Humanoids from the Deep (1996)

The title kind of explains everything you need to know about this film anyway. If you can't work out what the film is about and the quality of the movie, then you need to watch more films! A small town gets more than they bargained for when someone does something or other (it doesn't really matter) that makes giant fish men come up from the depths and start trying to 'get to know' the local female population. But don't worry... a plucky band of fish-fighting men are on hand to sort out these aquatic Casanovas.The film has a real eighties feel about it - which is odd as it was made in 1996 - the same year as sci-fi blockbuster, Independence Day. It's hard to believe that two so radically different looking films can be made at the same time (although, Humanoids From the Deep is a little more believable when it comes to plot - no fish men were killed with the help of an Apple computer).The first half of the film is played straight, however in the second half, the mood starts to change to something a bit more tongue-in-cheek (definitely how this movie should be taken, in my opinion). Yes, it's cheesy, yes, it's daft and yes, this film will never be up there with The Godfather and Shawshank Redemption. However, it is rather silly fun and if you're a fan of eighties horror movies with men in big rubber suits trying their hand at dating human females, then you might enjoy this - definitely one of those 'guilty pleasure' films.NB. Was it just me, or did anyone else think there were a few 'Aliens' references in this film? I won't go on about them. It might just be my imagination.http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Humanoids From the Deep (1996) * 1/2 (out of 4) Remake of the 1980 film pretty much has the same story as chemicals turn regular salmon into walking killers. The 80's film was a lot of fun due to the violence, gore, nudity, sex and outrageous politically incorrect humor but pretty much all of that is missing here. The director throws out all sorts of gore but he forgets to make the film very fun. Watching both films back to back would just make this one seem even worse than it is. David Carradine is horrid in the lead but Clint Howard has a pretty funny role. Stick with the original.

~Spoiler~ Humanoids From the Deep is a remake of a film from 1980 that I haven't seen (yet). I can only imagine that it's better than this version. Here's the lowdown: The government (who else) has created fish men that escape and are able to survive in the ocean because of chemical dumping. Naturally, like fish men do, they like to eat people and mate with women. The only thing separating this from a Sci-fi Channel Original is the gore effects. They are nicely done and the only real stand-out of the picture. I want to say the acting caliber is better, but Robert Carradine was just in one of their crappy Sabretooth movies. Don't get me wrong, I like Robert Carradine, he's just been in some stinkers. Also showing up and slumming it are Mark Rolston (the guy was in Aliens for crying out loud) and Clint Howard (and to say this guy is slumming it should tell you something). Basically the government comes in and makes the situation worse so our band of heroes has to stop the fish men themselves. You've seen it before.

In the mid 90's producer Roger Corman did a series of re-makes of his previous movies for the Showtime cable network. Corman is a great low budget producer, but it does not really show here. They have cut back on all of the extreme gore and sex that made the first one a drive-in classic. All in all, worth a watch for only a true horror, or Roger Corman, fan.