Crabs! (2021) User Reviews

Throwback to Little Monsters

[danieltucher · 4/10 · 1 September 2021]

A fun throwback to little creature features such as Gremlins and Critters that is not as polished or extreme as it could be.

The acting is alright, with characters that are somewhat bland (with the exception of am offensive comic relief character called Radu, who while fun at times, is definitely too over utilized). But kudos for having a physically disabled character as the protagonist.

The effects are pretty impressive for a film of this budget but it goes too much into camp in the kaju type end sequence.

All in all a fun little romp, but don't go expecting too much.

The Legend of RADU!!

[warehousereviews · 5/10 · 8 March 2022]

WOW!! As far as Gremlins rip-offs go, this is up there with the best!

Radu is not the character 2022 wanted but the character that 2022 needed!

What a absolute gem of a man, he can sing, swing swords and buy women with wrenches while making us laugh, cry and feel things we never thought we would feel ever again.

HIs ninja skills, drill using abilities and encouragement single handedly won the war! Like a god sent from the heavens he carried this film on his back like some kind of shell.

Oh and there was some crabs in it somewhere...

Clustergrams and horseshoe crabs, a perfect combination.

[frank-liesenborgs · 5/10 · 7 March 2022]

In the quiet seaside town of Mendocino, California, people are having their faces eaten off by horseshoe crabs that were irradiated by the collapse of a nuclear plant, are confronted by these crabs. Radu, a foreign exchange student, Maddy, Annalise, Philip and his brother Hunter have to stop smoking weed and getting drunk. They need to find a solution. This is the perfect B-movie to relax. Yes, the CGI is poor but the acting is good. And an excellent acting performance from Chase Padgett (Radu). Do not get your hopes too high but you will enjoy this movie. This movie reminded me of Gremlins, Godzilla vs. King Kong, Jaws and Transformers. Another reason to watch: Imorium Clustergram and the famous horseshoe crab. Don´t tell me you don´t want to know what these two are? Just watch it and relax.

The kind of crabs that can kill you...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 7 March 2022]

Having stumbled upon the 2021 horror comedy "Crabs" by random luck in 2022, of course I had to sit down and watch it. Why? Well, because the synopsis sounded interesting and it could be a great movie. And also with it being a horror comedy that I hadn't already seen, of course this was a no-brainer in terms of having to watch it.

And I will say that writer and director Pierce Berolzheimer was definitely on the right track here, because the concept of the movie was great and there was a good story being told here, with elements of comedy and horror in a good mixture. And I have to admit that the whole premise of killer crabs of this kind was just right up my alley.

But... And yeah, there is a but here, while the movie was enjoyable and entertaining, then writer and director Pierce Berolzheimer opted to make an abrupt turn and introduced gargantuan fighting mechas and a Kaiju-sized crab, that is where it just all came tumbling down. And it was a shame, because the movie had been great fun and hilarious up to that point. But this is where it snapped for me, and the movie nosedived and never recovered. And that reflected poorly on the overall rating of the movie for me, because it went from a good movie to a laughably poor excuse of a movie.

The acting performances in the movie were good, and it was an almost unfamiliar cast ensemble that performed in "Crabs". I was only familiar with Robert Craighead here in this movie. I will say that the cast definitely put on good performances for a movie such as this.

Visually then "Crabs" was good. I liked the design of the crabs and they had a good mixture of realism and comic relief to it. And no doubt about it, that definitely worked well in favor of the movie, and it was something that I enjoyed.

The movie would have received a six star rating from me, but the whole last 30 minutes or so of the movie just totally ruined the experience with the Kaiju crab and the mecha robot. It was just laughably bad and ridiculous. And it results in a final rating of four stars from me. So, a downgrade in two stars because of something that bad.

Sure, "Crabs" is watchable for a silly creature feature, but just don't get your hopes up too high.

Wow. Unfunny. Cheap CGI. Slightly annoying.

[jbar19 · 3/10 · 14 March 2022]

Usually it is a good thing when I say it appears the movie was written by a 13 year old old... But not this time.

This is an unfunny cross between 'Gremlins', 'Hobgoblins', 'Weird Science' and a Kaiju movie.

This is a low budget movie with good intentions, but is absolutely hobbled by a script only an 11 year old could find funny.

The people behind this movie obviously gave it their all. The acting wasnt really bad, it was professionally shot and it tries to copy the look and feel of a fun 1980s movie.

But it is dumb, Very bad scenes included horseshoe crab/aliens drinking in a bar and another one acting as a DJ.

The character of Radu was especially unfunny, unoriginal and annoying.

But it is the loathsome CGI that really buries this movie.

On a lighter note, Jessica Morris was smoking hot and Allie Jennings appears to have a future in acting.

Radu is worse than the crabs

[captainsilverink · 4/10 · 20 February 2024]

Regular standard creature feature B movie that is by all means, pretty fun. Monsters, weed, prom setting, mostly likeable characters, hot teachers, practical effects. Pretty fun... for the most part. I'd have given this movie a 5, except for one thing:

Radu

Radu SUCKS. This dude is painfully unfunny, and the movie chooses to keep him around WAY longer. They insist upon him being in every scene he can. They even do a fakeout death, from there I was hoping it would be good from there on out but he just keeps coming with his dated "foreign and maybe mentally slow" humor that would fit better in a 2001 movie like American Pie rather than this.

Like I said, would be a 5, but it's getting a 3 because Radu is THAT bad.

Utterly Bonkers

[Gothamite1 · 6/10 · 27 August 2021]

Just dumb fun. Switch off your brain and have fun. Try not to read too much info as you don't want this spoiling.

a witty...

[ops-52535 · 4/10 · 9 March 2022]

But ever too late for the mood and minds of todays generations. Its a soup aux creative of stuff and caracters in comedy that we enjoyed in the 1980's, and to make a success either through irony or forreal it bellydives into oblivion for sure.

It made me laugh a few times cause i do love the 80's comedy with practical joke and slap stick instead of verbal throwups that rules today. Cast and plot and all over special effects are loudicrous and qualifys itself into some of the most cringeworthy and cheesy stuff ever made in this millenium.

I know my comedy, and its not what the grumpy old man enjoys, therefore a degraded recommend, pointing at the first half as viewable.

Dance of the Squids

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 20 October 2021]

Many years ago, I saw a movie called Dance of the Dead. That movie had zombies as its main enemies ... and was funnier than this output. Now I'm not hating, I'm just explaining why I used the summary title. This is quite fun too - you just have to suspend your disbelief and go with the flow.

There are quite a few things that do not work as well as the filmmakers may have thought they do (or the actors for that matter - especially the times they talk directly to the viewer or at least half wink at them) - but if you are grumpy about it, you will not have much fun either. The Radu character will be the litmus test for the viewer - can you dig the silliness of him (also the actor is doing some other voice over work here, as you can see in the end credits) ... you'll be entertained.

It opens with intercourse on a beach and ends with a song during the end credits ... the song is funnier I'd say, but then again the beginning is also a ... highlight (no pun intended)

Okay'ish B-Movie Horror

[collectorofsorts · 5/10 · 7 March 2022]

This movie is made in the style of the old B-Movies. Low budget. Cheesy acting and special effects, implausible things, etc. Some of it I liked, some of it I didn't and some of it was just downright offensive (like the stereotyped foreign kid that no one can understand). It starts off good. People have sex on the beach. So no problem there. But the horseshoe crab that moves like a speedboat was too much. And the one before the nuclear explosion was moving the same way. On to the crab attacks. They were just too graphic for b-movie stuff. I don't need to see eyeballs hanging down to someone's chin in a cheesy b-movie. Then there's the crippled kid in the wheelchair that gets cursed out by the local Priest (too much) and he also has a pricey tech workshop in the barn on the property that they can't afford to keep (unrealistic). One bright point, they have the cop from Future Man as the Sheriff! So, overall, it's a mildly enjoyable movie. It could have been a lot better with a better script, though!

Fun creature feature

[tatchell-phillip · 8/10 · 27 August 2021]

Saw this on open night of frightfest and loved it It's full of tribune to different film Gremlin fan will love the bar seen.

And the cast is grate you should definitely see this film.

The Future of Cinema Belongs to... Radu!

[dave-145-515266 · 7/10 · 10 March 2022]

I know what you're thinking... Another forgettable, low-budget comedy horror. But what if (stay with me for a second) it was actually really, really funny? And "unwoke" for a rare change? I hate to list that as a pro, but it's been exhausting over the last few years and we deserve a break.

Well then, thank God it's still OK to make fun of immigrants, as long as they're white, because otherwise we'd have never met Radu. Is he Russian? Bulgarian? I'm not sure it's ever specified. He starts as a side character, but quickly gets more and more screen time as the film progresses to the point where he actually performs the end credits song. And what a joy that is to listen to, without a hint of sarcasm.

I wonder if that was the filmmaker's plan all along, or if it became obvious they were on to a good thing with that character so started layering him in more. Regardless, we're all winners as a result.

But the dialogue as a whole is very funny, solid cast and passable special effects. Honestly, I turned this on as a "background" movie while futzing around the house, but quickly realized it was going to be way better than the average streaming schlock so sat down to watch.

Will there be a Crabs 2? I for one really frigging hope so, you dirty hole persons!

total wasted time

[tony-146-695626 · 1/10 · 6 March 2022]

So. Who is this for?

If you are having a drinking party and most people are heavily buzzed MAYBE then can you tolerate this steaming pile of trash.

By the way, not for kids. Opens up with a sex scene that will make you jump for the remote if kids are around.

I can forgive the unlikely plot. Harder to forgive is the cheesy creature special effects . A lot budget fare where some at times obviously dead horse show crabs are pulled around the ground with a string. Later on it becomes actors in horse show costumes.

Fails as a scare feature and also as a comedy. Unlike something like Shaun of the Dead, a masterpiece that entertains with really witty written scenes and some bona fide scares, this so called movie uses instead crude language, sex, over the top bloody boring killings, poor acting, and still flops miserably.

This movie is like a dying fish on a beach, gasping for air and begging to have its misery ended.

Irritating.

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 18 March 2022]

The opening craptabulous explosion of a power plant, in all of its obvious After Effects glory, is a fairly good indicator of the general quality of low-budget comedy creature-feature Crabs!: cheap, tacky, trashy.

The story is incredibly stupid -- frequently too dumb for its own good...

The folk of a sleepy coastal are being attacked by mutated horseshoe crabs - so far, so good and gory - but the film goes awry with the introduction of the film's unlikely heroes: wheelchair bound teenage genius Philip McCalister (Dylan Riley Snyder), his best friend Maddy (Allie Jennings), his pot-smoking brother Deputy Hunter McCalister (Bryce Durfee), his hot pot-smoking science teacher (and Maddy's mother) Annalise (Jessica Morris), pot-smoking Sheriff Flannigan (Robert Craighead), and pot-smoking exchange student Radu (Chase Padgett). They're a woeful bunch of walking clichés (except for Philip, who can't walk). All of the pot smoking should give a pretty good idea of the type of humour involved: it's stoner comedy, and far from sophisticated.

Writer/director Pierce Berolzheimer takes his film from extremely unlikely (Philip purchasing a revolutionary energy source from the internet to power his home-built exoskeleton legs), to blatant rip-off (the mischievous crabs misbehaving exactly like Joe Dante's Gremlins), to completely unexpected Kaiju movie, as Philip pilots a giant robot to battle enormous crab monsters!!! Even if you're able to swallow the stupidity of the plot, there's a very good chance that Radu will have you reaching for the off switch, a more irritating character it is hard to imagine.

I was down for a dumb creature-feature -- just not this dumb.

30 Year Old Props?

[arfdawg-1 · 2/10 · 24 March 2022]

Not sure what year this is supposed to take place in but the props they are sing are at leas 30 year s old -- a 35mm camera, an original gameboy. Was the budget that sparse?

One of the computers appears to be DOS based (now we're talking 40 years ago) however the screen is flat.

It's rather distracting and cnfusing.

The movie is sort of stupid and predictible, bu what else would you expect?

Lots of fun!

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 4 March 2022]

Imagine if Critters with crabs, shut your mind off and just have fun, because Crabs! Was the kind of goofy fun I was looking for at the end of a long week. It's prom night, a nuclear accident has turned some horseshoe crabs into death machines and things are about to get awesome.

Phillip McCalister (Dylan Riley Snyder) and Maddy (Allie Jennings) are getting ready for the big dance, which Philip will use as an opportunity to test out the braces that he's invented that will allow him to walk. His brother, a cop named Hunter (Bryce Durfee), discovers a half-eaten whale - a great effect - and before you know it, the brothers, Maddy, her mother (Jessica Morris) and exchange student Radu (Chase Padgett) go up against an entire army of three different crab monster species.

The first full-length movie from director and writer Pierce Berolzheimer, Crabs! Is the kind of movie that has its hero make a shark mecha to battle a crab kaiju and you know, I don't need any more than that. Allow it to chase away your bad week too.

Good fun!

[jamestripper · 6/10 · 12 December 2021]

Campy good fun. If you like to laugh and gross out -- highly recommended. The cinematography, production design, and acting is very good. The edit and score kept perfect pacing to the end. Good work!

A very Fun movie !

[kyden-57639 · 8/10 · 28 May 2022]

This movie is Fun and entertaining. Like the main cast. But Radu character is one the best parts of movie. He is Amazing and hilarious ! And ppl in movie quite a few times mistake a horseshoe crab with a badger ?! Wow, so funny they live in a coastal. Sure they see more crabs than badgers. Anyway, a fun entertaining movie.

Goofy, wacky, ridiculously funny Gremlins

[RedKidBytes · 6/10 · 9 October 2022]

I know that generation x will love this film. It may or may not be the cup of tea of the millennials and nothing satisfy the expectations of generation z anyway.

Crabs reminded me of the Gremlins, a 1984 film produced by Steven Spielberg and the Warner Brothers. Little, cuddly, cute, and squeaky animals, which turn mischievous if they are allowed to drink water. It was a fantastical horror comedy flick with a far bigger budget. It made no sense at all and it didn't have to. It was just crazy, stupid, funny, and very entertaining.

Crabs have a similar attitude. Although it is made on a much much smaller budget and thus it is a low-tech film. It doesn't take itself seriously and gets wackier by the minute.

The riddenclus lines of Radu, hilariously played by Chase Padget very well match the craziness of the script.

Horseshoe crabs mysteriously develop a taste for a human face with a bouncing attitude and a relentless appetite. They propagate fast and cause havoc in a small town.

Bonkers!

[ian-50-818237 · 6/10 · 21 March 2022]

Gremlins meets Critters with a good dose of Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla!

No one thing in this movie makes an ounce of sense - from the crab DJ to how a kid is able to build a giant robot kaiju in his garage overnight!

Just go with the flow and enjoy it for what it is - silly enjoyable nonsense.

Crabnado? Really undecided about this movie

[westy_captain · 6/10 · 25 March 2023]

Come in with expectations that it's fairly low budget and just taking the piss out of its self and you'll leave happy

I watched this with my wife and honestly we both haven't laughed that hard at a movie ever. But some how didn't really enjoy it

During the major battle at the end where Hunter jumps out of the car and rolls up next to the group was the best part. And the montage of making the battle shark probably the worst... that bit was strange and not sure it was needed.

Umm I originally rated it a 5 but added 1 for the sex scene at the start.

And I also can't decide if they gave Radu too many lines or not enough.. would love to know how old that guy is but there isn't any info to be found on the whole of the internet.

Final decision would probably be don't watch it unless you enjoy light piss takes.

a Good Time, Waster..

[imhotep-09313 · 10/10 · 7 March 2022]

VERY Fun & Oddball Movie, it's one of those Horror, Comedy Movies, that You should NEVER Take, at all Serious. Like a Tremors, RipOff, KindOf .. still VERY Good. You can ENJOY it for what it is ... Odd, I did!

Solid monster film. Characters steal the show.

[noahjmucci-749-464253 · 8/10 · 8 March 2022]

This movie is exactly what you are expecting and many things I guarantee you are not. The monsters are fantastic and brutal but once the threat is understood they are a blast to watch be dispatched by the heroes. Make no mistake though, there is a heart at the center of this monster film and it is by far my favorite part.

Crab

[quickasher · 8/10 · 9 March 2022]

Believe it or not, I was rooting for the Crabs. I liked the movie though, it was fun, It was the right amount of it making a joke of itself and being serious, some of it was so stupid but I absolutely loved it. Radu was the best character, his stupid actions were just golden, and the credit music was fantastic, I heard of this movie before it came out and I instantly wanted to watch it.

Wow! Funny!

[qritiqal · 8/10 · 14 August 2022]

This is just a cheap "horror" movie but it's a lot of fun to watch.

Don't take it too seriously or think you're getting an academy award winning production.