Review of Tremors (1990) by Spangle — 20 Sep 2016

"What is your favorite Kevin Bacon movie and why is it Tremors?" - Internet user.

A noble question that can best be answered by stating: Tremors, though imperfect, is a fun, fact paced take on older science fiction horror films with all of the cheesiness of 1980s/1990s science fiction movies. Though not strictly horror, there are more than a few scenes that play out like horror as the small town tries to expertly evade these giant worms that are terrorizing their town. Though undeniably silly with many, many dumb moments, Tremors is still a thoroughly effective thriller, while also blending it with fun comedy, interesting characters, and some serious suspense.

First off, Tremors is a clear nod to smalltown America, the working class, and American ingenuity. The choice of Valentine (Kevin Bacon) and his heart-shaped belt buckle as the hero, while also being a handyman and using a CAT as part of his master plan, Tremors certainly is a tribute to blue collar Americans.

In terms of the humor of the film, Tremors more than often hits. The humor really lightens the mood and feels entirely late 80s/early 90s in its approach to filmmaking. The constant one-liners being the main staple, having been established as pure Americana thanks to 1980s action movies. Here, the jokes hit and contribute to the fun, fast paced atmosphere. If the jokes were anything more than one-liners, it would have killed any of the suspense and turned it into a comedy. Instead, it never interferes with the thrills.

Director Ron Underwood can largely be credited with this balance, as he never lets the humor take center stage. There is a separation of church and state, so to speak. The thrilling scenes are reserved for thrills. The in-between and build-up can have sprinkles of comedy, but the scenes that imitate Alien are preserved solely for that. And what an imitation it can be (obviously it imitates more than Alien). At times, it left me jumping in my seat trying to get people to run quicker. Underwood creates terrific tension that certainly can place you firmly on the edge of your seat, while also delivering solid action sequences of the town taking on the worms. Though it can be quite silly in this regard, their plans do make sense and could certainly be used if people found themselves in this situation. That said, the plans do feel as if they were taken right out of a 1950s creature feature.

Though the romance is a bit forced, Tremors does have good character development, even if it is the classic "immature man turned into a hero/mature by a woman he loves that forces him to change his outlook on life" trope. The characters, even if cookie cutter, are incredibly likeable and rope you into really enjoying the film as you watch their antics and root for them to escape the clutches of the worm. As for the worm, the approach to the creature is really cool and well done. With reasonable traits that it always stays within, the worms are actually really interesting creatures to watch in the film due to the realistic and borderline scientific approach taken to helping us understand what these beasts are and how they behave.

Overall, Tremors is cheesy and filled with one-liners. However, the cheese is gooey goodness and the one-liners hit. Plus, they are expertly balanced with true moments of suspense, thrills, and horror by director Ron Underwood who capably keeps the atmosphere and balance of the film while juggling many different genres. Taking inspiration from 1950s creature features, as well as well many 1980s and 1990s science fiction, horror, and action films, Tremors still finds ways to feel fresh and entertaining in spite of the consistent feeling that you had seen this film before.