Vipers (2008)

VIPERS is just another in a recent wave of schlocky monster movies that appear to have been made for the Sci-Fi Channel in the USA. Like all TV movies, with invariably low budgets and a lack of taste, VIPERS does nothing to buck the trend and in the end is nothing more than a mundane outing for horror fans. Once again, the monster of the day is your humble snake, almost exclusively brought to the screen via some quite horrible CGI effects which are never able to turn a cartoon menace into a remotely plausible threat. Snakes have been a perennial favourite for decades now in horror flicks but their presence here is perfunctory at beast.Once again a disparate group of survivors find themselves holed up against the threat, hiding in a burger wagon amongst other places! Liberal gallons of blood are splashed about during the messy death sequences but poor editing robs them of any gore-for-gore's-sake joy. One thing VIPERS has going for it is the pacing: unlike many such movies, following their strict template of first half set-up, second half action, this one kicks in with plenty of stuff right away and never lets up until the end. Okay, so what happens on screen is pretty unbelievable and/or boring, but at least it happens quickly.The cast could be worse, too. Headlining this effort is Tara Reid, once-famous for her role in the American PIE movies. Sadly, not even ten years later, her looks have faded as has her star, and her poor acting helps to sink the movie. The rest of the cast are a typical bunch of TV actor types, with a few veterans like the excellent Don S. Davis popping up to mix things up. Corbin Bernsen is top-billed but has little more than an extended cameo as the head bad guy. He goes get to take part in the funny, out-of-left-field twist ending, though, which makes no sense whatsoever.Fans looking for snake action will be disappointed. The big action climax, complete with flamethrowers and plenty of drama, takes place in near pitch darkness and the snakes are barely scene. I did enjoy the viciousness with which the film-makers took most of the extraneous cast to pieces but such moments are countered by pure silliness. The snakes, for instance, always scream when they're getting killed; how or why I don't know, but I guess it has to do with their genetic modification. No matter. VIPERS is one for genre fans only, and even they'll be hard pressed to extract enjoyment from this below par effort.

The residents in the tiny remote community of Eden Island find themselves in great jeopardy after a bunch of lethal scientifically enhanced snakes escape from a nearby lab research facility. Director Bill Corcoran, working from a rather trite script by Brian Katkin, relates the familiar and predictable, yet still enjoyable story at a snappy enough pace, draws the main characters with real depth, and delivers plenty of pretty graphic (albeit fairly tacky) gore, but alas fails to generate much in the way of initial suspense and gets bogged down a bit too much in tiresome small town melodrama. Worse yet, the cruddy and unconvincing CGI snakes prove to be utterly laughable instead of scary and threatening. Fortunately, this movie improves as it goes along, with an especially tense and exciting last third complete with some rousing and well staged set pieces. Moreover, the competent acting by the capable cast keeps this picture on track: Tara Reid as the feisty Nicky Swift, Jonathan Scarfe as likable and resourceful ex-Marine Cal Taylor, Stephen E. Miller as the amiable Hank Brownie, Corbin Bernsen as nefarious and duplicitous corporate bigwig Burton, Don S. Davis as the genial Dr. Silverton, and Mark Humphrey as the no-nonsense Sheriff Hendricks. However, Genevieve Buechner seriously grates on the nerves as whiny teenage brat Maggie and Mercedes McNab is wasted in a nothing minor role. Both Thomas Burstyn's crisp cinematography and Lawrence Shragge's lively rattling score are up to par. An acceptable time-waster.

This was my sixth title I have viewed from the Maneater series. I wasn't expecting much at all except a way to waste a Sunday morning. However I was shocked. I was expecting them to use National Geographic footage of vipers lunging at people, but instead found a cool movie that I really enjoyed.Now some people just can't appreciate b-movies simply because they seem to actually care for the mainstream stuff and don't even want to give such stuff as Vipers a chance. If you want something award worthy your in the wrong place.However this is a fun little movie, I was into the characters and I'll say it's the best title I've seen from the Maneater series overall.

That was quite easily the worst movie I have ever seen. You can forgive poor visuals but not the story line, facts and acting. It is one of those films that those involved must question why they made the film in the 1st place. This film could only have passed as respectable if a small town made the film to promote itself. Its unfortunate someone like Don Davis (may he rest in peace) put his name to the film. Its a train wreck that probably has to be seen to be believed. Snakes that could chew human flesh, hunt in packs, eat all the fish in the water and leave almost no human remains is bordering on ridiculous. At some stages they flew at their victims and attacked necks like they were a predator. The scenes where they attract the snakes with flame throwers in the middle of the night so the dozens of survivors could run to the boat sums up the film. Forget the snakes inability to stay warm enough and active enough at night, not to mention the snakes just happen to ignore the vibrations in the ground made by all those running people. It makes "Snakes on a plane" look decent and "Anaconda" look like like a multiple award winner and thats not easy to do. Save your money and if you have to spend it, give it to a good charity.