OK, where to start.
Well firstly, I don't think this film is as bad as some people are making it out to be. Yes, it's full of clichés, typical "creature feature" tropes and the usual bad decisions (and I'll touch on those in a few moments), but what were people really expecting from a Bigfoot type movie?! I don't think there was ever going to be an original idea here, so if the bad reviewers were expecting more then that's on their poorly formed expectations and judgements.
Secondly, clichés & tropes aside, there are a few decent moments scattered throughout the movie with a somewhat reasonable feeling of slight tension. The sounds of the creature as it moves through the woods and the occasional glimpses (before seeing too much) were done OK. I think it lost a bit of the feel when we started seeing more of the thing instead of the glancing views, though (which is one of the things that made the Blair Witch so good). That being said, the creature was done well enough to not look like just some dude in a bad Bigfoot costume who's out Trick or Treating.
Thirdly, the worst parts of the film for me were the extremely annoying characters and the very bad decisions they all seemed to do. I don't know what it is with these films where a group of 20-somethings leave the confines of city life to come out to the woods for a hiking getaway but decide to leave their common sense and rationale at home. I'm not usually one to raise my voice in frustration at the TV when people do dumb things, but this is one of those times. For instance......
1) Calling out and saying "Hello?" to an animal/creature, giving away your location
2) Stop riding your bike in the middle of the sticks to try and use a phone that has no reception. Keep going till you reach a road/house!
3) When the creature is attacking your friend, you drop your rifle instead of shooting it when you have a clear shot. Facepalm.
4) Constantly making noises instead of being damn quiet.
5) The old "leaving a trail to "take a shortcut"" move.
6) The black dude coming out of hiding to go all "gangsta" and shouting smack instead of staying quiet.
Plus many more.
This is by far not the worst film Eduardo Sánchez has either been involved with or directed (see the awful V/H/S 2 and Lovely Molly for a couple on that list), but it's definitely not his best work. That said, I'd still say this one is worth a viewing.
Well firstly, I don't think this film is as bad as some people are making it out to be. Yes, it's full of clichés, typical "creature feature" tropes and the usual bad decisions (and I'll touch on those in a few moments), but what were people really expecting from a Bigfoot type movie?! I don't think there was ever going to be an original idea here, so if the bad reviewers were expecting more then that's on their poorly formed expectations and judgements.
Secondly, clichés & tropes aside, there are a few decent moments scattered throughout the movie with a somewhat reasonable feeling of slight tension. The sounds of the creature as it moves through the woods and the occasional glimpses (before seeing too much) were done OK. I think it lost a bit of the feel when we started seeing more of the thing instead of the glancing views, though (which is one of the things that made the Blair Witch so good). That being said, the creature was done well enough to not look like just some dude in a bad Bigfoot costume who's out Trick or Treating.
Thirdly, the worst parts of the film for me were the extremely annoying characters and the very bad decisions they all seemed to do. I don't know what it is with these films where a group of 20-somethings leave the confines of city life to come out to the woods for a hiking getaway but decide to leave their common sense and rationale at home. I'm not usually one to raise my voice in frustration at the TV when people do dumb things, but this is one of those times. For instance......
1) Calling out and saying "Hello?" to an animal/creature, giving away your location
2) Stop riding your bike in the middle of the sticks to try and use a phone that has no reception. Keep going till you reach a road/house!
3) When the creature is attacking your friend, you drop your rifle instead of shooting it when you have a clear shot. Facepalm.
4) Constantly making noises instead of being damn quiet.
5) The old "leaving a trail to "take a shortcut"" move.
6) The black dude coming out of hiding to go all "gangsta" and shouting smack instead of staying quiet.
Plus many more.
This is by far not the worst film Eduardo Sánchez has either been involved with or directed (see the awful V/H/S 2 and Lovely Molly for a couple on that list), but it's definitely not his best work. That said, I'd still say this one is worth a viewing.