Shapeshifter

Newly discharged from the military, a former soldier accepts a job in a prison for damaged criminals where she notices a strange man is brought in that speaks no English, and after witnessing him transforming into a vicious creature rounds up the remaining inmates to get them to safety.

This one isn't all that bad as a monster-in-a-prison film. One of the strongest elements here is an intriguing storyline that provides the kind of setup necessary for this kind of feature. Offering the idea of smuggling the creature inside the prison using the unassuming body of a mysterious prisoner and forcing it to get loose and hunt down its quarry inside which sets this going quite nicely when it performs a ritual to break free. The fact that it started early and fast was best, allowing for the action to start up and get the interest level way up quite rapidly with there being no real build-up to it as it just gets loose inside and sets off on its quest. The small prison it's set in is the perfect way to generate some suspense by showing that there's nowhere to hide. That puts them constantly in danger from the creature, and it makes the peril all the more suspenseful. That leads incredibly well into the other strong feature here with the action coming across strongly. The creature itself is one of the best parts of the film. A fully imposing design, bulky with large arms, huge claws, and a shocking-looking head that strikes fear on first impression. The fact that it's a real costume instead of some CGI creation goes a long way in creating a lot of fear in it during its scenes from chasing the group through the hallways of the prison as a series of plans to stall it until help arrives keeps it going along nicely. The next best feature here is the gore, which is quite abundant and appealing with a very vicious mangling, a person ripped in half in the waist, a couple of stabbings, and a head bashed into a pulp, among other kills. There's even a scene where a person gnaws on their arm and chews through it, leaving this pretty gory when it needs to be and making for some decent enough positives. Beyond those few reasons, there's very little to like in this one. The small setting, while also a positive by having a closed-off area to drive suspense from, hurts it by showing off what little there is to the production. Normally, this isn't a problem, but when there's hardly anything to it that indicates it's just a small part of something bigger, then it hurts the film a little as this is a small prison that does have the appearance of just being that big in real life. Another big problem is that there is a very fast start to it, but then the middle section slows down to a near crawl that is painful to sit through. The action slows down to finally get some other scenes in, which is a shame as it started so fast. By selecting that part of the movie to get to know the characters only slows down what momentum that was built up. These reasons keep it from being the simple monster-on-the-loose film it could've so easily been.

Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, and Brief Nudity.

You can always tell the comments which come from those with a vested interest in a movie like this. Amidst myriad comments decrying how AWFUL it was, you get a few who praise it - much worse, they actually cast votes as high as 10/10! No matter how much guilty pleasure one derives from dreck like this, by no stretch of the imagination could this film be ranked as high as the greatest films of all time!

Yet I'm not here to rail on those who pretend this is a good film. I have nothing against them. I merely bring them up to point out how pathetic this film truly is. That it will garner no sincere admiration of this (or nearly any) level.

Movies just don't get any more stupid. This movie ranks among the very worst, with no real redeeming qualities or enjoyability whatsoever. It is true garbage.

Sad to know this is what the Sci-Fi Channel has stooped to. Now they have become synonymous with movies which scrape the bottom of the barrel and are written for severely mentally disabled adults or below average children.

After watching an hour of this movie, I want my hour of life back.

First of all, the previous reviewer really hits home with his/her analysis of the plot, acting and effects. I was immediately shocked how bad and lame the acting is. The story opens up to a psychotic inmate with a stupid pentagram-like tattoo on his chest having a "seizure". He briefly cannibalizes his own arm, where the lame effects show him cross-fading over thirty-seconds into a hairy guy in a Styrofoam "demon" suit.

The most funny plot part is that once the inmates and guards team up to survive the prison, one prisoner seems to be a demon expert. He proclaims crazy theories about why demons eat flesh, essentially to make them stronger, duh, and the rest of the inmates and guards agree.

First, there is NO security in this prison. Second, the guards have firearms (big no no). Third, the script is terrible. Fourth, the monster suit is ridiculous. Fifth, the acting is abysmal. Sixth, the direction is worse. Need I go on? The guy who plays the monster in human form is cute, though, but not cute enough to save this stinker.

And the jail doesn't even have a phone, much less a radio. And why is the female deputy running around in a skimpy top? Definitely a prison no no. Nobody seems to have the least idea of procedure. The Romanian ex-priest is terrible.His accent keeps changing. I won't spoil this one for anyone because it would be redundant.

One of the worst films I have ever seen. For real.

Shapeshifter is the story (if I can use that word) of a monstrous shapeshifting beast wreaking havoc inside a prison ... and that's about as deep as this thing gets. The acting is terrifically bad, the script was written by someone who has no idea how people act and react and the monster suit is just laughably bad ... as if they took something off the discount rack at the Halloween store. Add to all that a director who masks the lack of any special effects with that frenetic flash-editing style that probably causes some people to have epileptic seizures and you have one terrible, terrible movie. Across the board, there is simply no talent associated with this movie. Strictly amateur. If you're into watching train wrecks, rent this one. If not, find something else. My wife asked me why I wanted to rent it and I said you never know when you'll find something pretty good ... which is almost never. If you want to see a low-budget, amateur movie with some talent then see The Revenge of Bloody Bill.