Some might call it derivative and some might call it cliche but call it whatever they will, Blue Monkey is a giant monster movie that hearkens back to everything that was fun and exciting about the science-fiction films of days gone by.

The story consists of a man getting bitten by what he assumes is just a bug, but he soon finds himself in the hospital and dying. There are others there as well who are in a similar condition. Things start to spiral out of control and soon enough, a giant monster bug that looks like it could be a mantis of sorts starts to lay its eggs, captures some humans to feed on and kills a bunch of others. The hospital is then put on lockdown as those outside of it think there is some kind of deadly virus rampaging within. Little do they know that it is something else entirely and it then falls to those who remain to do something about the creature before it either kills everybody or its eggs hatch and hell on earth is soon unleashed.

Blue Monkey is the type of movie that one puts on to simply while the day away and have a good time doing so. There is nothing overly complicated about it and one does not need to use every center of the brain to comprehend it. Bad stuff happens, a giant bug is on the loose and people are going to die unless it is stopped. A pretty simple plot if there ever is one and that is all one needs in a film such as this. The cast does a great job with the material which includes Steve Railsback, Gwynyth Walsh, Don Lake and Helen Hughes among their number. Even the incredible John Vernon makes an appearance, though he is not around for very long. All of them play second fiddle to the monster though, who is quite large and grotesque and for a small Canadian picture, it is slightly shocking to see just how good the practical effects are. At first there is just the monster is simply alluded to but the makers of this film waste no time in getting the creature on screen and it is a good thing they did as it would not have been as effective had they not and second, that it looked that solid.

When it first begins, it is set at a leisurely pace but that does not last for long once things start happening and then it really grabs the attention of the audience and refuses to let go until the explosive ending. One cannot say that there is anything truly original here as there is not and it does mirror quite a few movies that have come before it but that does not mean that it is a write-off. It contains everything needed to make for a solid popcorn flick and it succeeds in that respect. Blue Monkey may not be high art but it is a solid little horror film that will fulfill one’s craving for entertainment.

3 out of 5