Wonderfully offbeat film!

the audience applauded

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

MAMMOTH is a particularly bad comedy horror flick from the Sci Fi Channel, shot in Romania so looking cheaper than ever. It follows a plot involving an alien organism arriving on Earth and attaching itself to the first thing it finds, which happens to be a woolly mammoth that subsequently goes on the rampage. Perhaps realising that the CGI effects are so terrible that nobody will ever begin to take this seriously, this plays out with a tongue firmly in cheek and it's completely unfunny, awkwardly so in fact. The only thing thing this has going for it is a couple of interesting actors who are better than their material. Tom Skerritt and Summer Glau play a father and daughter team and this is a low point in both of their resumes.

I got this because I heard that it was a decent B-movie. Well, it might be decent when compared to all other modern B-movie science fiction/horror films, but it's nowhere near the level of the classic B-movies that are much more enjoyable, and here's why: This one tries to be both a B-movie and a parody of a classic B-movie. That's really something that is hard to do. I can't think of any really successful examples that did this.In the classic B-movies, the characters were all earnest in dealing with whatever the outlandish problem/event/monster was, and in a realistic manner. The approach by the producers was, what if this could happen, and how would people deal with it? That made for a serious exposition even if the effects were subpar, and made for an enjoyable viewing. Also, the characters tended to all be working towards the same goal and with one another, not against each other. There wasn't all sorts of stupid backstabbing or personal grudge matches amongst the serious protagonists, like scientists, military men, local police, etc. They all either worked together or eventually did so due to the situation at hand. This is what makes the classic B-movies so great to watch.In the modern B-movies, we see all sorts of stupidity surrounding the people involved. They all have a personal fiefdom to protect and all have unwarranted antagonistic feelings toward each other. Also, they tend to show major character peculiarities that are entirely unrealistic. As an example, the main scientist in this movie isn't much of a smart scientist at all, and is really ignorant around home, but not in a way that we can relate to, but in a goofball way played for laughs. I get it that the actor was channeling a Bruce Campbell type of character, but only Bruce Campbell is good at that and making it work.The other thing so annoying in these modern B-movies is the incredibly ridiculous stereotyping of any type of authority or political figure that doesn't meet with the filmmakers' approval. This is probably because these modern ones are pretty much thought up, written by, and helmed by twenty-something comic book geeks and delayed adolescent film buffs, and the immaturity shows in the movie.The great classic B-movies, the best ones, were all written by and produced by adults with adult sensibilities, regardless of the material presented. I'm talking about people like Jack Arnold, William Alland, writers Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, effects men like Ray Harryhausen, character actors like Jeff Morrow, Richard Carlson, and Rex Reason. This is why the modern B-movies are rarely as good as the classics.

I admit that SCI FI has set the bar mighty low when it comes to its original movies. So, I tuned in to Mammoth expecting more of the same. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed this movie.Vincent Ventresca as Dr. Frank Abernathy is the main reason the movie works. He is sort of a cross between Bruce Campbell and the Absent Minded Professor, and brings a much needed dose of comedy to the story.The Mammoth itself is an unimpressive, not scary, CGI mess. But Tim Cox wisely minimizes its screen time and leaves it to the actors to carry the movie, and they do a fine job.The movie moves at a brisk enough pace that you are distracted from the lack of a strong story line. But, again, this movie is about fun, not scares. I recommend it.

MAMMOTH is one in an endless line of sci-flicks shot on the cheap for The Sci-Fi Channel. The plot is always the same: a group of people must face a CGI creation of some sort, whether it be a flying reptile, a smilodon, a giant spider, or in this case, a resurrected mammoth. Actually, the CGI in this one isn't all that bad, and no one takes the plot too seriously. Tom Skerritt is the only name actor, and is almost unrecognizable as the only "senior" in the group. Summer Glau of FIREFLY pops in, for the fanboy crowd. A time killer that actually is heads above the last couple of these CGI creature fests. But as usual, there's too much running around to pad out the running time, no pun intended.