I thought 'Curse of the Komodo' was decent. Sadly, though, Jim Wynorski took what could have been a fascinating subject and turned it into a cheesy B movie.
The characters' remark that the Komodo Dragon is 'the world's most dangerous reptile' is probably accurate. It is certainly one of the more intimidating. The thought of Komodos being mutated to be larger, stronger, more aggressive or perhaps less held in check by whatever forces of nature hold them in check, is a pretty scary one. A movie in which mutated Komodos grow to be maybe 1.5 or twice their normal size would be scary and feasible enough to be acceptable for a horror movie junkie.
However, Wynorski seems to be trying to make another dinosaur movie. These gigantic Komodos look an awfully lot like raptors or T-Rex's! Do Komodos actually walk around on their hind legs? I cannot recall ever seeing a photo of one doing so. The scene that lost me was when the four crooks are sneaking up on the others and see them fighting off the Komodo from a side view. That shot was as cheesy and phony as any I recall seeing from the 1950s! Of course, those who touch the Komodo 'venom' turning into murderous zombies, is a bit over-the-line, too! That said, the movie wasn't terrible. I disagree with the attacks on the acting. The no-name cast isn't bad. I really like William Langlois as the professor---although he really reminds me more of a high school or college football coach than a scientist! He and his co-worker Dawn (Gail Harris) work well together. I couldn't keep the other 'good guys' straight in one and a half viewings.
The crooks aren't bad, either. Bad dude/bodybuilder Drake (Paul Logan) is convincing enough, although I was never really sure what I thought about him. His girl Friday, with her Meredith Baxter-Birney neon-white teeth, is a level above the average B-horror bimbo. I halfway felt myself being drawn to her as the film went on. I can't say the same for the good doctor's whiny big-boobed daughter, who really deserved to be Komodo food. I like the other two crooks, too. The booze-swilling copter pilot is well played by Ted Monte and Cam Newlin is good as Reese, the other crook.
Overall, this isn't a bad one. I certainly made sure I returned it in time, though. This isn't one that's worth paying a late fee on!
