Critters (1986)

"What the hell are those things!?" - Jay

Carnivorous space critters terrorize a small town.
Starring: Scott Grimes, Dee Wallace, Billy Green Bush, Terrence Mann, M. Emmet Walsh

Link to IMDB

I'm already familiar with the first two Critters movies (and they warrant a re-watch), but this month I'll also be covering the other sequels that I've never seen.

The movie opens as a handful of alien creatures escape from space jail in a stolen spaceship. Pursuing them are two intergalactic bounty hunters that are tasked with capturing the fugitives. The aliens eventually land their ship here on Earth, in the state of Kansas.
Grover's Bend is a typical small farming town, and here we meet Brad Brown who lives with his sister, mom and dad. Some of the other colourful characters are the dim-witted town drunk named Charlie, and the obligatory cranky sheriff.

 Brad                          Mom                               Charlie                           Sheriff

We all know who the stars of the show really are, and that's the furry little critters that are always ravenous. Although the movie doesn't reveal them too soon, which builds some nice suspense as they sneak around in the shadows.
The bounty hunters also arrive on Earth, and they use their face-morphing ability to appear human but they don't exactly make an attempt to blend in. Fully equipped with guns, they start hunting for the critters who have infested the Brown's farm house.

Much like Gremlins, this movie is made for fun instead of scares, although Critters is even more campy in tone. The mix of critter violence and critter comedy works really well though, and despite the premise being pure science fiction it's delivered without too much goofiness. The family is established well and feel realistic, and it's fun watching them bond as they fight back against the escalating craziness of the critter attacks.

Bounty Hunters

The bounty hunters are a much appreciated addition to the plot. They create just as much chaos as the critters do, but it gives the movie more sense of urgency. The critters themselves also have some personality (much like gremlins), and the puppetry is creative enough to really bring them to life.

This is a movie that has well earned its cult following. It's fun, lively and demented enough to be considered more than a copy-cat.

Be sure not to miss:
- E.T. gets chomped.
- The "Power of Night" song used throughout is ultimate cheese.
- Billy Zane and Ethan Phillips have small roles.

Internet review:
"100% pure unadulterated cheesy Sci-Fi goodness! - Norwood

Should I watch it?
For sure.

Where can I find it?
Links here.

Critters gets...