The Curse of the Komodo (2004)

User Rating:

2.9/10   

Director:

Jim Wynorski

Writer:

Steve Latshaw (writer)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Action

Tagline:

It's hungry.

Plot:

Genetically-engineered Komodo dragons have become ginormous creatures hunting people on a remote tropical island. A small group of scientists must stop the dragons before they escape the island and destroy the rest of the world. |

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Escaped Convict | Female Nudity | Genetic Engineering | Zombie

Cast

Tim Abell	...	Jack
Melissa Brasselle	...	Tiffany
William Langlois	...	Prof. Nathan Phipps
Gail Harris	...	Dr. Dawn Porter
Paul Logan	...	Drake
Glori-Anne Gilbert	...	Rebecca
Ted Monte	...	Hanson
Cam Newlin	...	Reece
J.P. Davis	...	Blake
Jay Richardson	...	Foster
Arthur Roberts	...	Casino Manager
Richard Gabai	...	Jeffries
Daryl Haney	...	Finton
Scott Fresina	...	Hotel Guest
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Cashier (as Buck Flower)
Robert Donavan	...	Hotel Manager
Rob Sanchez	...	Security Guard
Benjamin Sacks	...	Military Liaison

Directed by
Jim Wynorski		(as Jay Andrews)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Steve Latshaw		writer

Produced by
Sam A. Hasass	....	producer
Gregory Pyros	....	executive producer
Susan Pyros	....	executive producer
Roma Roth	....	associate producer
Alison Semenza	....	producer
William B. Steakley	....	line producer
Jim Valdez	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Neal Acree

Cinematography by
Andrea V. Rossotto		(as Andrea Rossotto)

Film Editing by
Michael Kuge

Production Design by
Steve Ralph

Costume Design by
Bonnie Stauch

Makeup Department
Michelle Werner	....	key hair stylist
Michelle Werner	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Maureen Norton	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Greenfield	....	second assistant director
Topher Miller	....	second second assistant director (as Christopher 'Topher' Miller)
Jonathan Southard	....	first assistant director

Art Department
T. Brett Lindsey	....	swing
Dave Preston	....	painter
Dave Preston	....	property master

Special Effects by
Steve Newquist	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Gabe Askew	....	animator
Chris Ervin	....	digital effects artist
William Mings	....	supervising animator
Gregory Pyros	....	visual effects supervisor
Susan Pyros	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Ross Clay	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric D. Anderson	....	first assistant camera
Don Burton	....	second assistant camera
Matt Chubet	....	Steadicam operator
Bryan Gilbert	....	grip
Euripides Núñez	....	gaffer
Gregory Peters	....	still photographer
Joe Torres	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Amanda Jones	....	wardrobe supervisor

Transportation Department
William Kuehn	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Marc Kunis	....	production accountant
Benjamin Sacks	....	production coordinator (as Benjamin F. Sacks)
R.J. Samson	....	assistant to producers
Suzanne Surtees	....	script supervisor
Mike Tristano	....	armorer

Production Companies

• Royal Oaks Entertainment Inc.

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• DEJ Productions (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Veronica (2007) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)

Special Effects

• Pyros Pictures

Other Companies

• Act One Script Clearance  script research
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violence and some nudity.

Runtime:

Japan:92 min | USA:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Italy:T | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Kaua`i, Hawaii, USA

Company:

Royal Oaks Entertainment Inc.

Goofs:

Continuity: The F-14s are shown launching small, wing-mounted rockets which are obviously air-to-air missiles (these would be used in shooting down an opposing enemy aircraft), yet the explosions on the ground indicate massive and multiple napalm bomb drops.

Quotes:

Dr. Dawn Porter: Rebecca, I want you back on shore immediately, and put on your clothes.

Movie Connections:

Follows Komodo (1999)

If you want to feel psychic . . .

Watch Curse of the Komodo, and guess what the next line is going to be; you'll be amazed how frequently you not only get the gist of the coming dialogue, but predict it verbatim. But wait! It gets better! You can also quite easily predict what will become of essential items such as the generator keeping the electric fence going, all the vehicles, most of the communication devices, the thoughts of the higher up personnel.

I personally loved how the Komodo just stood there whenever it was in frame. It opened its mouth and roared with its 1950s-ish monster movie look and stock-sound-effect roar that's been used in such intimidating places as Scooby Doo (side-note, do Komodos roar?). Might as well make the movie about an oversized Chihuahua that just bounces up and down barking. People shoot at it. It stands there, not even bleeding. People fire more rounds, it still stand there.

At this point I think at least one person would try something a little different like aiming for universal soft-spots such as, I dunno, the eyes? We have to assume that they're not standing their firing randomly, but the director fails to communicate that idea.

They get into a truck and drive, and now the thing decides to move and try to dine. Why not charge while they're all just standing there? Characters and creatures do what the plot needs them to do when the plot needs them to despite the fact that the plot defies logic on so many levels that it can't be ignored (this coming from a fan of low budget horror films which always defies logic).

Let's think about this, guns going off and bullets hitting a Komodo is going to provoke it to take a little more action than standing and roaring. If it hurts or confuses the thing, it's probably going to go away. If it doesn't hurt it, it's probably going to p*ss it off which means its going to attack. You know what? Even if it is hurt/confused, it might still attack, actually. I'm no expert on Komodo dragons; maybe they would just stand there and smile . . . but would they still be around then (Komodo . . .dodo bird . . . hmmm).

Anyway, logically, wouldn't we see a more curious creature investigating these people before it started eating? And if the answer is `because the creature mutated, it would be more aggressive.' Okay fine . . . so why didn't it show this aggression during a logical moment like being shot at?

And to answer the above question - well, the Komodo effects were not well designed. In cinema, creature effects become an actor requiring a performance which requires a high degree of articulation (not present here). After all, we are creating organic beasts with a wide range of expressions, gestures, that would communicate its intentions. The plot needs the thing to roar and run, so that's all it does . . . hey wait, that's not far off from what the cast has to do - talk and run.

I waited through the whole film for an intelligent decision, and found only one - "Let's backup our data so we can let the world know the truth.' Too bad I couldn't get an intelligent decision *and* an unpredictable plot element, but maybe I'm asking for too much. Especially in light of the final few scenes involving an air strike, which I'm assuming was cut together with stock footage since the planes changed from shot to shot.

The high point of the film was the character Jack thanks to the actor. All the actors played this quite stale like they realized they were making a goofy monster movie and just wanted their paycheck so they could get out of there. Kinda strange that the actor to breath some life into his role was the character stuck in a place he didn't want to be in and just wanted the hell out of there. Maybe I just detected a hint of ironic honesty in the performance. Go figure.