This is one of several disaster films of the 70's, this one being one where nature runs amok rather than a natural disaster occurring or a fire burning down a building. So, there are a few elements of horror within this one. It is also one of the disaster films that got the short end of the budget meaning it was made cheaply. So what we do not get is a super all star cast, but you do get actors Christopher George and Leslie Nielson and they do fairly well here. I feel this one just would have done better with a higher budget, as it stands it just has that television movie feel going on in it.
The story has the ozone depletion causing animals to go crazy and go on the attack at higher levels. Of course, this was when we were all being warned about this particular phenomenon and it was going to wipe us out, once it waned out something else would take its place. So, it already has a bad premise. I highly doubt the ozone being gone would do anything other than make animals and humans alike sluggish and then burn up! Well a group of hikers get dropped off on the mountain just before an evacuation and they soon are targeted by animals. A lot of the hikers, strangely, don't seem to even want to be on this expedition. Things break down, one of the hikers goes crazy, not sure why just one of them was affected the same way the animals were, and a lot of name calling occurs! Seriously, Leslie Nielson's character constantly insults a native American, but apparently calling someone 'hotshot' is worse and more likely to get one hit.
I think this could have been a good film, but needed more of a horror vibe to it and a few more animal attack scenes. Most of the film has the characters doing the whole disaster film melodrama thing as the characters get closer, only to watch as people desert each other at the first sign of trouble. Leslie Nielson's group was a bit more entertaining and there were some cool scenes, just not enough.
So, not totally bad, but just not good either. Too many things that made a person go 'what'? Like sending a woman and her husband down the mountain alone after the woman was mauled by a wolf. I am thinking the native American guide should have went with them. What is the likelihood of running into an entire camp of German Shepherds? How the hell do snakes get into a car with the windows up? Of course, these things also made the film more entertaining to watch as it was kind of funny in a demented way.
The story has the ozone depletion causing animals to go crazy and go on the attack at higher levels. Of course, this was when we were all being warned about this particular phenomenon and it was going to wipe us out, once it waned out something else would take its place. So, it already has a bad premise. I highly doubt the ozone being gone would do anything other than make animals and humans alike sluggish and then burn up! Well a group of hikers get dropped off on the mountain just before an evacuation and they soon are targeted by animals. A lot of the hikers, strangely, don't seem to even want to be on this expedition. Things break down, one of the hikers goes crazy, not sure why just one of them was affected the same way the animals were, and a lot of name calling occurs! Seriously, Leslie Nielson's character constantly insults a native American, but apparently calling someone 'hotshot' is worse and more likely to get one hit.
I think this could have been a good film, but needed more of a horror vibe to it and a few more animal attack scenes. Most of the film has the characters doing the whole disaster film melodrama thing as the characters get closer, only to watch as people desert each other at the first sign of trouble. Leslie Nielson's group was a bit more entertaining and there were some cool scenes, just not enough.
So, not totally bad, but just not good either. Too many things that made a person go 'what'? Like sending a woman and her husband down the mountain alone after the woman was mauled by a wolf. I am thinking the native American guide should have went with them. What is the likelihood of running into an entire camp of German Shepherds? How the hell do snakes get into a car with the windows up? Of course, these things also made the film more entertaining to watch as it was kind of funny in a demented way.