You can easily say that this is not your average bear. Nor killer bear. Think "Grizzly"
only angrily mutated. Film-maker John Frankenheimer's ecological crossed monstrous creature feature outing is one smartly explored commentary, but at the same time outrageously daft experience in low-end b-grade exploitation. After a curiously ominous opening to sucker you in, it then focuses on the melodramas and political aspects of the story / script. Somewhat talkatively preachy with the environmental issues (a chemical disruption in the evolution stages of the animals in rural Maine) and slow-going as a land dispute erupts between the lumber company and the native Indians, but this is to make sure that the latter end would have much more of an impact. In which case it surprisingly does, although that's when the make-up FX shows up with our frenzied creation and what was presented can only be labelled as cheaply hokey. Before then we would only get the heavy breathing. After that promising intro, it takes almost a good hour before our hideous bear goes on the rampage again and this next attack while quick is risibly captured. From then onwards it's a battle of survival in the elements and there are a lot of aggressive bursts where a lot people go flying across the screen. I guess it doesn't like it when you're looking at it. Hard not to though. Director Frankenheimer slickly crafts it out with some beautifully shot landscapes, but also well placed splatter inflicted shocks and an atmospheric night-time lake encounter. The further along it goes, the sillier it does get. Leonard Rosenman's music score is forcefully cued. The performances are tolerable with the likes of Talia Shire (who's always looks a stunned dear in headlights), Robert Foxworth, Armand Assante and Richard Dysart. A nastily so-so little cult fare that ends on those predictably common final shots.
"I don't think anybody's listening"
"I don't think anybody's listening"