There comes a point when one has to figure on the fact that if they go camping in the woods somewhere, there is a good chance they will not be coming home. At least that is what the movie industry would have one believe. There have been a lot of deaths in the woods, whether at various summer camps or log cabins with friends or just around the fire and always by that most vicious of wild animal – man! Moonstalker released in 1989 is more of the same, banking on a tried and true formula and it manages to make a fairly good go of it.

Written and directed by Michael O’Rourke, Moonstalker is a fairly average slasher that almost seems like it will disappoint. That soon fades when literal limbs start flying as the killer seems to like going after the appendages of his victims. Not everything is shown on-screen at first but soon enough, viewers get to see legs and arms all over the place. The practical effects are quite bad as one might guess and everything looks ridiculous but it gives more than it takes and the hilarity that ensues when seeing these poor campers get their limbs chopped off makes the audience root for the killer. Amidst everything that takes place in this picture, watching this man dismember various people makes it all incredibly entertaining.

The rest of the film, while not being something to write home about, is fairly decent as well even though the story is a little mundane and nothing makes the viewer root for any of the actors or actresses. That being said, the cast does an able job with O’Rourke’s material and there is talent present among the bunch but again, the story is fairly run of the mill and it is only when the killer is onscreen that the movie is at all slightly interesting. It is not for lack of trying nor is it that the entire affair is all that bad, it has simply been seen numerous times before and it makes one wish that there was simply a little bit more there in order for this picture to stand out.

Like any good slasher, Moonstalker manages to get itself a good villain, a silent killer who looks like a trucker in need of a rest and while not a Jason or a Michael, he has a distinct look and manages to be fairly menacing when doing his business. There is no real hero of the piece, merely a final girl who manages to live through to the end, though given the tease that O’Rourke provides the audience, who knows for just how long that might end up being. In the end, it worked, all of it from top to bottom and whether mediocre or not, it was still enjoyable and that is all that really matters at when all is said and done.

2.5 out of 5