Let’s finish the series.
Tremors 7 is the latest (and hopefully last) Tremors film to round out a franchise that started out strong. This time, we have professional hunters get over their heads when genetically modified graboids prove too much for them to handle.
Hunter leader and billionaire weirdo Bill (Richard Brake) is perhaps the closest the series has gotten to having a good human villain. When Burt (Michael Gross) tries to talk Bill into giving up the hunt Bill doubles down and refuses to listen to reason.
Burt must also protect the native population (who are almost completely off screen) and researchers led by his old fling Jas (Caroline Langrishe) and works with not-Kevin-Bacon Jimmy (Jon Heder). While this might all sound similar, at least we don’t have Jaime Kennedy sleazing things up with needless and forced flirtations, so yay, progress?
The most frustrating part of this film is that it had the potential to be fun. Unlike sequels 3-6, this one has decent bones for a good monster film. Richard Brake is a good actor. He often isn’t in the best movies, but he is a professional who throws himself 110% into every role he has. He’s great as the weird and unhinged Bill. It is a shame we don’t get more time with him just being nuts (and the PG-13 rating holds back what could have been a truly insane character). Michael Gross also throws himself into these roles.
These actors deserved a better script. We have painfully long and unneeded exposition setting things up. The first twenty minutes of the film could be cut down to three. The film isn’t comfortable or confident enough in itself or the audience to simply SHOW the damn story. We have to have characters hold our hand through an overly complicated and stupid setup that could (and should) have been simplified for audience enjoyment.
I’m not sure why the issue of not trusting the audience seems so prevalent in this series. We end up with these overwrought stories that strangle the fun out of the characters and the setting before the film even has a chance to get going.
This one does have some genuinely funny moments, but it still isn’t a good film. It ends with a better film than most of the sequels. I don’t know what to say about the series. It’s idiots hunting giant worms in increasingly convoluted scenarios. I guess if you like the other ones you’ll like this one. You might also just be frustrated that the waste better characters than they’ve had in a long time.
I’m tired now and don’t want to talk about graboids anymore.
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