REPTILIAN (1999)
For years, I confused this flick with 1998's Gargantua. An easy mistake, as both endeavors attempt to piggyback off of the fleeting success of Roland Emmerich's Godzilla. I have a confession to make; I have a soft spot for 98's 'Zilla. Can't help it. I was 13 at the time, and I was on a voracious Godzilla kick. Toys, movies, comic books...I had to have all of it. It could be argued that I haven't matured since then. Case in point, I was bound and determined to end Random Dinosaur Month with Reptilian. And yes, it counts. We open on an archeological dig where journalists and scientists alike wax philosophical about the discovery of a giant dino fossil. Hold that thought. A fringe paleo-savant has also found prehistoric hieroglyphics that seem to denote extraterrestrial intervention. Sure enough, we cut to the cosmos and yahtzee! Wicked-looking aliens (in comparably wicked-looking spaceships) have designs on the colossal skeleton. One concentrated laser blast later, Yongary Jr. sprouts flesh and stomps his way to Los Angeles.
That's not just a kaiju allusion. This film is known as Yong(g)ary overseas, though it doesn't appear to be an official remake. It's a South Korean production with a mainly American cast. For what it's worth, it's very possible that I'm still a teenager because I really enjoyed this twaddle. The blocky CGI leaves much to be desired, but eh, I'll allow it. The third act busts out a second monster, an Anguirus clone named Cycor. Expectations exceeded? I think so. I don't need to tell you that the human characters aren't terribly fascinating. Reptilian compensates for its lack of profundity with plenty of dumb explosions. I like dumb explosions. When you couple the brisk action with a quick pace, you get a fun viewing experience. By the way, the version I watched (and indeed, it's the only version available) includes story tweaks and fine-tuned special effects that were added two years after Reptilian's release date. Almost 4 Z'Dars. Let's not get too crazy.
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