One clever way to bypass the steep time and financial costs of creature effects in horror, or perhaps more fittingly, horror-comedy, is to simply make the monster invisible. That novel approach drives The Invisible Raptor, a comedic horror film that lets a genetically enhanced yet imperceptible predator loose into the California suburbs. The Invisible Raptor wears its Jurassic Park influences proudly, with tongue planted firmly in cheek. From there, the horror-comedy only continues to riff on Steven Spielberg’s greatest hits. While that gets things off to a charming start, The Invisible Raptor struggles to reconcile its cruder impulses and stretches on the wacky dino hijinks a bit too long.
The first overt homage to Spielberg’s works comes via the opening sequence that introduces the top-secret lab that houses the genetically enhanced, hyper-intelligent, but unseen raptor. He’s monitored by a lab coat scientist played by The Goonies star Sean Astin, stunt casting that tips its hat to Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. But director Mike Hermosa makes it clear that family-friendly Amblin material this is not; an eye is gruesomely plucked, and the raptor, a clever boy this time, makes his way topside to unleash chaos for a fictional Spielburgh County neighborhood. Being that the prehistoric predator is invisible and shouldn’t exist at all, it falls to disgraced paleontologist Dr. Grant Walker, played by the film’s writer Mike Capes, his amusement park coworker Denny (David Shackelford), and ex-girlfriend Amber (Caitlin McHugh Stamos) to stop it.
Sean Astin as “William ‘Willie’ Walsh” in the Horror, Comedy film
THE INVISIBLE RAPTOR, a Well Go USA Entertainment release. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment.
The Invisible Raptor starts with an amusing bang, wasting no time introducing the key players to great comedic effect. The raptor’s escape is suitably silly, contrasted by the browbeaten introduction of Dr. Grant Walker, whose dignity is affronted when forced to dance with a dino-suited Denny for a crowd at the DinoWorld theme park where they work. Grant just wants to connect with kids over his love of dinosaurs, but this slightly upgraded Chuck E. Cheese-type facility simply isn’t the place. Not helping is that his only friend happens to be the kindhearted but dimwitted Denny, a perpetual screw-up who struggles with the simplest tasks. While Amber makes for a likable love interest turned heroine in her own right, this is the type of film that lets the child in her care upstage everyone as she mutters clever zingers and sarcastic dings that no one but the audience seems to register.
It’s also the type of film that struggles with tone and pacing the longer the raptor evades the unlikely dino-hunting trio. The high-concept horror-comedy speeds through references to E.T., Jaws, and even a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nod to Hook‘s Rufio, incorporating gags on other ’80s pop culture fare like Weekend at Bernie’s in the process. But when those playful twists and nods run dry, there’s nowhere left for this horror-comedy to go, and all that’s left is endless poop, pee, and sex jokes. It creates a disparate tone between charming Spielberg riffs and crude humor. Special effects supervisor Steve Johnson does a great job holding things together for a while, overseeing more gore and gag-worthy bodily fluid horror moments than expected that offer bursts of energy. Yet it’s not enough when the runtime stretches to nearly two hours, and this horror-comedy overstays its welcome.
David Shackelford as “Deniel ‘Denny’ Denielson”, Mike Capes as “Dr. Grant Walker” and Caitlin McHugh Stamos as “Amber” in the Horror, Comedy THE INVISIBLE RAPTOR, a Well Go USA Entertainment release. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
Tighter editing and a more even blend of humor and heart would go far here. It’s a novel idea that’s frontloaded on jokes that actually land, with affable characters that earn easy rooting interest. But by the time Sandy Martin, playing an offshoot of her “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” character, joins the three plucky heroes in earnest, offering herself up as bait, good will wears perilously thin. Still, it has all the scrappy charm and appreciable sense of self-awareness for the right kind of cult film fanatic on board with an invisible dino that just wants to eat and reproduce. If that’s you, be sure to watch through the credits for two additional gags.
The Invisible Raptor releases in theaters and on Digital December 6, 2024.
The post ‘The Invisible Raptor’ Review – A Horror Comedy Riff on Steven Spielberg’s Greatest Hits appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
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