Wolff rating: NOT BAD
Plot summary: Brazilian monster-in-a-box arrives in the Field Museum in Chicago and starts tearin' up the place. Resembles the ``Flying Intron'' episode from Star Trek, Next Generation.
Biased, pithy comments: The plot is quite familiar (if occasionally rich in pseudo science), but the pacing moves along well enough to make it quite fun in a typical monster-movie way. Though the same idea could have been done much better (and indeed, four credited screenwriters tried), it rollicks from tense action scene to tense action scene without stopping for much, including cleaning up hanging plot threads. Still, some of the supporting cast work well, and though Miller is pretty unconvincing as a scientist, I had a good time in an extremely brainless way. I think the way to enjoy this film is keep your expectations very, very low and be a member of the Chicago Field Museum (like me) so you can watch the computer-animated thingee crawl around through familiar territory. Probably less fun for people who've never been to the museum.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Penelope Ann Miller, Tom Sizemore, Linda Hunt, Clayton Rohner, Chi-Muoi Lo.
Directed by: Peter Hyams