This is a bad movie.
Full confession: I love it anyway.
It's always odd when I write a review for a movie under those circumstances: This is going to be an insanely positive review for something that, at best, I can only give a 5 out of 10. And even that would be a generous score.
The plot: Land developer Marilyn Fryser (Joan Collins) brings a cadre of prospective buyers to a beachfront development. Unbeknown to her or the clients: toxic waste has been dumped into the waters near the development. Some of that waste has washed ashore and ants have encountered it. Things go south very quickly once the people encounter the ants.
Going into this relatively unspoiled, I assumed it would be similar to the other 1977 film featuring killer ants, Ants in that it would be incredibly aggressive and poisonous ants. Instead, we get ants similar to those found in 1954's Them! - giant monsters that are out to eat any humans that cross their path.
Now, most of the ant effects are terrible. The director used process shots, where close up images of ants are superimposed onto scenes with the actors. It doesn't look great, and oftentimes doesn't match what the actors are reacting too. A scene where the cast is menaced while in a canoe features one of the actors waving an oar in a direction that no ants are in. I love it so much.
For close up shots, they do have puppet ants for the actors to interact with, but the camera work is so crazy during these scenes that you cannot get a good look at them. They seem acceptable? But it is probably on purpose that we don't get to see them clearly.
Surprisingly, many of the characters are given depth not usually seen in this sort of movie. Nothing super deep (this is still an Animal Runs Amok feature) but arcs are present, though occasionally confusing. I get the feeling that Marilyn is supposed to read as a more villainous presence than she does - especially given her fate by the end of the movie. However, don't expect any surprises as far as who survives and who doesn't: this movie isn't going to deviate from the formula too much as far as its characters are concerned.
SPOILERS BEYOND!
I will say that the final act took a large swing that I did not expect. Given my familiarity with the genre - and this subgenre within it - I can honestly say that this movie took an unexpected risk. It doesn't work very well - it is the only part of the movie that feels like it drags a bit, but deciding to have the ant queen using its pheromones to enslave a nearby town is absolutely bonkers. The viewer suspects something is going to happen given the pointed comment about a large sugar factory, but I don't think any viewer would have predicted this turn.
SPOILERS END!
So, what rating do I give a movie like this? It has terrible effects and mediocre acting, but it honestly had me laughing and having a good time in spite of (because of?) all of the problems with it. I can honestly see me rewatching it/forcing my friends to watch and enjoy the unintentional campiness to it. There is a sincerity to this badness that makes me love it in the same way I love Sleepaway Camp.
My heart wants to give it at least a 7, but my mind knows that it doesn't deserve anywhere near that high a score.
4 out of 10, but a permanent place in my heart.
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