Hey gang, Valkor here. Maybe it’s just me, but it just feels like summer is just screaming by with the quickness. On the tech/gaming side we’re entering fall/holiday showcases. And as for the film side, well I have yet to dabble into some of this summer’s biggest titles. I’ll get to them eventually, but for now let’s dip into the TOV pile and see what’s a hit or miss. Next up is Animal (2014), which has a nice Nickelodeon costar appearance, but is the film worth it? FYI, Spoilers ahead.

Animal finds five friends out for a friendly hike in the woods until they get sidetracked and wind up in the woods after dark. And that’s always bad for these types of films right? Right! Because lurking in these forest is a mysterious creature with a taste for human flesh. The group happen upon the creature just as its feeding and they make a mad dash for it, with this animal hot on their heels. They’re able to make it to a cabin where three others have been holed up, also doing their best to stay out of the animal’s grasp (they're the group seen at the very beginning of the film). Plan after plan the group tries everything within their capabilities of escape, but one by one they're whittled down to one and it’s up to the lone survivor to make it past the creature alive.

I won’t lie, I’m something of a fan of “Victorious” and I was surprised to see Elizabeth Gilles aka Jade West (my favorite character on the show) starring in this film. She’s not bad and much of that character shines here as well. That alone warrants me watching Animal… that and she shows loads of cleavage and I do mean loads of it. Pic below very related. And from what I’ve seen online, she has no shame in letting them bad boys out to breath. Not even hating.

The Good:
Animal is a pretty decent horror with a handful of scares that makes for the perfect late night time killer; what I enjoyed most about the film is the “zero detail” given on the creature – where does it come from? Is it man made or some form of mutation? We don’t really know and quite honestly, I don’t care. We know that there's more than one, which leaves things open to a sequel. But watching a bunch of pretty faces getting chomped up is all the entertainment I need and Animal delivers. The level of gore is pretty high as you see the monster pulling out entrails, biting into flesh and blood splashing everywhere. It's not over the top, but you’ll definitely cringe at a few scenes. The creature itself is well made, something of a giant rat head with a humanesque body, plus you don't get to see all of it at once. The acting overall isn’t bad as everyone brings a decent performance to the table. I was impressed with Animal as it didn’t turn out as bad as I would have thought. And yet speaking of bad…

The Bad:
Animal is a typical horror that you’ve seen dozens of time over. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table other than the type of creature our protagonists has to deal with. And that’s just about it. While the film is completely watchable, don’t expect anything new or different brought to the genre. Also having the characters reveal secrets in the midst of being hunted by this monster, which really doesn't amount to anything? Pointless.

The Ugly:
Watching Jeff get eviscerated!

Animal is making the digital rounds as well as a limited theatrical run. And it’s worth checking out if it happens upon your neck of the woods or you're looking for some late night cheese. It’s a pretty decent horror, with a passable story, a handful of scares and lots of gore to keep you glued to your seat. And out of TOV 5 stars, Animal gets a 3. And now for some more Jade…


Just because...