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The Relic

The Relic

List Price: $14.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Valiant attempt
Review: It's not bad as monster movies go , but the BOOK on which it is based is SO MUCH BETTER. See the movie first then read the book and it's sequel RELIQUARY. Then see the movie MIMIC for an idea of what the sequel would have been like if filmed.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Standard monster fare
Review: The person looking for a movie with a new concept will be sorely disapointed. However, for a monster/horror movie it, i.e., The RelicVHS ~ Penelope Ann Miller is not all that bad. The monster looks bad though and the computer animation looks cheap. The acting is not very convincing either. For a horror flick it is not all that bad. Recommended.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Nothing to lose your head over....
Review: The Relic is a horror movie with plenty of gore, suspense and mucus (yes mucus). The plot of the movie deals with some relics sent back to the Chicago museum from Brazil by an anthropology profesor from the museum. Among the relics is a container that contains leaves. The leaves are infected with a fungus that contains large amounts of animal hormones. When this strange fungus is fed to animals, the result are shocking to say the least. In the midst of the arrival of these containers the museum is getting ready for an important exhibit opening. Against better judgement, due to a murder in the museum, the opening goes on as planned...almost. Instead of a night of fun the guests are treated to a night of horror as a homicidal beast makes sure that this night won't be one that the guests will ever forget.
The movie is not bad but it is not great either. It has plenty of gorrey scenes and plenty of suspense. The special effects are well done. A couple of things that bothered me were 1)the fact that there seemed to be a couple of beasts killing at the same time and 2)many of the scenes were hard to see because they were too dark. The plot as a whole was good but it seemed to have a few holes in it. I have to say that I would recomend this movie to adult viewers. The action and gore is there but not overdone, nor are the special effects. I don't think you will be dissappointed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Sci-Fi Horror At It's Best!
Review: Ever since I've watched this movie at the cinema, I told myself that I have to get this movie on DVD. So, after years of waiting, I finally get it on DVD. This movie has the combination of The Ghost And The Darkness and Aliens, thrown into the mix together. The horror all began when a anthropologist(if I get that spelling right) consumed a water that's filled with some kind of animal virus and made him change from a human being to a gruesome creature. This movie is loaded with action and special effects. But, noted that this DVD release has some flaws. For those of you who wants the subtitles option, then you'll be disappointed as this DVD only carries the original closed caption. That means, only those who have a closed caption decoder will be able to see them. Secondly, the picture quality on this DVD release is quite under specs. Cause the picture is not sharp but a little blur. But that shouldn't be a problem for those of you whose TV sharpness can be adjusted.

On the whole bright side, this DVD is superb. The picture is anamorphically enhanced for widescreen viewing. Great soundtrack to blow your mind and a great storyline to keep you glue seated to your chairs! Two big thumbs up for this movie! Highly recommended!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The book is better, but...
Review: They didn't follow the book exactly, however the movie was still very good. Special effects could have been better laid, but overall it's a good flick to watch with the lights out.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: gory and fun
Review: this aint a film for the faint hearted, olots of brutality nd blood

this isnt the only good part of the film though its actually got a good plot, actors and direction

sure the main part ofd the film is to produce a violent, blood soaked bit of film but....

who am i kidding... this film is bloody and gory and thats all damn fine film anyway

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Works in all the right ways.
Review: So there I was, beginning to watch "The Relic," and snoring at yet another movie with a beginning sequence of a tribal ritual involving an American observer who ends up finding himself in danger. And then, two minutes later, my interest was peaked, and stayed that way for the movie's running length. "The Relic," while not being the most original monster movie ever made, is certainly a good example for other movies to follow. The story is intelligent and involving, while the suspense keeps viewers involved in a way that is almost frightening by itself.

The movie begins with the aforementioned tribal sequence, then takes us to Chicago, where a mysterious unmanned shipping vessel has made its way to port. On board, Lt. Vincent D'Agosta (Tom Sizemore) finds the mangled corpses of the crew, and does what any other cop would do: puts someone else in charge of getting the details. Days later, at the Museum of Natural History, boxes from the vessel arrive and get the attention of Dr. Margo Green (Penelope Ann Miller), who finds a mysterious growth she believes to be fungus on the leaves found in the box.

Her examination takes a backseat to the story's main premise, which includes lots of gore and intensity. When a cop is found brutally mutilated in the men's bathroom at the museum, the establishment is closed for investigation, much to the dismay of curator Dr. Ann Cuthbert (Linda Hunt), whose worries about an expensive gala force D'Agosta to hurry his investigation. D'Agosta also stumbles across the fact that the victims found on the ship and the cop are found with a section of the brain removed, the section responsible for hormone release.

The gala goes on according to plan, but soon, things begin to go awry. The museum's security mainframe goes down, enclosing our main characters and a few party attendees inside. Whether or not the creature is responsible for this is left unexplained, as is his intelligence. But he certainly knows his way around the museum, and as the bodies begin to drop, the movie builds itself to an intense climax that has suspense leading up to it all the way.

Much of that suspense is due mostly to Peter Hyams, the director of photography as well as the director of the movie, whose use of shadow and light are a key element in bringing out the fear in all of us. There's nothing scarier than what we can hear but cannot see, and Hyams uses this to his advantage by supplying little light to the movie's most intense moments. Scenes in underground tunnels are lits by flashlights alone, while the museum's basement areas are dim and murky. Not only is this a fright factor, but it gives the movie a sense of style.

That fright is also kept up to speed by keeping the creature's full appearance in the dark until much later in the film. Done in live action and CGI, the monster is authentic-looking and realistic, a very convincing achievement. Not until the last half hour to we get a full revelation of the creature in its entire, and even then, the suspense still keeps coming.

The movie's story is intelligent, providing an explanation for almost every action and reaction seen on camera. The plot does more than just put its characters in dangerous situations, something that most movies of this genre are famous for. It gives the characters a chance to decipher the puzzle and figure out the monster's origins, and while those facts are somewhat laughable and contrived, they are convincing from the mouths of the actors, who do a stunning job on the film.

The movie also seems to poke fun at the many horror tactics used along the years, but keeps up a serious demeanor while doing so. Scenes involving key characters going into dark rooms, hearing sounds and running away, only to find their fears were in vain, give us a sense of relief but also build up a false sense of security. I practically wanted to scream at some of the actions taken by certain people, who, if they've ever seen "Alien," should know better than to do what they do.

I had a lot of fun with "The Relic," a movie that has been downed for its all-too-familiar similarities to other creature features. I found it to be a very refreshing film, one with suspense and thrills galore, providing a story we can actually believe with action and suspense that works us in all the right ways.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good thriller, not for the squeamish
Review: If you're tired of watching reruns of the 4 Alien movies, this one is a surprisingly good thriller. Good acting, good plot, good tech stuff, great suspense and a good monster! Who else does not want to be caught in a museum alone at night? Or underground in a sewer? Well-crafted entertainment.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: So, it's not a Scorcese film....
Review: But, "The Relic" is a pretty good monster flick. I, like other reviewers, did read the book and found the film's departure from much of the novel to be a little annoying. However, the film does hold one's interest, especially with the great monster "effect," a cross between "Predator" and a dragon, and the heroism and resourcefulness of the Penelope Ann Miller character.

There are two truly memorable scenes: 1) the creature ascending onto a SWAT team member as he attempts a rescue and 2) the "revelation" by the creature of its true identity. The latter was excised from the network showing, depriving the audience of one really kinky moment.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Relic
Review: I have recently read Douglas Preston and lincoln Childs "Relic" and i loved it. Then I heard that there was also a movie that was made so I was very excited to see that. When I did i loved it. It scared the @^#% out of me. The monster was very cool. This has to be one of my favorite movies. There are a few things that i don't like about the movie however. One thing is that they got rid of the best characters: Pendergast, you know that FBI agent. Another thing I didn't like was that the lighting in some parts was terrible. IT was effective but frustrating at times because you couldn't see everything. Another thing that I did like was that the movie used lines from the book. This was a very good movie if you like horror films and don't mind a lot of gore thenn this is the movie for you.


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