Wednesday, December 2, 2020

The Midnight Horror Review - Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020)


It seems it has been forever since my last Midnight Horror Review. As you can see by the post title, I am reviewing Tremors: Shrieker Island, which Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released to Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on October 20, 2020. I received a digital screener before the film's release date, and I did watch it immediately, but I haven't had time to write the review until tonight.  


Tremors: Shrieker Island is the seventh installment in the long-running Tremors franchise, and this one marks the third edition of the new "reboot" sequels. Directed by Don Michael Paul (Yeah, the same guy who made the last two movies.), the film stars Michael Gross as the franchise's gun-trotting hero Burt Gunner, who gets forced out of retirement after getting a visit from a stranger, Jimmy (played by Jon Heder). It seems that a rich game hunter, Bill (played by Richard Brake), somehow got his hands on four Graboid eggs and had them genetically enhanced before hatching. Why would somebody do such a thing? Well, Bill did this so he can charge wealthy hunters a lot of money to hunt on his private Dark Island. However, there's a little problem - Shriekers!


Burt travels with Jimmy to a nearby island, where he bumps into Dr. Jasmine 'Jas' Welker (played by Caroline Langrishe) or otherwise known as the mother of his son, Travis (who doesn't appear in the film). She runs an environmental research site with a few dedicated employees (including Jimmy). With no guns at his disposal, Burt must rely on machetes, bow and arrows, flamethrowers, and WWII dynamite to stop the monster threat.



Final Thoughts

I'm not going to give away the ending, but let's just say Tremors: Shrieker Island is probably the final installment in the original series. The seventh installment is Jurassic Park with Graboids replacing the T-Rex, but it feels too much like a clone hybrid of Tremors 5: Bloodlines and Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell. Yes, this is a sequel, but it feels exactly like the last two entries.  


The cinematography is above average for a Tremors sequel. Many of the shots show off the beautiful landscapes and gave the movie more of a cinematic feel. The CGI is a mixed bag. The Graboids were excellent, but the Shriekers looked a little too fake, especially during the cavern scene. My biggest complaint is the lack of screen time for the monsters.  


Once again, Michael Gross gives a standout performance as Burt Gunner, though my favorite actor from this film is Richard Brake, who gives depth to a cliched bad guy character. Jon Heder does a decent job as the sidekick, but the character feels too much like Napoleon Dynamite.


For those of you who need to know, the bonus features on the Blu-ray are The Monsters of Tremors, Tremors Top 30 Moments, and The Legend of Burt Gummer.


Overall, Tremors: Shrieker Island is slightly better than the 6th film, but the ending is either going to make you cry or piss you off.


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