Bats starts late one night in 'Gallup, Texas' where a young couple Quint (Tim Whitaker) & Emma (Juliana Johnson) are waiting at a level crossing for a train to pass, however as they wait they are attacked by bats & killed. Cut to 'Skull Valley, Arizona' & Dr. Sheila Casper (Dina Meyer) is the foremost expert in her field, the field of bats. So it comes as no surprise that sinister Government black suit wearing official Dr. Tobe Hodge (Carlos Jacott) asks for her help & expertise. Together with her assistant Jimmy (Leon) Dr. Casper is flown to the small Texas town of Gallup where Sheriff Emmett Kimsey (Lou Diamond Phillips) is trying to work out what happened to Quint & Emma, step in Hodge & genetic scientist Dr. Alexander MaCabe (Bob Gunton) who explain that they have created a new sort of bat, they have taken an ordinary Flying Fox & genetically enhanced it so they are more intelligent, stronger, bigger, work together & are totally hostile to any other living creature, oh & they also carry a viral disease which would infect other bats & turn them into vicious killing machines too. Even though they don't like it Dr. Casper & Sheriff Kinsey decide to help in order to save the town, however it soon become apparent that it won't be as easy as they first thought & it's not long before the entire town of Gallup is under attack from the winged killers...
Directed by Louis Morneau I thought Bats was an OK film in a brain-dead rubbishy sort of way, it isn't going to win any awards but for what it was I quite liked it (emphasis on the word 'quite'). The script by John Logan moves along at a nice pace & is never really boring or overly dull but is stuffed with loads of horror film clichés, the stuffy female scientist who starts to loosen up & become romantically involved with the brave hero, the annoying obligatory black comic relief character, the evil scientist who cares for nothing but his experiments & is finally killed by them, the shady Government figure, the heavy-handed military who are all gung-ho & cause almost as many problem's as the bats themselves, the disbelieving (at first) local townspeople & the isolated location. It's all here folks but it's done in a reasonably entertaining way that passes an hour and a half painlessly enough I suppose. The film lacks any real violence or gore, apart from an autopsy scene at the start Bats doesn't have enough of the red stuff. The climax where a swarm of bats are chasing our heroes through some mine shafts is fairly decent & manages to create some excitement although I'm not sure two human beings could outrun 1000's of genetically enhanced (bigger, better & badder than your average bat) bats in a straight race...
Director Morneau keeps things moving along, doesn't spend too much time on silly unnecessary character development & doesn't seem to take it all too seriously. However the bat attacks are annoyingly edited, loads of ultra quick cuts, so much so that it becomes confusing as to whats happening. Don't expect to see much during these scenes as it really does become a bit of a blur, maybe they are presented this way to hide the special effects up? The bats themselves look pretty cool although it's obvious their puppets.
With a supposed budget of about $6,500,000 Bats looks OK & is generally well made but that sounds like a lot of money considering what ended up on screen. The photography, music & production values are good if not spectacular while the special effects alternate between CGI & rubber puppets, both of which have their fair share of effects that work & effects that don't. The acting was OK but no one stands out except the token black comedy relief guy Leon who becomes highly irritating.
Bats isn't the best horror film ever made that's for sure, but it's far from the worst either. On a dumb predictable sort of level I thought it was watchable, worth a watch for horror fans but others may find it all rather silly & stupid.
Directed by Louis Morneau I thought Bats was an OK film in a brain-dead rubbishy sort of way, it isn't going to win any awards but for what it was I quite liked it (emphasis on the word 'quite'). The script by John Logan moves along at a nice pace & is never really boring or overly dull but is stuffed with loads of horror film clichés, the stuffy female scientist who starts to loosen up & become romantically involved with the brave hero, the annoying obligatory black comic relief character, the evil scientist who cares for nothing but his experiments & is finally killed by them, the shady Government figure, the heavy-handed military who are all gung-ho & cause almost as many problem's as the bats themselves, the disbelieving (at first) local townspeople & the isolated location. It's all here folks but it's done in a reasonably entertaining way that passes an hour and a half painlessly enough I suppose. The film lacks any real violence or gore, apart from an autopsy scene at the start Bats doesn't have enough of the red stuff. The climax where a swarm of bats are chasing our heroes through some mine shafts is fairly decent & manages to create some excitement although I'm not sure two human beings could outrun 1000's of genetically enhanced (bigger, better & badder than your average bat) bats in a straight race...
Director Morneau keeps things moving along, doesn't spend too much time on silly unnecessary character development & doesn't seem to take it all too seriously. However the bat attacks are annoyingly edited, loads of ultra quick cuts, so much so that it becomes confusing as to whats happening. Don't expect to see much during these scenes as it really does become a bit of a blur, maybe they are presented this way to hide the special effects up? The bats themselves look pretty cool although it's obvious their puppets.
With a supposed budget of about $6,500,000 Bats looks OK & is generally well made but that sounds like a lot of money considering what ended up on screen. The photography, music & production values are good if not spectacular while the special effects alternate between CGI & rubber puppets, both of which have their fair share of effects that work & effects that don't. The acting was OK but no one stands out except the token black comedy relief guy Leon who becomes highly irritating.
Bats isn't the best horror film ever made that's for sure, but it's far from the worst either. On a dumb predictable sort of level I thought it was watchable, worth a watch for horror fans but others may find it all rather silly & stupid.