Flu Bird Horror (2008 TV Movie) User Reviews

Things I learned from Flu Bird Horror

[kiawa77 · 2/10 · 13 September 2008]

Just use fishing as an excuse for anything.

If you hear a roar in the woods and your friend is standing about three feet from you, it is prudent to ask, "Did you hear that?"

If you are carrying a shotgun when a large bird-like creature swoops down and starts chewing on your pal, show him what friends are really for and run like hell.

If you are blind-folded when playing a stupid camp game, make sure you wander deep into the woods and way out of earshot of help before removing your blindfold.

If giant flying dinosaur-like creatures attack your camp, run for cover in a nylon tent, especially if you just watched them peck the counselor to death.

Delinquents are always more resourceful than armed people and the authorities.

Nothing brings people together like a group smoke.

Standing by and watching while people you know get eaten by monsters is never fruitful.

When on the run from flying, mutated bird monsters, you can always find time to stop and make out in the woods.

Apparently beating the hell out of equipment you perceive to be faulty won't fix it after all.

Two delinquents with shotguns are more effective at shooting monsters than heavily-armed, highly-trained military personnel.

If you are with a group of people, most of whom have guns, be sure not to fire at a monster that is essentially at point blank range in your car window.

We will never know where the bird monsters came from.

We will never truly know if all of them were destroyed.

We will never know if the strain that went air-born at the hospital got out.

We will never know what eventually happens to our heroes.

But all in all, "people can change."

Lame and Stupid

[claudio_carvalho · 3/10 · 5 December 2010]

Two amateurish hunters are attacked by creepy birds in the woods. Meanwhile seven delinquents are camping in the forest with their counselor in a program of reintegration to the society. Suddenly they are attacked by the birds and the counselor dies and one of the youngsters is wounded. The brutal Johnson (Jonathon Trent) imposes his leadership by force to the others while they are hunted by the birds. Meanwhile the ranger Garrett (Lance Guest) finds one of the hunters fainted in the forest and brings him to the hospital. Dr. Jacqueline Hale (Clare Carey) discovers that the patient is contaminated by a lethal influenza and she calls CDC that seals off the hospital putting everybody in quarantine. The youngster Eva (Sarah Butler) calls Garrett and tells their position, but the chief of security decides to blow up the whole area.

"Flu Birds" is a lame and stupid horror movie with a dreadful story, awful characters and terrible acting. It is impressive how flawed and unintelligent the badly written screenplay is, with clichés and mistakes. There are so many stupidities but I would like to highlight the following: (1) The security guard shoots the doctor and feels sorry, but he is incapable to physically block her. (2) The scene with the soldiers shooting at the birds is something pathetic. (3) The hunter in the beginning leaves his friend instead of shooting the bird. (4) The sacrifice of Johnson killing the two birds (weren't they five?) in the end is absolutely incoherent with the personality of the character. (5) The hospital is forgotten in the rest of the story. (6) The leader of the security flies with the pilot alone to bomb the cabin is also terrible. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Vale dos Mortos" ("Valley of the Dead")

I cheered for the Flu Birds

[kapman · 2/10 · 1 September 2008]

I was cheering for the Flu Birds to win so the movie would be over. The writing and directing had me feeling sorry for the actors. What could they do to save the film being handed this piece of poop. Was it written by a 7 year old and directed by a homeless person. My apology to the homeless. The actors apparently needed jobs and apparently need new managers. The actors did over act in what I think was them trying to make the movie kind of camp. The actors were good looking but I saw pain in their faces like they were being forced to do this film. If this was intended to be a horror movie then they really missed the mark. I did find myself laughing at how ridiculous the whole thing was. It is another example how someone had a good idea for a movie and then the writers and director screwed it all up. I suppose the people that funded this movie are so rich that they wanted a tax loss for the year?

I weep for those others who wasted their time watching this

[Helen_Kay · 12 September 2008]

So my warning to those of you who have not yet wasted their time, no matter how cheap you may view it, DON'T.

This is what the Sci-Fi Channel is becoming known for; brain-dead movies which are not in the least "Sci-Fi". At one point in history, not so long ago, say, prior to 2002, the Sci-Fi Channel was true to its name. Then came movies like this. And in droves! Garbage, pitiful piles of dung which never cease to amaze for the sheer low quality they exude.

What's most notable about this "movie" is the sheer LACK of anything GOOD to say about it! Rare is the movie which is of such all-encompassing lackluster merits that there are no good points to be offered. No, this movie doesn't even have the "cheese" appeal; you can't even say "it's so BAD it's GOOD"! If you want that, watch some of the Japanese monster films from the 1960s.

About the only remarkable quality of this film is how the Sci-Fi Channel manages to produce movies which continue to get WORSE.

Flu Bird Horror

[Scarecrow-88 · 3/10 · 24 October 2009]

Pteriodactl like creatures(..called mutated birds carrying scales), carrying H5N1 viruses that leave those infected with horrifying skin diseases, lead a full assault on juvie kids on a camping trip and their counselor, while also attacking two hunters, killing one while another is rescued by Garrett(Lance Guest;The Last Starfighter), a park ranger who operates within a 200 mile reserve. Dr. Jacqueline Hale(..television veteran, Clare Carey), a former flame of Garrett's, discovers that her patient, the hunter attacked, with a large gash on his neck she stitches, is carrying a variant on the Avian flu which renders the victims infected doomed. This virus is caught through the blood stream and a possible pandemic could arise if the birds carrying it aren't destroyed. Enter a government response team who quarantine the hospital which contains the infected victim and those within it besides Garrett and Hale who hop in his jeep and seek after the teenagers caught somewhere in the middle of the reserve, their counselor dead after being ripped apart by the predatory birds. Soon a SWAT team, along with biological agents are sent in to find the birds resulting in a massacre. Meanwhile, we follow the teens as they combat the birds and each other, hoping to stay alive long enough for Garrett to find them.

While the CGI and prosthetic work for the birds is pathetic, there's some pretty potent gore involved in this "animals attack" movie, particularly the icky skin diseases that evolve after those harmed by the birds become infected. The most gory moments in the movie show victims being torn into by the birds, gaping, bloody flesh wounds as those attacked scream out in horror. The birds themselves aren't the least bit convincing which might result in unintentional giggles. The plot arrangement for the kids being pursued is similar to the killer bear movie, "Grizzly Park", where juveniles, a group of kids who have broken the law, are given a chance to unify in a cause, learning to work together in an environment as a means of reform. These kids, except maybe the brave, good-hearted, and ultimately resourceful Ava(Sarah Butler), are a loathsome group, particularly Johnson(Jonathon Trent), who is a selfish punk, sacrificing those(..including two who are attacked by the birds, leaving them to die as a means to distract the winged monster while he can get away)that would get in the way of his survival. Johnson has an ugly soul and he barks orders, always threatening those around him with hostile intent if they do not obey him. The decision to make him into a hero my journey's end is laughable when one considers his many despicable acts during the course of the film. Good decision to make Butler the central heroine, because she has a morality and strength that is needed when you look at the others she stuck with. The poor fat kid named Porky has quite a ghastly fate and how he's dealt with so that the others can escape leaves quite a bad taste. I'm not sure this is a ringing endorsement, but Flu Bird Horror(..just the title has me chuckling)could be one of Leigh Scott's better movies! Flu Bird Horror is typical Sci-fi channel fare I'm sure will be making it's rounds for some time to come.

Epic Failure

[zero_destiny_0 · 2/10 · 8 November 2008]

Lo, for the genius of humanity reveals itself in Flu Birds, the most awe-inspiring movie ever - before it's over you'll wish you were playing solitaire on your computer, it's just that grabbing. As this abomination progressed, I found myself gaping, gasping, laughing, crying, even shivering - all in agonizing pain. The epic fail this movie is, is riveting. Surely it is the horror equivalent of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, which we all know is the best film ever with its Bottom 100 rating. The only thing scary about Flu Birds is the blatant discontinuity and the idiocy of the characters, all of whom are either exceedingly stupid or just plain assholes. You'll hate them all and wish them dead. The "birds" look more like pterodactyls than anything; the idea that they are even mutated doesn't fly. Their CGI was okay, although there were many scenes that were sickeningly fake. Scientific and logic flaws are so numerous there's just no counting them. Indeed, you will shed many tears of disappointment and despair that this movie could even be put into production, if it doesn't burn your eyes out first. Do yourself a favor and rent a documentary about rocks. It'll be better than this movie by far, and you're far less likely to kill yourself at the end.

These teens are for the birds

[MartianOctocretr5 · 3/10 · 6 November 2010]

You'll root for the birds. Some obnoxious noisy twerps are camping to get away from "juvie hall" for a couple of days, and a swarm of mutant bird/dinosaur hybrids decide to shut them up. They blindfold their clichéd chubby dumb guy, and send him wandering into the forest. Glad to see how the correctional system is putting our tax dollars to work. Well, at least the birdies have the right idea on how to deal with these fools, and it's worth tolerating all the screaming, yelling, bad acting, and "rebel teen" baloney just to see the birds wipe out these creeps. The losers even bait the bird creatures with an injured guy as a diversion to escape; perhaps a lame attempt at social commentary.

Feed them all (including the crew) to the birdies.

This was infectious alright...

[Twosocks42-1 · 1/10 · 8 November 2008]

An infectious, reeking, horrible excuse for a movie. I cannot believe I spent a dollar at the red-box renting this movie; a mistake that will be sure to haunt me for days to come. Trying to put down all of what went wrong in this movie is a confusing and overwhelming task- it seems like there is no end to the list of mistakes a person could put down for this "movie". However, trying to come up with some positive points is a much easier and rather manageable task, so let me give it to you:

1. The special effects in terms of the graphic gore (of which there was plenty) was not 'that bad'. I would not go so far as to say very good either, but at least this was tolerable. It looked believable enough.

2. The character range was believable, given the nature of their grouping. They had a drive that reflected who they were, which gave what little drive there was to this plot.

Now, what was wrong with it? 1. The majority of these hardly known TV bit part actors couldn't act to save their life. Seriously. Someone should find them an alternative career path and encourage them to seek a start in it immediately, before I or anyone else has to sit through another movie with their sub par acting making already bad movies even worse.

2. The story had all kinds of plot holes and little was to be expected in the way of tying things together and having this make any kind of sense whatsoever. Do you want to see a movie that you can follow? Rent anything else. Do you want to stare at your TV in disbelief for the next couple of hours, thinking about the other things you could be doing with your time besides trying to figure out WHAT just happened and how? Well this one is for you my sadistic pup.

3. Discontinuities up the wazoo. I won't spoil it for you by describing what all the messed up, but believe me, it is extremely noticeable- and I often don't notice these little screw ups the first time I watch a movie.

This movie looked like it had the potential to be a mix of a classic and a good movie- The Birds and 28 days later. Instead, I was quite disappointed and to say the least quite surprised that I did not pick up my pen and shove it through my eye and as far into my brain as I could, so I could get out of seeing any more of this film.

More Sc-Fi Channel 'Creature Feature' madness.

[poolandrews · 4/10 · 22 April 2009]

Flu Bird Horror starts as two guy's out deer hunting in some isolated forest are attacked by what look like large reptilian prehistoric birds, one is killed while the other is badly injured. Meanwhile several convicted teens on a trip to the woods with a social worker are also attacked by the birds, with their social worker dead these layabout law-breaking teens have to work together to survive becoming bird food. Back with the fisherman & he is rescued by a local forest ranger who takes him to hospital where the doctor's get very worried as he seems to be infected with a highly contagious & lethal mutant strain of bird flu that could start a worldwide epidemic that could kill billions...

Great, just what the world needed. Another Sci-Fi Channel 'Creature Feature' with bad CGI computer effects & a totally lame & predictable story full of holes & bad writing. Issued on DVD in the US under the title of Flu Birds & knew I was in trouble when I saw Nu Image Films produced it & Leigh Scott directed it (just check out their IMDb resumes & see at how many bad horror films they both have credited between them) so at that point I wasn't expecting too much which is just as well because Flu Bird Horror isn't that good although I will admit I have seen worse Sci-Fi Channel 'Creature Features' although that's certainly no sort of recommendation in itself. The script is pretty poor, the teen character's are all clichéd & annoying, there's virtually zero exposition or plot & the makers don't even try to suggest where the birds came from, what they are, where they have been, why no-one has ever seen them before, why there's only six of them, why they have only just started to attack people or why they carry a mutant strain of bird flu. Then there's the fact that Flu Bird Horror tends to focus more on the killer disease aspect of it's story like a zero budget rip-off of Outbreak (1995) rather than it's monster birds which would be fine but the disease angle is never tied up, the last time we see the hospital it's quarantined & the deadly mutant bird flu is rampant yet this side of the story is never resolved or gone back to again. Having said that it moves along at a reasonable pace, it doesn't outstay it's welcome, there are a couple of OK gore scenes & it's relatively entertaining in a crap sort of way if you don't think about the plot too much.

Like all Sci-Fi Channel 'Creature Features' Flu Bird Horror has plenty of CGI computer effects & I have to say while they aren't particularly good they are better than most of the Sci-Fi Channel output. There's some OK gore here too with a pecked out eyeball, a severed leg, a body bitten in half, some intestine eating & some guy with bird flu who has lots of open bloody sores all over his body. I think the DVD artwork displayed on the IMDb is misleading, this isn't about ordinary birds turning into killers & giving people horrible diseases as there's these prehistoric dinosaur looking creatures the origins of which are never explained in any way whatsoever.

The production values are alright, it's fairly well made as far as cheap TV films go. The acting is alright too, even though the character's are poor the actor's are OK & there one or two good looking girls here which helps.

Flu Bird Horror is a fairly routine Sci-Fi Channel 'Creature Feature' that isn't as bad as some of it's type but that ain't saying much, if you know what to expect & can live with the expected &^ obligatory flaws then you may get something out of Flu Bird Horror, all other's should steer well clear.

A real horror of a movie alright!

[TheLittleSongbird · 1/10 · 10 June 2012]

Where to begin criticising Bird Flu Horror? Well, to start with, it is a very cheap-looking movie. The scenery is alright, but the editing is haphazard which I think further reduces any tension levels and the special effects were so fake I had to check to see whether it actually was made in 2008. The story is another big problem, not only does it have numerous scientific and logical errors, it is predictable and has no real sense of dread, in fact a lot comes across as overly-silly rather than anything else, but it makes the mistake of being dull. The script is cheesy and doesn't leave the actors much to work with, the birds lack any kind of menace, the direction is lazy and the characters are stereotypical and you don't care for them at all. The actors try their hardest, but you can tell they are struggling to give any credibility to anything on display in Bird Flu Horror. Overall, I've seen worse but that is not excusing the fact that to me this movie was more of a horror than any scene it was made up of. 1/10 Bethany Cox

How many errors in this movie?

[clintonscigar · 3/10 · 12 October 2008]

Wow I was shocked at how badly done this movie was! From the beginning where the hunter with the gun decides to run from the killer birds while they kill his friend,and not shoot at them. Then shows up later in the woods without his gun? Threw it away I guess? To the point where the military soldiers get attacked by the birds and you can actually see the lady soldier at the desk in HQ smiling? (Teach her to act!) Or to the security guard that tells the doctor trying to leave a quarantined area he will shoot her and feels so bad about shooting her,but doesn't try to physically stop her,but merely spins around after she passes him and shoots her dead without a thought,but then feels bad? Oh and my absolute favorite part? Well that just has to be the woman in the mine/cave/fort thing counting that there are FIVE killer birds. Only then to have us watch ONLY 2 enter the cave and get blown up! (Don't tell me they did that for a sequel!) I'm on a bad streak! I just watched Outpost before this one!

A lot of fun with plenty of great points about it

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 9/10 · 23 November 2015]

Out in the wilderness, rehabilitated teens come across a swarm of strange birds infected with a mutated strain of avian flu and must try to stop the unrelenting attacks from continuing and warn the world of the crises.

There was a lot to like from this one. One of the best parts is that the film really manages to get a lot of great moments due to its strong pacing. This one is just relentless, not even getting ten minutes in before the birds attack the main group, which is outstanding and really appreciated. The fact that the attacks are also fun is great, as this one contains some really good sequences and gets really fun as it gets going in the rather frenetic opening scene where it shows the birds raining down on the confused teens as they flee in panic. Some of the other bird-attack scenes, including one where they're under attack inside a cramped house and any of the forest attacks are pure fun, with several sequences stuck inside a gas-filled chamber and the attack on the SWAT team. There's also the way it handles the virus and how it transmits it, managing some fun scenes where the discovery is made, and the race to keep it contained and really feels like something of a crisis, which comes off as a nicely done way of building tension to their attacks, using an impressive-looking hospital victim and them falling under the effects later to generate even more which is a nice plus. The last positive is that this one works in a nice amount of gore into it as well as the fact that the birds are realistically designed, both drawing from a real dearth of fake and cheaply-done CGI, which is a nice plus as these here are the film's best features. There wasn't a whole lot of flaws to this one. The main one is the fact that this one doesn't offer up too much in the form of explanations for anything, as there's no explanation offered for the bird's appearance, or even for the mutation of the virus, how it even got to the birds, what it does or really anything else, which is a grave error as it doesn't really manage to put anything together or really make an effort to do so, merely content to simply say they're alive and leave it as that, which makes for a suitably ill aftertaste. Along with the fact that it misses a grand opportunity with the helicopter attack, these are the film's flaws.

Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and Brief Nudity

Group Interest vs. Self Interest

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 20 October 2010]

"Flu Birds" aired on TV in 2008 as "Flu Bird Horror. It is a low-budget creature-on-the-loose flick about mutant reptilian birds wreaking havoc on a group of juvenile delinquents lost deep in the forest. The birds spread a hideous disease to the people they bite or scratch. The Feds quarantine the hospital that an afflicted hunter is brought to and decide to airstrike the birds, whether the teens are still in the area or not. Meanwhile a ranger and a doctor desperately search for the kids.

The film combines the delinquents-on-the-run aspect of "The Warriors" with the flying-reptile angle of "Gargoyles" and the skin-eating disease element of "Cabin Fever."

Most reviewers tear the film apart. Are their low-ratings and heavy criticisms legitimate or simply a knee-jerk result of these modern sci-fi TV flicks being such easy targets? While some of their criticisms are valid, I say "Flu Birds" delivers both as a creatures-run-amok flick and as a fascinating human interest tale.

As far as the former goes, the reptilian birds are quite effective, in ways reminiscent of the gargoyles in 1972's excellent TV flick "Gargoyles" (although the DVD cover completely misrepresents the creatures). One reviewer lambasted the scenes where the birds attack a jeep and helicopter as "inept filmmaking," but I thought they were effectively done. The sequences depicting the skin-eating disease are well done as well; actually, the disease is scarier than the birds. Also, there's lots o' gore for those who care.

In addition, the film has a good babes-on-the-run factor with Rebekah Kochan as Lola leading the way. She prances around with denim shorts the entire movie and she's pleasing to the eye. But don't get me wrong, the various women in the film do more than just flee in terror; they lead, they fight, and a couple are doctors.

Also, while there's a decidedly comic-book vibe to the proceedings and a few humorous moments, the filmmakers and cast all take the material seriously and evade the rut of camp (with the exception of maybe Porky), even though there are some scenes with dubious acting, which is to be expected in low-budget fare like this.

Other pluses include the great opening/ending score, as well as spectacular Romanian locations, particularly during the opening credits; post-production was done in Louisiana.

It's in the realm of human interest, however, that "Flu Birds" scores its highest points.

At it's core the movie addresses the conflict of self interest vs. group interest. The Feds are depicted as ruthless in their drive to extinguish the threat of the dino-birds and the disease they spread. Anyone who gets in the way must simply be removed (i.e. slain). And who can blame 'em since they are trying to save millions at the cost of a mere handful? The whole is greater than the one, as they say.

The teens are all delinquent loners from dysfunctional families who are just starting to learn the importance of sacrifice of the self (or the few) for the greater good of the many. In fact, the film starts out with them on retreat from juvenile jail to learn the importance of community and the team concept.

Johnson, the lead teen played by Jonathon Trent, is reminiscent of James Remar's Ajax in "The Warriors" (1979). Although he initially comes off obnoxious and uncaring the viewer can't help but sense something commendable beneath the surface, including his passion to survive. He possesses a wild, dangerous air and this naturally attracts the blonde hottie. It also attracts the allegiance of the other two main guys in the group, Derrick and Gordon (aka 'Hip Hop'), despite the fact that Johnson is too tough on both at times. But the reason he's hard on them is because it's a life or death situation. And even though the other leader of the group, Eva (Sarah Butler), loathes his seemingly uncaring, selfish nature she's willing to work with him to survive. She also has an epiphany about Johnson at the end. (Sarah Butler, by the way, also played the lead in the 2010 remake of the infamous "I Spit On Your Grave").

The teens face no less than three episodes that present the possibility of sacrifice -- in a tunnel, at a hunter's house and again in the tunnel again. During the initial episode the group votes on whether or not to sacrifice the disease-ridden Porky as a diversion for the birds so the rest can escape. Johnson argues that Porky is as good as dead already since he's clearly dying from the disease, but Porky objects. I guess Porky would rather suffer a slow, agonizing death in the lonely darkness of the cave than a relatively quick death as a diversion so his fellow delinquents might have a chance at living. Regardless, notice how the members' attitudes contrast Porky's in the two subsequent episodes. It's an interesting study and reveals the teens' growth in the crisis.

FINAL WORD: Yes, "Flu Birds" has a laughable title and a ridiculous premise, but don't 95% of these Grade B creature features? Yes, there's some questionable acting and the film has a comic-booky vibe. Regardless, "Flu Birds" entertains and delivers in all the requisite areas as a TV-budget nature-runs-amok flick, but it's greatness emerges in its study of human nature and self vs. group dynamics.

If you can look beneath the Grade B trappings. "Flu Birds", like "Sasquatch Mountain" (2006), possesses depth even while it entertains and is therefore worthy of time and respect.

The movie runs 89 minutes.

GRADE: B

A fun no brainer.

[jhpstrydom · 5/10 · 31 January 2009]

A film about giant birds that become infected with a deadly virus that turns them into vicious killers, that attacks a group of juveniles who try their best to fend of the birds.

If you check out a DVD called flu birds and you read the synopsis, and expect to see a work of art, than its better you stick to mainstream titles because this film is not a work of art, it is a Sci-Fi channel original movie directed by Leigh Scott, known for directing a few films for Asylum, and basically I thought this movie was a lot of fun, I could sit back and just chill while I watched a bunch of people being chased by bird flu carrier pigeons on steroids, and the scene in the beginning with the hunters being attacked by the birds and the one guy runs off instead of trying to shoot the birds, I actually saw a similar thing in a movie about a killer bear, and it got better ratings, plus I can name a few other films that have better ratings that sucked way more than this.

Overall, like I said on my comment I posted on Transmorphers, there's different standards between mainstream and low budget, straight to DVD and in this case made for Sci-Fi channel movies.

Could have been "Flu Swine" or "Ebola Horror"

[MJDMLQ · 2/10 · 9 January 2015]

Wow, where to begin. Let's be fair to this movie and say that it was made for television. That being said, the special effects reflect that and no further mention of special effects, or lack there of, will be made in this review.

Starting with the characters seems like good a place as any. These characters make questionable, if not just plain stupid, decisions. For example, when first attacked by the giant mutant birds, one character hides under a picnic table while another hides in a tent. I guess that hiding spot behind the dandelion was already taken. While in the gas filled tunnel with boxes of old dynamite at their feet, the character Derrick attempts to light a cigarette. (In a continuity note, didn't Derrick attempt to bum a cigarette a couple minutes earlier? Where did he get that cigarette?) There are other examples of character stupidity (all lighting up cigarettes seconds after their Counselor is mauled by mutant birds, initiating sex in the woods while fleeing the birds, etc.), far too many to list here.

Medical mistakes. There are numerous medical blunders in this film, but I will just point out a few:

1) The blood transfusion in the surgery scene is not infusing. Good thing too, because there is enough air in the IV tubing to cause an air embolus and actually kill the patient.

2) The sutures on the wound are far too apart. Doesn't really matter as the surgeon did not irrigate the wound. If she had, she would not be pulling foreign bodies from the site after wound closure had begun.

3) Park Ranger goofball Lance Guest not only walks into the OR without putting on a pair of scrubs, but also seems to have all medical and laboratory equipment at his disposal.

Question: How big is that Wisconsin forest? We know that it takes place in Wisconsin because Lance Guest's vehicle in the film has a Wisconsin license plate. When asked how long it would take the Army Helicopter to intercept the birds, the answer is given "15 minutes." If the Army Helicopter can travel 180 MPH, and we assume it is flying at it's top speed to find the killer mutant birds, does that mean the helicopter is 45 miles away from the birds at the time? Where exactly were they looking for the birds? Did the helicopter plan to stop for coffee, increasing their travel time to 15 minutes?

Finally, in an example of some extremely lazy and apathetic film making, there is a very obvious recycled scene. At 17:40 of the film, there is an Establishment Shot outside the hospital. There are many extras in the scene standing around the hospital, walking into the hospital, and walking out of the hospital. At 30:46, there is another Hospital Establishment Shot with all the same extras going through all the same motions.

This film is one to be avoided. It is a complete waste of time.

Plot holes you could fly a flu bird through

[BandSAboutMovies · 2/10 · 8 January 2020]

A tight-knit group of teens finds themselves fighting for their lives when unexpected visitors - a flock of flesh-eating birds (err, pterodactyls?) infected by a malicious virus - invade their campsite. One by one, these avian assassins wipe them out. Originally shown as Flu Bird Horror on SyFy way back in August 23, 2008 (when it was still Sci-Fi), this movie has just been re-released on DVD.

Somehow, I've watched eight films associated with Leigh Scott over the last few hours. I blame these Mill Creek sets!

In this one, seven camping delinquents - with the goal of reintegration to society - are attacked by mutated birds, killing their counselor and wounding one of them. One of them, Johnson, takes over the group through intimidation. While all that's happening, Ranger Garrett tries to save everyone. He's played by Lance Guest (Halloween II, The Last Starfighter), who is always a welcome sight. Sarah Butler, who was in the remake of I Spit On Your Grave, also appears.

The original idea was that infected people would transform into the giant bird-like monsters. However, the budget wasn't there for that idea to make it into the movie.

Disgrace

[cujorocky · 1/10 · 19 December 2021]

A disgrace in film making. Bad..... Everything. It makes you feel so sad. This is what they put out now. Crap, junk and crud. How can actors so bad get in movies?????????

Where do I begin?

[amymay-69916 · 1/10 · 21 July 2022]

First of all,I ACCIDENTALLY clicked on clintonscigar's review as unhelpful. It was VERY helpful. I was just unable to change it after my finger slipped. It would probably be easier to point out what was RIGHT rather than what wasn't. Blindfolded kid in the woods-- wandered away and never lifted the blindfold. Fake "hip hop" guy was annoying and super terribly cliche. Don't even get mme started on the instant pyrotechnics,yet lack of pyrotechnics- guy gets torches literally next to a box of dynamite,then they discover gas,and are terrified of blowing up,or having the gas take all the oxygen from their well ventilated hidey hole-- they literally ripped down some rotted timber to enter. Also, no one batted an eye over fried guy. The hospital was all kinds of terrible--a highly infectious unknown,yet zero protective clothing worn--not even gloves. Badly stitched wound that wasn't even cleaned out before badly stitching--she finds a bird flesh flake UNDER the stitches..... All in all,I wanted everyone to die. And apparently the Russians or some kind of eastern Europeans run the cdc. Bad acting,bad plot,bad cgi.....all bad. Only good as torture for war criminals. And that might be an overly harsh punishment to the poor criminals.

Okay if you don't have any drying paint to watch

[jhr2012 · 2/10 · 2 March 2021]

It's okay, but don't expect much. These have to be the dumbest teenagers alive. You will find yourself wishing for all of them to be eaten. Campy dialog and terrible acting but there was some decent gore.

Wow!!!

[jgweiner · 10/10 · 2 January 2010]

Charles De Montesquieu once proclaimed - "To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them."

Unfortunately - although this contributed to the overall greatness of the film - Johnson was unable to fully grasp this seed of knowledge as the film progressed, leading to the quintessential conflict that truly drove the movie home: self vs group interest. However, before examining the answer, we must first evaluate the question...

Are these motivations mutually exclusive, and can an individual's incentive be the same as the groups? The typical response is no; however, after viewing this awesome movie in its entirety, it evidently is not always the case. While Johnson tried to control the group and constantly struggled for power, Ava was trying to survive, and she kept the good of the group - with the obvious exemption of Porky - and its survival as the main focus.

Now with this knowledge in your arsenal, re-evaluate the movie under this new light. Johnson did his best to fend off the terrifying birds {side note: the general animation and craftsmanship that went into the creating of these fearsome creatures truly was top notch. My entire family went into shell shock as we first laid eyes on these creatures from hell, and it took almost 10 sessions of therapy before I could get a hold of my new found fear.} and his actions portray a selfless man trying to help others. Once this fundamental pillar of the movie is understood, it even further elevates the rest of the film towards greatness.

Hence, it was not a mistake that the teenagers were in fact juveniles, nor was the doctor getting killed a mistake. Many scenes also further lead to the notion that while intentions may very well be good, actions on the other hand clearly are not. The representation of the federal government as being the problem, not the answer, is typically found when looking back over the great movies of the decades, and obviously this movie was no exception. While the juveniles self sacrifice for the good of the group, the feds ruthlessly kill...

While the script was capable of allowing a classic, it took the fine actors to achieve this feat. The acting was, frankly speaking, splendid. Everyone did their part, facial expressions spoke to the audience, and little nuances and expressions helped guide the audience through what is often times difficult messages to decode. The casting selection was dead on, and every camera angle was perfect. This was a great film, and I am sure that it will be remembered over the ages. I know that I will never forget it, and the wisdom that is now permanently with me.

Pretty cool

[leader-16 · 7/10 · 9 September 2008]

I was not expecting a awesome horror movie when i saw the preview for this, but i did like it.

I find it funny how the camp leader dies in the first 15 minutes of the movie, i thought he would have a bigger role in it, but i guess not. My favorite character was hip-hop, he was pretty funny. Now i had a BIG problem in the scene when the doctor inhales the flu virus, and goes out side to the security guard. It had NO sound in it what so ever for like 9 minutes, did anyone else have this problem? The score was pretty good, acting was good, porky was not that good, i was expecting him to surivive at least near the end, i didn't like how they just left him there when there running out of the mine.

Pretty good movie over all.

Watch it.

ahchu birds ...

[godinamachine · 6/10 · 14 December 2021]

HEY EVERYBODY ITS ME,(4) and today we review .... cold seasonal flying animals .... the movie !!!!!!

Lets travel back in time ..... ALL the way back to 2008 ...when sci fi channel RULED the airwaves ....and companies like the asylum ripped off everything .... cgi was rampant and creature feature were abound ...... ahhh truly some of the greatest times to be alive ......

and here we have some giant mutant birds that carry some sort of mutated "flu" ...that at that time was the scariest thing around LOL .... oh silly birds little did they know if they only waited 10 more years ..... they could have taken over the WORLD !!!!!! .... lol.....

this film REALLY only used the "flu" part as a click bait styled attention getter i believe because it really didnt need that part involved in the film itself and didnt really use it much for the story , it kind of felt more like a throw away story piece .... like yea it set in motion the army thing ... BUT that could have been done any ways .... giant mutant bird threat breeding out of control ..done ..... and the flu part made them shut down the hospital BUT that becomes pointless really ... just have the two main adults leave the hospital anyways , i mean its not like there was any resistance AT ALL from the government at the hospital to keep them there lol ... and done .... and finally what the kids turning on each other part ? ....okay ... so ..keep the "infection" part of the bite/scratch ... like the entire flu part wasnt really needed BUT at the time in our society it was in the news and scary SO of course throw it in a title and BAM .....

" you hear that? " - " barn owl" ...... okay ..... im no animalologist BUT even i know an owl does go ROAR ...i had that old see and say thing and when it went around and landed on owl "the owl says ..... hoo hoo" , im pretty sure is what i remember it saying NOT " the owl says SATANIC ROAR !!!!!!!!!!" ...

i do have a complaint about the bad kid that takes charge over them all .... i mean i DO understand hes the douche bag in charge but something about it felt disingenuous on screen for some reason ....just not convincing ....i cant put my finger on it ....but even with a gun pointed at me from that kid he just looks more like he would break in half if he pulled the trigger ....

over all decent little feature ... angry bad teens "teens" lol.... on the run from angry animals ...good concept .... acting was pretty good over all UNTIL the government agents in the woods part LOL sweet baby space jesus ...why ? That dude at the tree .... you dont yell like that unless your passing a kidney stone ..... THE SIZE OF A TODDLER !!!!!! ....

does this entertain you though is the ONLY question that matters when reviewing and judging a film .....

yea it does .... its paced well enough to keep things rolling ....the monsters are cool THOUGH i hate the switching between cgi and practical FX .... just stick to one PLEASE ... because the practical FX looked way better and personally if they would have had some creepy almost human like suits going on im thinking it could have been better BUT other than that .... yea ... decent little film overall

6/10.