Silent Predators

When I first saw this movie, I only caught the first half hour of it, but it was enough. I had seen enough of these formulaic, made-for-TV movies to know how it was going to end. Two months later, the curiosity of the accuracy of my predictions got the best of me, so I rented the movie and finished it this time. And I can say that with my guesstimation abilities, movie companies should hire me to write formulaic, made-for-TV movies. Everything happened that I anticipated: the progression of the plot, the introduction and killing off of characters, the role each character plays in the movie, it all was there.

If you've seen one of these movies, you've seen them all. Movies like this one, Marabunta, The Fury Within, Nightscream, Burial of the Rats, they are all the same. Watch one movie, replace the aggressive animal with a different animal, and enjoy.

Scott says: For a movie of silent rattlesnakes, the snakes sure broke script a lot.

This movie was well acted and well directed. The storyline was good and the ending was surprising. I was hoping that the snakes could have been kept for more observation. It was a really good movie and I would like to see it put on TV again or released to video.

"Silent Predators" uses every single cliche from countless other horror movies which have "nature vs. the greedy interests of capitalism" as a theme e.g. "Empire of the Ants" Although this formula is tired, sometimes two big heaping scoops of banality is just what the doctor ordered. Rating: 6 out of 10

We know right from the opening seconds of SILENT PREDATORS, when we see a truck hauling a huge crate marked: "Danger... Handle With Extreme Caution... Venomous Reptile", that we're in for another killer snake movie. When the obvious happens, and the creature is unleashed, we know we're in for a treat.

20 years later, the citizenry of a small desert town are under attack by an army of slithering super snakes. Could it have anything to do with the new housing development that's being constructed nearby?

Harry Hamlin stars as the new Fire Chief, barely able to settle into his position before the deaths begin. Mr. Hamlin plays his part in a low-key fashion, which lends a calming effect amid the growing chaos. Shannon Sturges plays the love interest, and employee of the loathesome real estate developer (Jack Scalia). Also, watch for Patty "The Bad Seed" McCormack as the local pet shop owner.

Based on an early screenplay by John Carpenter, this TV movie isn't bad. In fact, it's an above-average entry in the "animal attack" subgenre. The rattlesnakes are suitably scary, and their "snake vision" shots are effective. There's also the obligatory, greed-driven cover-up to help keep the goodguys on their toes.

Highly recommended for fans of this subgenre...

SILENT PREDATORS is your usual monster-of-the-week TV movie with snakes being the menace of choice this time around. As a typically sanitised television movie this offers up few scares and even fewer thrills, instead happy to plod through TV-level inanity for the most part; everything is predictable, clichéd, and well-telegraphed in advance.

The only thing of note about this film is that John Carpenter had a hand in writing the story, which in any case is entirely derivative. Folk in a small town discover that some killer foreign snakes have been breeding in the area and are now killing the townsfolk. A smarmy property developer (Jack Scalia) tries to cover everything up while loner hero Harry Hamlin (once of CLASH OF THE TITANS fame) strives to save the world.

SILENT PREDATORS is a film populated by ageing TV stars and features a non-threatening menace, although I'm happy that real snakes were used instead of stupid CGI creations. The PREDATOR-style snake vision is a step too far, though, and the attempts to create an exciting climax fall flat.