The Blob (1988)

The Blob...1988...95 minutes...R...starring Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, and Jeffrey DeMunn...modern screenplay written by Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont...directed by Chuck Russell

First of all, I admit that this entry should really have been switched with the last, so at least the two "Blob"s could be back-to-back, but I'm reviweing them as I see them, and my method of seeing movies is occasionally very random. Second of all...Frank Darabont? Really? Like "The Walking Dead" Frank Darabont? Indeed. Surprised the heck out of me.

So, anyways, the plot is much like the original. A strange organism crash-lands near a small town, and gets an attack of the mad munchies.  Only the teens seem to be wise to this gelatinous threat, and of course no one will listen to them. Only this time, the government gets involved in trying to capture the creature. We can trust them, right?

Two things are immediately noticeable as differences...one, people do not get eaten nearly as antiseptically as they did in the 50s. Here, we get to see partially digested snacks floating around in the semi-sentient goo, as well as the effects of blob fluids on the human form. Two, this blob gets a bit more animated...with tentaclish psuedopods, a faux mouth when needed, and the ability to hide in the most...interesting...of places.

Maybe it's me, but I have to admit that the best thing I've seen Shawnee Smith in is a contraption designed to rip her jaw off if she doesn't start carving. It could have been that I'd just seen the original, but I really found it difficult to get involved with the story; and while the updated effects were interesting at times, I got bored pretty quickly. The movie does have its moments; Kevin Dillon has a nice line after he spills a jar about killing the strawberry jelly. The ending isn't horrible either...but again, I just wasn't held.

I'll give the movie 2.5 class rings out of 5...I'm tempted to go lower but I'm giving the movie the benefit of the doubt that I saw it at the wrong time. But really, don't spend money seeing this one.