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Slaughter of the Innocents More at IMDbPro »

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11 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Enjoyable If You Ignore The Plot holes, 6 January 2005

Author: Mel J from Dundee, Scotland

This slightly violent thriller revolves around a serial killer who has now kidnapped a little girl. On his trail are the FBI and the twelve-year-old son of the agent leading the investigation. Although the acting is not too bad with the man playing the killer giving a very creepy performance, Scott Glen came off as being too cocky at times. On the whole, the film is quite enjoyable and stylish if you ignore the person making the most headway in the case is a twelve-year-old child!

The film's main downfall certainly has to be this kid, Jesse, who is far too perfect and intelligent to be credible (although he does make a pleasant change from the snotty, rude brats that often pop up in films these days). Also, he brings about plot holes such, as how can a boy of twelve be allowed to buy himself a plane ticket to traverse the continent, what kind of man takes his young son to a murder scene, why does the FBI give a kid access to their mainframe and why on earth is a grown man intimidated by this boy?

I think if you ignore the fact that there are many non-too-credible moments in the film, it does have the capacity to chill you. Certainly, the guy playing the killer is rather frightening. If not, you'll get a good laugh out of seeing the kid playing 'bad cop' as he tries to question a suspect, using fancy computers that are barely available now let alone in 1992/3 (his personal computer resembles something more suited to 'Star Trek') and solving the case while the grown FBI agents flounder around like incompetents.

8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
adventures of the wonder boy???, 20 July 2001
Author: jank123 from berlin

Stephen Broderick is a special FBI agent who is trying to catch a schizophrenic man who kills and kidnaps small kids. He has a 12-13 years son who probably has an IQ of 250. He has a computer which can recognize voice and it is intelligent (!!!) This computer can find the coordinates of any place on the earth. He has a pretty expensive gps device. His calculator can show verses from the bible. he can fool his mother and tell her that he is gonna spend the night, then he can travel through the whole continent, he can scare 40 years old people just by shouting at them, he can ride a off road motorcyle, he can climb on a mountain without any equipment... can i tell more? you know i could but you should better watch the movie. you will laugh the sh*t out of you. very funny movie. i dont know why its not listed as a comedy. i really liked it.

6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
This is a highly under-rated and ill-appreciated freaky little thriller., 5 January 2004

Author: Fiendish_Dramaturgy from .: Fiendish Writings in the Dark :.

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Okay, before I start, I will be the first to admit that there are a couple of plot holes, an unforgivable contrivance, and that belief does have to be suspended here and there for Jessie the wonder-kid's feats. Okay. There. I've said it.

All in all, this film is a wonderfully entertaining darkling freak of a movie. This is not your typical slasher/serial killer fare. I found this attempt to be downright disturbing and unsettling. This remains one of my favorites for the socially responsible message, the beautiful relationship between Glenn's character and that of his son, and the wonderful element of suspense found here.

Great low budget thriller with a solid, fluid story and some decent performances by Scot Glenn and Jesse Cameron-Glickenhaus. Definitely worth a watch.

It rates a 6.8/10 from...

the Fiend :.

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
All in the Family, 14 March 2007
Author: DrPhilmreview from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is either a very good home movie or a very bad commercial film.

Writer-director James Glickenhaus makes the tragic mistake of casting his own son, Jessie Cameron-Glickenhaus as the juvenile lead in this one, as the Encyclopedia Brown-like computer wiz who helps his FBI dad (Scott Glenn) with serial murder cases. Only a very talented young actor might be able to pull an idea like that off. Jessie, whose career ended when his father stopped making movies ("Timemaster") does not qualify.

He's one of those bad movie kids that you just want to go away.

The film does have Scott Glenn, Kevin Sorbo and the lovely Darlane Flugel from "Crime Story"(for some reason she always plays the wife of tough law enforcement officers) as well as "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" star Armin Shiverman, but they can't overcome the combined talents (or lack of) by the Glickenhaus family.

For his part, James contributes a script that doesn't work, highlighted by an outrageous ending in which the serial killer (who is of course a religious fantastic) builds an Ark and puts it on rails so it can go flying over a desert cliff. Hey, he's crazy, right? So he does crazy things, right? The big scene with the ark is laughably bad.

4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Silence of the Lambs meets the Monty Pythons, 24 May 2007
Author: Diogenes81

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When a movie about a serial killer and children kidnapper has more belly laughs than your average comedy, you know there is something fundamentally wrong with it.

Poor Scott Glenn plays a cop searching for a mysterious killer who abducts children and various animals, including giraffes (don't ask); the hero is helped by his annoying kid who uses a cheesy computer with a ludicrously impossible A.I. And no, it's not meant to be a parody, although it works egregiously as one.

The climax is the funniest part, as we discover that the madman has built his version of Noah's Ark in a cave in the desert, near a canyon, with the purpose of filling it with dead animals and dead children, waiting for a second flood. When Glenn's son is also captured, the detective rushes there and fights with the kidnapper (who, at this point of the movie, is about as threatening as Gonzo the Muppet). During those last scenes, I laughed so hard I almost died. Finally, the villain falls into the canyon with his ark, giraffes and all. I realize it does not sound even remotely believable, but this is really what happens.

Add to this one of the most ridiculous red herrings ever seen and you'll realize the levels of unintentional self-parody achieved by Slaughter of the Innocents.

I would have felt sorry for a competent actor like Glenn if I hadn't been too busy laughing at the movie. This film tries to be a serious thriller and it fails miserably, hence my 3/10. However, as an unintentional comedy, it ranks pretty high. Too bad that, while the funny bits are absolutely priceless, there are also sequences that are just boring.

3/10

4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
A mini-Slaughter of the Lambs, 28 August 2000

Author: Adam Camp from United States

A better-than-many serial killer movie. I liked it well enough to see it twice on cable and even to recommend it. I found it dark and brooding. The acting was more than acceptable and, although the genius of the child was, perhaps, not completely credulous, it also wasn't totally unbelievable. The build up to the finale was well planned and the last fifteen minutes kept me on the edge of my seat.

4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Well done, and a little creepy., 29 December 1999

Author: Bosco 55th from U.S.

I like the way this movie was made, the only bad thing is... they had to use the director's son as a lead. Sure, he didn't do that bad of a job, but it would have been better if they could have used Elijah Wood, or someone else less annoying. Overall this was a decent film that I'd see again. It is creepy to think we have these type of people running around.

2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Very lousy rip--off, 6 January 2009

Author: Cristi_Ciopron from CGSM, Soseaua Nationala 49

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

At first I believed this was a SILENT OF THE LAMBS rip—off, and not a very bad one, and I even wondered why it wasn't more famous ,or at least somewhat famous. Then I saw why:--because it's too lousy;--because it's so ridiculous;--because it's extravagant in an over—camped manner. Because that kid is so annoying. These are several causes.

It's a HOWCATCHEM, so over—the—top and bombastic as to be ridiculous.

It plumbs new depths of rubbish. The script is bad and stupid, the kid is annoying.

What's ultra disgusting is Scott Glenn's cult actor prestige.

3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Set aside reality, get out a large dose of salt and enjoy., 6 July 2002

Author: JacquiQ from Southern California, Drat It!

The story has... well... huge holes! But the relationship between father and son made this movie worth watching!!

The young actor, Jesse, has alot of natural talent and is surprisingly believable in his role as this self-assured young man.

So, set aside reality, get out a large dose of salt and enjoy.

4 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
This Movie was Good, 16 December 2005

Author: Angel Zones from United States

This movie was a good one. I loved the plot line. The movie is about a father that works in law enforcement and his son is helping him track a serial killer of kids. The boy in this movie is portrayed as very intelligent. I found this movie to be very entertaining and thrilling. I give it a high rating. I remember when it was on cable years ago my young nephews loved the boy in this movie because he rode a dirt bike. The boy and his father were very close. This is a father and son action thriller. I would recommend this movie to everyone. There are some very thrilling moments. I rate this movie a 7 because it will have you using your mind to find out the killer. If you get the chance rent or buy this movie it was a very good one!

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