As expected with B grade movies, the plot is one-dimensional and is extremely predictable. While there is almost no character development, there are some small parallel running character driven sub-plots. Being as limited, this movie is a great candidate for multi-tasking situations wherein you need to get other stuff done, but can watch a movie while you’re at it. The special effects were surprisingly good for a movie as small and possibly low budget. I’d expect that this has to do with Roland Emmerich’s involvement in the movie, and probably other related crew members as well. While having its thrilling moments, the movie also has a casual silliness that helps keep things light. Even while faced with the growing death count and seemingly no-win situation there is a relaxed feel to the movie. In terms of a genre, the movie is officially billed as a Horror Comedy flick. It’s not really scary, though I’d admit to the presence of a few thrilling scenes. There is a comedy track, and I guess it does have a light mood to it.
Kari Wuhrer as Sheriff Samantha Parker was pretty decent. Her portrayal of a small town law official, and a caring mother of two was sufficiently adequate. If you have been following her career, this is probably one of her more mainstream and less risqué roles. David Arquette as Chris McCormick was noticeably amateur, but acceptable. Through his character he added some humor to the plot that worked okay. Scarlett Johansson is probably one of the better known cast members. In Eight Legged Freaks her role is more that of a child-actress/teenager, playing the role of Ashley Parker, the sheriff Sam Parkers daughter. Interestingly, this was just prior to her award winning performance in Lost in Translation, released in 2003. To the unacquainted, she won a ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role’ at the BAFTA awards. Lost in Translation was her sorta coming of age performance that put her on the map. In Eight Legged Freaks though her role was very limited, but her portrayal of a teenager was pretty good. What was interesting was that she actually resembled Kari Wuhrer, who plays her mom in the movie.
This movie was pretty hard to source, and thus I had to settle for a high bitrate DivX rip (Ripped from DVD). Owing to the high bitrate the video quality was good, without any overly noticeable pixilation. Color vibrancy as always was lacking being a DivX rip. No specific post production color tones were used. I’d expect the DVD release to be pretty good; clear with natural colors. Special effects / CGI were good, and all the action / thrill sequences were visually realistic. Sound was presented by means of a Dolby Digital AC3 5.1 soundtrack. Dialog was clear all through, and sound was ample. Surround stage usage was minimal, but noticeable and present during certain scenes. The music score was orchestral with a high level of interactivity based on the mood of the specific scene.
My Recommendation: Dicey (Good special effects, a very simplistic plot, and mediocre performances)
