"Legend of the Chupacabra" is a "documentary" that follows a team of cryptozoologists, a macho ex-Marine, a farmer, and assorted others as they venture into the backwoods of Santa Maria, Texas. It seems that the monster of the title (it translates as "goat sucker") has crossed the border from Mexico to the states, and has even been caught on tape. Maria Esperanza (super cute Katsy Joiner) loses her uncle to the monster, so she's personally motivated to locate and subdue this creature, and find out more about it.
Yeah, this is a lousy film, this viewer won't deny that. It's obviously micro-budgeted, crude as hell, and often incoherent. I don't think the screenwriters put a lot of thought into this screenplay. But that's not the hook of this movie. The hook is what director Joe Castro does with the effects. The Chupacabra is played by Kevin Sloan, and it's a gloriously tacky, silly looking thing with enormous eyes, a big forked tongue, forward protruding tusks, and flat feet. Also, Castro seems to take great delight in grossing out his audience at any and every opportunity, especially during the inevitable creature autopsy late in the movie.
The acting may not be particularly impressive, but who in their right mind watches something like this and expects Oscar worthy emoting? Some of the characters are beyond aggravating (Castro and company fall back upon that old cliché of having guys on hand who forever bitch and moan), but the actors are remarkably sincere, no matter if the talent just ain't there. Joiner is appealing in the lead.
Interest starts to seriously wane after a while, but at least this is hilarious whenever the creature makes an appearance.
Five out of 10.