Behemoth

BEHEMOTH is a monster flick let down by its own shortcomings in terms of budget and originality. Yes, it's another SyFy Channel production, filmed on the cheap in Canada, that has flashes of decency amid an overwhelming number of strictly middling to poor moments.

The storyline sees strange stirrings beneath the earth and mysterious levels of carbon dioxide rising from the crust. A team of investigators are soon on the case, as is a crazy old man who thinks that some mythical beastie is responsible. Inevitably it turns out that the old guy is right, and the heroes find themselves up against a massive monster from days gone by with plans to destroy the world.

So far so ordinary, but the surprising thing here is that the CGI effects are actually decent; far better than in other SyFy movies or the likes of DRAGON WARS. That monster looks great, especially when straddling the mountain top! I wish it had played a greater part on screen, but it was still a welcome sight. Sadly the rest of the production is less impressive, with boring characters and indifferent acting; the only one who makes an effort is William B. Davis, he of THE X-FILES fame. There's far too much hiking and chatting and not enough monster action for my liking, leaving this a disappointment regardless.