Cecil B. Demented Memorial Movie Review - Grabbers (Irish, 2012)
I honestly didn't expect too much from Grabbers. An independent film produced by a clapper-board's worth of production companies and financed by the Irish lottery, one would expect a hodge-podge of low quality guffaws delivered by people who never let you forget that they are in a movie, and very little more.
But pleasingly, the acting in this film isn't bad at all. Richard Coyle and Ruth Bradley both turn in fine and believable performances that keep you in the film and with them. The direction doesn't slow down or bog you in exposition, nor does it leave so much out that you're falling into plot and continuity holes. And the special effects are quite above what I was expecting, to be honest. The monsters didn't look like something out of a videogame, although there were a few rubber moments as tentacles slithered around people.
That's not to say they didn't have fun making this one - quite the opposite. For example, they do themselves a good turn when embracing the cliche that is almost inescapable - the hero has to deliver good wisecracks when dispatching monsters. So in an Irish made monster movie where alcohol is toxic to the monsters, calling out "Slainte!" as you feed the beastie a bottle of home-made poitin has a delightful appeal (that's Irish for 'cheers' by the way).
Grabbers makes a charming little ride with all the best bits of the formula monster movie present, but without the smug and self-congratulatory smarminess of most domestic productions.