought they would be; they may come off as one note but it never reached to a level of tiresome. The actors played their roles at an acceptable level. One can see that they are having fun doing it but they never bring anything interesting. Oh, and whoever was the actor that played the child should be shot as his performance was excruciatingly bad that whenever he is on screen, I couldn't help but cringe in frustration; and I am aware that he is playing a role that is meant to be frustrating but one can do that without letting their performance feel upsetting at a personal level.

The film's dialogue was a surprise for me, as it didn't come off as campy as I thought it would be; my dad has made me watch enough of these type of films that I can't help but notice these imperfections in the writing. The film featured some good exchanges between characters and at times gives us a bit of understanding on who these characters really are.

The aspect of the film that bothered me the most is its dual tone, I felt that Ron Underwood, the film's director, handled the tone of the film poorly. The lightness of the film prevented me from feeling a high level of danger for both the film's characters and myself. If the film's light tone was present because it wants to make fun of the genre or give it a certain twist, then do it in a way that still leaves the audience gripped.

The film's score was a both a hit and miss, with some spots that helped scenes feel dangerous, while others had me stepping back and feel just how forceful it is. For a film like this, it's not too much of a bother but it still in a small way affects my overall opinion of the film.

Tremors is a film that could have good if Underwood handled it with a bit more darkness, even if it is only during the crucial scenes, but besides that this film delivered a simple story and bringing something new to keep the audience's attention. I would say give it a try, if you don't have anything else to watch or if you're just craving for something like this.