Rating: Summary: Entertaining... and NOT because you're laughing at it. Review: With all the things I've read about this movie, I fully expected that the only genuine entertainment "Bats" could offer would be belly laughs from watching the cheesy effects and bad acting. But-- surprise, surprise-- this was amazingly not the case. The bat effects are plentiful and effective, the cinematography and direction are competent, and the acting isn't bad (I especially liked Dina Meyer, whose natural performance actually made you believe she was an expert on bats). Let's be clear, however. Don't expect characterizations of particular depth or clever plot twists, 'cause you ain't getting that stuff. This is basically a 90-minute movie about bats attacking people, but on that score it delivers. Oh, yes- the movie DEFINITELY gained points for giving us ONE twist, a subversive variation of the old "last shot of the movie showing us that one of the menaces has SURVIVED" cliche; just when you think you're going to see that same old scene again, something else happens, and it's a riot. The DVD has loads of extras, including a hilarious commentary track by the director and Lou Diamond Phillips. Definitely recommended as a rental, and if you're a big fan of schlocky but effective horror movies like "Tremors" and "Lake Placid", don't hesitate to buy "Bats". Okay, okay-- if you DO buy it, try to get it cheap. But do give it a look.
Rating: Summary: It ain't Gone With the Wind, but . . . Review: Is this movie great? No. Is it watchable? Extremely.I enjoyed the movie. There is some cheesy dialogue, sure, but I don't get the extremely harsh 1 star reviews. This is a fun, fast paced movie that kept my attention the whole way through. I especially liked the commentary track with Lou Diamond Phillips. It is one of the most relaxed, enjoyable commentaries I have heard, and I have listened to just about every commentary track of every DVD I own (1000+).
Rating: Summary: it will drive you bats Review: damnit people...a movie about killer bats...wow, I mean this one is on the BOMB list for sure...Dian Meyer is the batgirl(wink wink) and Leon is batman(dont have to wink on that one) and they go to a small town after a murder happens and they meet the sheriff Lou Diamond Phillips(this man right here shouldnt of done this movie, he shouldnt of done Supernova) and another guy played by Carlos Jacott(shouldnt of been in here also) and the batty guy who controls the bats, Bob Gunton(Gunton is always in a crappy movie, once in a great while)......maybe I just dont get it..I mean whats there to get....people said they were terrified of this movie and putting this up with JAWS....people this does not compare to JAWS, JAWS is way better then this pile of bat guano.............get a life and a brain and for the people who didnt like this movie..your my best friends
Rating: Summary: Cheesy, B-Grade Action and Fun Review: I'd have to say that more than 50% of the movies in my collection are considered cheesy horror, and they too on their release were heralded by much higher paid critics than you'll find here as trash. With the passing of time, they've become...you bet, "Cheesy Movie Classics". When I went to see this movie at the theater, I was expecting exactly what I got, a B-Grade horror film with a high budget. I wanted something that felt and tasted like the popcorn munchers from the 70's and 80's; movies like "Food of the Gods" and "Grizzly", and that's exactly what I got. You have a top of the line cast playing at fun in a fast-paced bats rule the earth horror film. I for one think Lou Diamond Phillips make a very capable, strong male lead, and that's saying a lot, because I was never particularly fond of him. But having lost track of him over the past several years, I've seen him popping up more and more, and I've noticed he's developed into a very capable actor. As for Dina Meyers, she plays her part with gusto, and not only is she beautiful and sexy, but comes off as a very strong and confident scientist trying to do a serious job of killing Bats. Lots of flesh hungry, disease ridden Bats! So if you're looking for a fun, cheesy, midnight movie-style, Drive-In type film, with a taste and feel of all those old monster movies (and believe me, one day this will be on the "Cheesy Movie Classic" list) this is it. All others, apply elsewhere.
Rating: Summary: Ten Years Too Late Review: Sadly enough, this movie managed in proving only one thing to me, that good, old fashioned horror is dead. Bats are plaguing Texas, a self-xplanatory title. The computer-generated bats, who glide swiftly and attack with cunning, cannot save this film from complete disaster. Neither can the star, Lou Diamond Phillips. Phillips not only seems out of place as the Sheriff of Gallup Texas, but completely off key the entire film, in his own little world, and relating little to his supporting cast. At his side, Dina Meyer conveys a somewhat reasonable role of the bat specialist enlisted to help deal with the situation. Unfortunately, she does little the entire film and I really don't understand her role when there were apparently already two bat specialists on the case. I miss the old horror days, that took more to wit than making its monsters believable, and they surely have vanished. In their place we have "Bats", and that doesn't say much for its future, if any exists.
Rating: Summary: Not the best horror movie, but good enough Review: I wasn't sure I'd like this movie at first, but after viewing it I decided to add it to my dvd library (when the price drops a little more). I think one of the biggest perks in the movie was Leon Robinson's character Jimmy. This guy made me laugh throughout the whole movie with his wisecracks. The only thing that really disappointed me was that you didn't really get to see the bats all that much. Sure, there were several close-up parts, but for these kind of "intelligent" bats I was hoping to see a little more close-up shots. The acting was pretty decent all around, not one of Lou Diamond's best. The storyline and plot were pretty decent as well, although most hardcore horror fans are sure to be disappointed. One thing in this movie that made it good was the ending. What a teaser! If you see it you'll know what I mean. The dvd itsel was pretty good quality too. It wasn't too dark like most dvds and the sound was great. I still have yet to look at the extras on it though. I'll save that for when I actually buy it.
Rating: Summary: BATBUSTERS Review: A young couple are having a small disagreement; they are parked in his car on the outskirts of town. He gets out to grab a brew, and when he comes back, they are attacked by something horrible and they are horribly mutilated. Suddenly the CDC is called in, and determine that the killers were bats, giant predatory bats. Enter Dina Meyer and Leon as bat researchers, who are asked to aid in the investigation. Joining in is the local sheriff (Lou Diamond Phillips), and the two doctors who reveal their connection with the bats...genetic experimentation of course. Now the rush is on to find and capture the two leaders, but of course they carry a virus which has affected the other bats, and now we have millions of bats on the loose. BATS is one of those guilty pleasures, but credit the movie for its frenetic pacing, laudable special effects, even with the puppet bats in close ups. They still manage to frighten. The bats attack Gallup in an extended scene that packs a punch. This felt like going to a drive in on a Friday night in the fifties or sixties. A good fright flick and no guilt in the morning.
Rating: Summary: Nearly the worst movie ever Review: I DARE you to try to sit through five minutes of this movie. I sat through about an hour, and then I had to stop. Its not bad enough its a typical killer animal movie, but they have to raise the stupidity level beyond the knowledge of man. OK, so there's an army of killer bats plaguing a town in west Texas. Sounds fair enough, I suppose. You already know in the first ten minutes this is going to be an awful film because of the dialogue and script. The scientist who created the killer bats says he did it, "Because I'm a scientist. Thats what we do." Lines like this deserve a laugh track. The female zoologist - the only bat expert in all of America - is, of course, an ignorant hippie who thinks these bats should be spared even though they have the potential of wiping out all of life on earth. The town sheriff just kinda mopes around and complains. His deputy does a lot more and is more likeable, but he gets eaten by bats. The movie gets worse. Let me explain: imagine yourself in a restaurant, eating your food. Wouldn't you notice a giant, ugly bat slowly walking up to you on your right? "Bats" seems to think you wouldn't. And also, lets say you're playing a video game and two feet away from you one of your best friends is attacked by a bat and runs around the room screaming as the bat tears into his flesh. Wouldn't you notice that? "Bats' seems to think you wouldn't. As usual after the bats attack the military moves in. They look more like the Kentucky national guard than real soldiers, but what do you expect with this movie? Oh yeah and they get wiped out by the bats. Guess defense budget cuts took away all their radar, huh? I stopped watching as the main characters bar themselves inside a school. At that point, every thing was just too predictable. How many times have main characters barred themselves in some where to fight off a horde of giant animals? Its sad when a direct-to-video mosquito movie does it better than a theatrical release. Finally, one last quarrel with this movie: if you watch this movie, you will see the biggest token black character in the history of film. I refer, of course, to the female zoologist's assistant. He could be removed from the film and the movie would still run a smooth course. Most of his speech is a corny one-liner that is quickly ignored. So yes, watch this with your friends, but either bring drugs or alcohol, because thats the only way you're going to enjoy the movie. No wait...I'm sorry, stoners have a better taste in film than that.
Rating: Summary: A bunch of guano Review: Dr. Sheila Casper (Dina Meyer) is a respected zoologist dispatched by the government to Gallup, TX, a small community suffering from an unusual number of bat attacks. Dr. Casper finds this news puzzling, since bats are generally placid creatures that avoid contact with humans. The local sheriff, Emmett Kimsey (Lou Diamond Phillips), assures Casper that the reports are on the level and that something needs to be done about the swarms of aggressive bats that get so thick that they blot out the moon. Casper and Kimsey soon discover that the bats are actually genetically altered killers that have escaped from a loony scientist's research facility and have taken up residence in a cave near Gallup. This flick starts with good photography, nice music, and plenty of potential. However, it's marred by Phillips' unsuccessful attempt to pass himself off as a hick sheriff and the director's fetish for the swooshing camera. The final scene looked like it was shot inside a paint mixer. This movie was a bunch of guano.
Rating: Summary: Lou Diamond in the rough Review: Not since "Jaws" have I been more terrified by a movie with four letters in the title. Lou Diamond Philips is at his best (which is saying a lot) in this movie about bats with an attitude... a BAD attitude! I think this is the scariest "evil-animal" movie that's ever been made. Yes... even scarier than "Harry and the Hendersons"! Bats are so much scarier than sharks, because bats can fly. Sharks are pretty scary too, but they're gray and bats are black. If you ask me, black signifies "evil" much better than gray. You also don't get to see sharks that often because they're hidden under the water. Sure, bats are hidden too because they're black and they only fly at night, but you can see them if you turn the lights on. If you like movies about being chased by nocturnal creatures in a small desert town, then "Bats" just might be the movie for you.
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