(1997)

review by:

9-17-03

Written by: Amy Holden Jones, John Raffo, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver Original Novel by: Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child Directed by: Peter Hyams Starring: Penelope Ann Miller , Tom Sizemore

Basically what happens is the Museum of Chicago is about to open this big exhibit centered on superstition. Well, a few deaths occur, and you would think that this would deter them from opening the museum up, but no. They throw a party instead, fit with rich folk and politicians, and plenty of brain glands for the creature to hunt. It’s up to Miller and Sizemore to solve the mystery and kill the creature before it kills again. I have been wanting to do this review for a long time now. But I was always torn. You see, this movie did make money in the box office, and many people saw it, so why you ask did it find its way here? Well, for some strange reason this film has officially dropped off the face of the earth. I mean you can still rent it, but no one does. I have come to realize that very few people have seen this within the last 3 years. This movie is gory, suspenseful and it’s got a twist, but it’s not one to stand out. I think it has to do with the twist (I hope I don’t give too much away). Anyway, well I am an absolute freak when it comes to twist endings (I figured out Sixth Sense, Signs, and Identity with plenty of time to get bored and go to sleep). All these thrillers had a bunch of major clues that led to the resolution. Well, in The Relic, there is only one major clue and then very little ones, nothing compared to the other movies, where they just tell you what’s going to happen. This one, I will admit, had me a little confused as to the twist ending, so I tip my hat to it, but I fell that this left a lot of people unsatisfied. Apparently John Q public likes to say, “Oh, I can’t believe that, the clues were so obvious, I’m so fucking stupid for actually liking Signs”. (Sorry but I really hated that movie). As far as CG goes, it’s not bad for 1997. The creature looks impressive and I think the CG combined with puppets gives it a ‘real’ feel. One thing I liked about this movie (And the original book – Honumon) is that it takes place in a museum. What a creepy ideal. I love that. Gore, in my opinion was lacking. Yes, lacking. There are gory ‘parts’, but they are few. But when they happen, HOLY CRAP! Acting was good from both lead characters as well as supplementary characters. I actually hated that Asian dude. And Sizemore did a great job. Another thing I loved about this was the technical information about how the creature was made and how it eats. I swear I learned more about the human brain in this movie than I did in biology class. So if you’re into a real techno-babble thriller, this has got to be your favorite movie. One thing I didn’t like was that they had these beetles in the movie, and they seemed to foreshadow a bug-eating death somewhere. I was looking forward to this; remember, this is pre-Mummy. But no bug death, so it left me wanting more. I did like how they threw in the superstition aspect, but it could have been left out. The creature had only a little bit to do with it. The only reason they had it was because Sizemore’s character is very cautious about black cats, ladders, and broken mirrors. So I feel that it didn’t NEED to be in the movie. (For years I wouldn't pick up face-down pennies, thanks to The Relic – Honumon) I will say that I do own this, but only because I saw a VHS used copy for 3 bucks. I felt so sorry for it; it does deserve more than that. How ironic that it was named The Relic and now it has become one. So I finally am reviewing it and I give it a GOOD. I hope you give this movie another chance to redeem itself.

Rating