Review: The Blob (1988)

Review by Disgruntled Monkey

Director: Chuck Russell
Starring: Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch & Kevin Dillon
Writers: Chuck Russell & Frank Darabont

Seven years of age this Monkey was when The Blob came out. I remember when it was released in video stores and also being absolutely terrified of poster that were released for it. Making a vow at that young age, I promised myself that I would never watch this movie.

Fast forward to today and i've watched The Blob remake several times. It's actually a great example of a remake done right, because it not only updates the effects it brings a story that has such a mean streak it's brilliant.

An example of the mean streak is that the movie kills off a child, and it does so pretty gruesomely. Not many horror movies kill off children and it's a testament to how this movie wants you to get worried about it's main characters.

Being a genre flick the acting isn't overly good, but we get some decent performances from Shawnee Smith and Kevin Dillon. Seeming they are the leads it allows for some of the more questionable acting to be overlooked. It was actually nice to see Shawnee Smith in a more substantial role. It was also pleasant that her female character actually does take charge and isn't just a wilting flower.

One of the best things about this remake is that a fair few of the effects are pretty good. There is the occasional clunker, but some of the practical effects are down right gruesome. You can tell that the film makers are having fun with a creature that is formless and acidic in nature. Some great set pieces really emphasis how scary The Blob can be.

I think one of the most annoying things is that the movie is so close to being a classic, but it just has a few faults that keep it from attaining that rank. It's still a great movie and one that I highly recommend. Argument that all remakes suck; you have another nail in your coffin.

Category	Rating	Reason
Entertainment	1 blob out of 1	Entertaining and with it's glee in killing decent characters you worry for the leads.
Script	0.5 blobs out of 1	While leaning heavily on genre convention the mean streak freshens the movie immensely.
Acting	0.5 blobs out of 1	The good acting doesn't help me not notice the really bad acting.
Directing	1 blob out of 1	Chuck Russel really tries to show us the true terror of The Blob.
Technical	0.5 blob out of 1	They're not all winner's but when the effects hit, they hit big time.
Overall	3.5 blobs out of 5	While it's not perfect it's pretty close to being a classic of the horror genre.