Skinwalkers

In almost every ancient human culture there are stories about human beings taking on the form of animals. Even though we are, as a species, the top of the heap we still collectively envy the grace, power and rawness of animals. One of the most well used plot devices in films concerning people changing into animals is the werewolf. Ever since Lon Chaney Jr. became the Wolf-Man back in 1941 audiences have loved watching werewolves. Now there is a film that takes a slightly newer twist of this part of our mythology, ‘Skin Walkers’. According to some of the exposition of the film this is just a Navajo term for someone with the ability to change into the form of an animal. I guess a wolf is a good choice if you have this ability. After all changing into a gerbil or a chipmunk really wouldn’t make for a good horror flick. Here the film makers take the werewolf story and add another perennially favorites, warring clans. Although the film has some problems deciding what genre it is really in there is potential here for a pretty good popcorn flick. The specially effects are primitive by modern standards and the setting is more like an old time western or perhaps a sixties biker flick but over all the film gives it a good try but ultimately fails to hit the mark. Most of the actors appear to be in this flick just to keep a recent resume. The director just can’t manage to get momentum to drive the flick although he certainly gives it a good try. This film comes over more like one of the on the cheap flicks the Sci-Fi Channel has on Saturday night. It is also diluted with its PG-13 rating. If you are going to make a horror flick of this sub-genre you might as well go all out. There are some things that don’t water down to a family rating effectively such as man-animals torturing and killing people. Either come up with a more imaginative way to get the point across in a more family friendly way or decide to make a more adult flick.

The flick starts off with some necessary exposition. First they use a method around since the silent era, title cards with a definition of ‘Yee nadlooshi’ the Native American term for Skin walk. Then we get the set up card were we learn there has been a war raging between those that feel the change is as curse and those you embrace the beastly powers. The ancient legend tells of a thirteen year old boy you will bring an end to all skin walkers. Next there is a voice of a young boy telling us that we convince ourselves that some things don’t exist but they do. Okay, we are about one minute into the flick and we already have about 80% of the plot line covered. Now there are two packs of werewolves or skin walkers, one hedonistic, bent on maintaining their lupine ways. The other pack is good; they consider the ability a curse and look for a way to be free of it. There are no catchy names for the two packs, nothing snapping like the Sharks and the Jets; at least the writers could have thought of something here. As the actual action starts out a man, apparently a Native American is running through the woods, tracked by one of the evil pack. He is caught and hung upside down with his throat cut just enough to make a cool dip to the ground, not enough to dispatch him. He is a caretaker, charged with the protection of the good pack. The head of the evil pack (Wendy Crewson) notices he was carrying silver bullets in his gun. She demands to know where the boy is but the man reuses to give up the location. Before he is killed he tells them that it has begun, they will never find him in time. Living with a pack of good werewolves is a young boy Timothy (Matthew Knight) who is about to turn thirteen, the same night as the next full moon. His mother, Rachel (Rhona Mitra) dotes on the frail boy and his constant illnesses. She is unaware that almost her whole community consists of werewolves and that she is one of the few humans around. She is presumed to be a widow but actually Timothy’s father is still very much alive. He is none other than Varek (Jason Behr), the alpha male of one of the teams looking for the boy. His current mate is Sonja (Natassia Malthe) who was made a werewolf by Varek and is completely devoted to him. The alpha male of the good guys is Jonas (Elias Koteas). One a month he and the other werewolves in the community have their human caretakers bind them so they cannot hurt anyone. His daughter, Katherine (Sarah Carter) is also a lycanthropic American. The good goys have to keep the boy safe from the bad guys until the full moon on this thirteenth birthday. If they can do this then the curse will be broken for all werewolves. Since the bad guys like their monthly fur-fest and human feasting they want to stop the boy from becoming a teenager. Puberty is difficult enough for a boy without all this going on.

The only other ‘big’ film in director James Isaac’s resume is ‘Jason X’ although he did work in the special effects area of some big films including "Return of the Jedi’ and ‘Enemy Mine’. This did give me some experience in working with people in a lot of special effects makeup. Here he goes right for the makeup scenes with no real transformation shots to be found. The audience has come to expect at least one scene where a human being turns into a wolf but this doesn’t happen here. Isaac concentrates on the chase and there is plenty of that. This comes down to a race against the clock flick and a classic good versus evil theme. He paces the film too rapidly. There is little time given to flesh out the characters and giving the audience something to become emotionally invested in. To his credit he does direct this film in a straight forward manner instead of trying to put a few nods to the audience with humor.

This isn’t a bad cast after all is said and done. Some may remember Jason Behr in his television series "Roswell’. His character here seems to have taken a fashion lesson from the ‘Bad Max’ episodes. In this story he plays Varek as a feral killer willing to murder his own son to keep his powers of transformation. Giving the best performance here is Elias Koteas. Considering he has worked with four guys in Teenage Ninja Turtle costumes this must have been a cake walk for him. He plays his character with the style and efficiency we have come to expect from this talented actor. Rhona Mitra basically does what she does in every flick she is in, bounce around and scream a lot. She is a little too clueless here as the boy’s mom.

I got to hand it to Lion’s Gate they bring out a wide variety of films to DVD. Many of them you most likely never heard of. With this approach it can be forgiven if not every film is a hit, they let the audience decide. With this film it would be good for a family fright night one stormy evening. So get the pop corn ready and watch but don’t expect anything more than a big chase.

Posted 11/20/07