Movie Review: Curse of the Komodo (2004)

Jim Wynorski (aka Jay Andrews) is a filmmaker who apparently is determined to outdo Ed Wood in the schlock department. Only difference is that while Wood genuinely thought that his flicks were works of art, Wynorski appears to make bad movies on purpose. His movies have such leaps of logic and idiotic scenes coupled with poor scripts and acting that it is difficult to see just how anyone could possibly think that they were making good movies.

The movie opens with the nighttime slaughter of American Special Forces troops by ferocious genetically enhanced Komodo Dragons who have become mutated to record size via scientific experimentation. This battle was most unlikely in light of the fact that Komodo Dragons being reptiles are cold blooded and as such unlikely to engage in strenuous activity at night.

This engagement leads to the lead scientists stationed on the island meeting at Pearl Harbor with the general in charge of their project. There, the general informs them that "Project Catalyst" is going to be scrapped. He also notes that the goal of this decade-long project was to create biological war machines. If that really was the goal, then you would think that the skirmish showed that the project had achieved its goals. However, the general also adds that the fact that the giant Komodo Dragons killed the soldiers showed that the project was a failure. This makes no sense at all.

The scientists respond, saying that Project Catalyst had not reached the stage when such a field test was warranted. Then, after the general mentions that the purpose of this project was to create newfangled weapons, the scientists get indignant saying that they were told that the purpose of Project Catalyst was to grow food. In other words, these supposedly brilliant scientists spent a decade of their lives working to create mutated gigantic Komodo Dragons, the single most dangerous predator on the face of the Earth, and it never occurred that such creatures would not exactly make for a great food source. Nor did the thought ever occur to these scientists that the only good reason for having gigantic Komodo Dragons was for tools of war. The scientists further reveal the frontiers of their brilliance when one of them threatens the general with an "indictment" from a "congressional committee." The poor man seems never to have heard of grand juries in all of his college
training. For reasons not really explained, the scientists then return to the island only to start nagging the Navy about getting them out from the island again.

Added to the goofy scientists is a dysfunctional outlaw gang that robbed a Hawaii casino, but whose helicopter was forced to land on the island due to the weather. Naturally, the gangsters join the scientists in resisting becoming food for the Komodos. The rest of the movie is completely predictable to the point of being no fun at all.

Curse of the Komodo can only be recommended for its unintentional humor. The rest of the movie is too poorly made and the acting is atrocious. All of the actors played their roles without even trying to do any real acting, just as if they were only interested in a quick pay check. The basic attitude of Jim Wynorski and his associates is that all you need for a movie is a CGI giant Komodo Dragon, some blondes and some folks going through the motions of acting and filmmaking. If you really want to see this flick, just rent it. Buying it will only encourage Wynorski and friends to make more dreck just like Curse of the Komodo.