Some people have jokingly called this movie "Paws" or "Claws" because it is so obviously an imitator of Jaws (which was released only a year before). This film is a late night favorite on TBS and I have seen it often. Christopher George, Andrew Prine and Richard Jaeckel aren't Roy Shieder, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfus but they still do passably good work and there are many plus signs if you look for them. This film is beautifully directed and has some of the greatest majestic forest scenes that you will ever see, it will almost make you wish that you were a park ranger, what a lovely, peaceful life they must ordinarily have unless there is a killer grizzly bear loose in their park! Susan Backline, who was the first victim Chrissie Watkins in Jaws, is also the first victim in this movie for you trivia lovers. It follows Jaws in so many ways, you have the horrifying attacks and the park superintendant (like the Mayor of Amity in Jaws) who wants to cover it all up. You have the one brave park ranger who wants to stand up for what is right, like Sheriff Martin Brody. I have to admit that it is still worth watching. This film isn't boring, there is genuine suspense as they search for the killer bear and there is one terrifying scene where a lone hunter (who stupidly goes off alone I might add) comes face to face with it and there is a terrifying chase scene. I mean it is TERRIFYING!!!you can almost see the brown streak and smell the terrible odor coming from his shorts as he runs! There is a more then moderate amount of gore in the film, especially where a mother and a child are attacked (I might admit that is one scene I could have done without). Not to be a spoiler, but the last scene especially is a rip off of Jaws. You might remember that Sheriff Brody throws that oxygen tank in the shark's mouth and shoots it so it explodes. The last scene here is pretty much identical. Not a lot of originality. This film was considered very violent, shocking and gory for its time when it came out in 1976. Today, its almost family viewing. Still its a nice way to waste two hours of your life.
