I don't care how inept and foolish "Monstroid" is, because this film's leading male character is my new personal here and role model from this moment on! It's fairly irrelevant to the story, but dig this: the manager of a gigantic construction company in Bolivia dumps his gorgeous blond girlfriend because he started a new relationship with another gorgeous woman; a brunette this time, who also happens to be the local mayor's daughter. Yet, the exact same evening, the guy meets up again with the blond girl by the side of a lake, has sex with her and then dumps her again! And she doesn't even seem to complain! I worship this guy! How does he do it? Then of course, the titular monster emerges from the lake and kills the blond girl, so that the actual movie can finally start. Please, don't pay too much to the incredibly low (1,9 ?!?) rating here on IMDb, as "Monstroid" is a tremendously fun and undemanding trash-effort of the late 1970's. The make-up effects and the creature's design are delightfully cheesy (it actually looks like a watery version of ET, with a long neck and totally UN-menacing puppy-eyes) and the script is full of holes and unintentionally comical situations. Supposedly based on true facts (yeah, sure
), the film claims that industrial waste and constant pollution of the water caused an ordinary inhabitant of the lake to mutate into a bloodthirsty creature that feeds on human flesh. Locals as well as company employees and opponents of the factory eventually have to combine forces to defeat the cute-looking critter, but nobody knows how. Perhaps I was just in a very relaxed mood hen I saw it, but "Monstroid" is a lot more charming and amusing than the other reviews suggest. It certainly isn't the worst film in its type and at least it's 100% unpretentious and traditionally accomplished, with a lot of spirit and goodwill from everyone involved in the production. The setting is even rather original and the bright and enchanting photography make it easy to watch. I might be making dangerous recommendations here, but surely admirers of old-fashioned B-monster movies won't regret seeing this film.
