Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Michael Gross, and Reba McEntire (in her acting debut) star in this story about a small, isolated town in the desert named Perfection that suddenly finds itself the center of monster activity. These creatures they named "graboids" listen for the slightest vibration, chase it down, and eat it. Can the handful of residents survive?
As I was watching this mild horror flick for the umpteenth time my daughter asked "Why do we love this movie so much?" It's been our favorite go-to late-night movie for many years, and one I wasn't afraid to show her even when she was a pre-teen (F-bombs and gloppy deaths not withstanding). For one thing, it's funny. Kevin Bacon has always been adorably charming in nearly everything he's in, and this movie is no exception. Ward, Gross, and McEntire play quintessential small-town characters, but they're not complete caricatures, just real. Okay, Burt Gummer (Gross) is a bit over the top, but in this case that adds to the humor.
For another thing, this story is original. It's not a remake, it's not a re-imagining of some 19th century literary bugaboo, and it's like nothing we've seen before. That alone earns it a lot of points in my book.
I've watched this over twenty times, but it still earned five laugh out loud moments from me today. If this is your first viewing, it might earn you even more.
Five stars. I might have dinged it down to four and a half for Gross' slightly over-the-top survivalist portrayal and the almost audible statement by the actress that plays Valentine's (Bacon) love interest that she will only do nudity if it's integral to the plot, but these things are minor and I can find no other faults. It's family friendly, if you don't mind the language, and perfect for a Halloween fright-fest with the older kids who are too young for slasher flicks.
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