Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020)

 

Entry number 7, if you can believe it. Not a lot of franchises get to this point, let alone managing to still deliver fairly entertaining films. Yet 'Tremors' endures and even this one isn't half bad. Okay, there were some lesser ones (3 and 6 spring to mind), but even if this isn't high art, it still manages to be fun, especially if you like the franchise.

And let's be honest: if you didn't like the franchise, you wouldn't have stuck around for number 7, right?

Strange things are afoot on an island near Thailand. The owner of a biotech corporation has unleashed several Graboids in order for them to be hunted by people that pay big bucks to shoot one of these beasties. Not only that, but he actually genetically modified them. 

Yeah, sounds like a great idea. Absolutely nothing could go wrong, right? 

Right?

But of course it does, and shit very quickly hits the fan. Heck, one of the Graboids even makes it to another island where a research time is working. Leading this team is Burt's old flame Jasmine, who is also the mother of Travis (whom you may know from the previous two outings). Travis is not in this film, though. It's not a big loss. She quickly gathers what the threat is and sends for the one man who can take care of this: Burt Gummer. He has almost managed to get off the grid through living the rough life on another island somewhere and even though he is hesitant at first, he finally accepts as there is no escaping his fate. That's how he puts it and well, he's not wrong. 

But it very quickly transpires that the new Shriekers have some different tricks up their sleeve, as has the massive Graboid that now acts as if she is a lot smarter than the classic ones. Because of course she is. Because science and meddling. Or tampering would be more precise. 

Outnumbered, outgunned and feeling his age, will Burt once again manage to put an end to the subterranean menace?

Right off the bat: the idea is nothing new. The location (a lush jungle) is, and it makes for interesting visuals. Heck, even several characters reference 'Predator' and it is actually quite funny. And yes, I'll say it: this one is pretty darn good. They waste no time with an elaborate set-up. We know what's coming and they just run with it. It even manages to be more tense and more akin to the first two. 

Well done.

Even the special effects are rather well done, especially for moderately budgeted CG. The new design of the Shriekers works, even if in some scenes, they feel a bit too much like the raptors from 'Jurassic Park', but hey: nitpicking is an art. 

Actingwise, it isn't anything special. Michael Gross does a great job yet again as the character he has portrayed for over 30 years, but everyone else is painfully forgettable. Maybe Richard Brake as Bill is someone who stands out a bit more, but that has more to do with the actor's face and demanour than the part he plays, especially when he just goes bananas. But it's honestly incredibly hard to remember anyone else. It doesn't matter, as this film is literally running from set piece to set piece, battling monsters. The ending is actually surprisingly heartfelt and - dare I say it? - even gripping in a way. No spoilers, but somehow, it is something everyone both saw coming and yet did not expect. 

This franchise is maybe one of the most consistently entertaining ones out there. Sure, this one is definitely for the hardcore fans, but as a fun monsterflick, it still works if you set your brain to it. Heck, you could do a lot worse than give this one a go.