Boar

I’ve been waiting to see this for almost two years and, in fact, it was the release of the first teasers of this film that provoked me to revisit Razorback (1984), Pig Hunt (2008) and Chaw (2009) as an amuse-bouche for my recent taste for killer boar cinema.

Bruce (Bill Moseley; The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, House of 1000 Corpses, Texas Chainsaw 3-D, The Blob, Smothered), Debbie (Simone Buchanan; Patrick) and family head out to Debbie’s family farm in the Australian countryside where they meet her gentle giant brother Bernie (Nathan Jones; Charlie’s Farm, Troy, Mad Max: Fury Road). Shortly after their family vacation begins, they come to realize they are sharing the outback with a man-eating monster. That’s basically the movie.

Right away this feels like a moderately-budgeted B-movie, and I was more than a bit worried. The early gore gags are grimy and mean (e.g., the razor wire tangle), but certainly could have been more graphic for my taste. But the moment we first see the non-CGI boar’s slobber-soaked gnarly mouth, blood-stained tusks and jagged teeth, I was awash with a sense of comfort that this wasn’t a mistake.

The death scene “action” is sort of simple, but also sort of wild in execution. There’s enough sloshy splish-splashing of blood and, for all its hokiness, it tries really hard and I appreciated that. Rounding out the special effects are mangled flesh-eaten corpses (complete with rended-flesh nudity and torn-off faces) getting plenty of screen time. They look great and boast a diversity of make-ups and horrid injuries. We also see the beast worrying a dead body with its limbs gangling about on more than one occasion and it is delightful.

This tusked beast is covered with open wounds as if it were a zombie and I love the practical creature effects as it goads and roars at its victims. It’s funny how this boar, which looks great by the way, looks just like the giant killer boar from Pig Hunt (2008) because of the massive facial lacerations and the dead white eye.

Director Chris Sun (Charlie’s Farm, Daddy’s Little Girl, Come and Get Me) reached deep into a line-up of Aussie actors for this. Watch out for the feisty old bogan Ken (John Jarratt; Wolf Creek 1-3, Rogue) and his crotchety beer buddy Blue (Roger Ward; Mad Max, Turkey Shoot), Steve Bisley (Mad Max), and Madeleine Kennedy (Charlie’s Farm) as a promiscuous camping victim. Ken is an unsung hero, taking every opportunity to challenge the boar. But Bernie (Nathan Jones)—well, let’s just say that I seldom smile as big as I did when I saw Nathan Jones emphatically singing along to Ice Ice Baby. But, oh, it gets better…

When the snarling giant rabid Hell-Muppet is completely in-frame in non-action shots it’s fully animatronic—which is so cool. When it’s in-frame and getting shot up, it’s ScyFy movie-of-the-week CGI. But it’s awesome anyway. I really don’t care because I like the way it moves, jerks, snaps its jaws and reacts.

As we get deeper into the film, the action progresses. We finally see an on-screen kill. Despite being cheap CGI, it was handled well enough and I joyfully cackled at the violent thrashing of the body. Yes it’s fun and feisty… and it’s stupid. Somehow, in broad daylight and out in the open meadows, a full throttle charging two-ton boar “sneaks” up on several victims as if the ground wouldn’t be pounding under its massive frame and as if no one would notice something the size of a van plowing across the plains at them. This thing teleports like Jason Takes Manhattan (1989).

But once I saw Nathan Jones fighting a boar ten times his already huge size with a knife and his fists—all flaws are given. Even after he was nearly gored to death, he continued to taunt the boar like it was some barfight or Monday Night RAW. I was SCREAMING at the screen rooting for him even when it was clearly futile. I’m pretty sure I love this movie. And it’s great that Nathan Jones got to play a good guy!

After a worrisome slow start, this developed into the kind of B-movie that I not only enjoy, but that I love. This is the “B+” movie I want to own and add to my well-curated collection of giant killer boar movies. Whether you love Nathan Jones or giant animals brutally turning on man, this is probably for you.

I think all they had was Nathan Jones and the big boar head puppet. They used neither of these well. The boar mostly stands there as people throw themselves at it, like a modern Creeping Terror. The few times the boar advances on it’s victims they either roll it on wheels/tracks, or pick it up and drop it, both look really dumb. They had the exact same limitations for Razorback, and a worse looking boar puppet, which is a good example of how directing, writing and cinematography can lift a movie above it’s budget. Watching Nathan Jones stab an unmoving boar puppet in the noggin before jumping onto it’s snout to impale himself was a sad thing to see.

I enjoyed this, but then again I’m a big fan of this type of movie. Not to everyone’s taste, but very entertaining.

My main problem with Boar comes from the writing, and in particular the characters and the stakes. While the main monster has a fantastic look and great practical effects done on it, it’s the lack of investments in the characters and its entire third act that really undoes the movie. It’s sad because there was good setup at the start of the movie for these characters and you think that certain traits (like the kid being able to see a biker coming while still having headphones on) would come up later in the movie….but none of it really plays on later. In fact, it’s almost like the third act of the movie completely forgot what it was doing in the first two acts, as many of the victims get dragged off screen out of no where with no real lead up to the end of their arc. The ending too is cliche but not at the same time, I won’t spoil, but I just sat there wondering how it got to that point and why none of it made sense.

It’s almost worth watching for the Boar effects alone….but other then that, it’s a pass for me.

Did not disappoint. Outdoors, fun, entertaining, took my mind of my tough day, guy flick, but has good share of female roles/characters. Online stories read that the lead male actor in reality spent years in jail. Kinda happy for him that he picked up his life to do good. For fun, I accidentally saw real hunters in a cable tv show hunt and kill boars, then saw this film, sad to see giant boar hurt and kill humans, but it was a big turn of events, the other way around. Might the have been this big millions of years ago?

What to say about movie. Well monster movie i guess yes. Scary no. Gory not really most scenes are in dark so cant really see. Make you jump nope. Some scenes of the boar you can just tell its a stuffed prop and men are behind pushing it. The chomping of jaws didn’t really work and the part were the old man is running through woods is so sped up it made me chuckle. Is it worth watching im not sure. Will i watch again i dont think so