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Movie Review by The Gravedigger
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03.12.05
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This is one of those movies where the scriptwriters know absolutely nothing about their subject matter-and it shows.Two archeologists, uncovering ancient American Indian artifacts, are brutally slain by what looks like the grim reaper. One is killed with a shiny new ax, the other with a new looking sword. For the creature itself, cloaked in a black hooded robe with an unconvincing skeleton face.Deep it the forest a group of Army guys on a training mission disappear so another group is sent in. They are attacked by 'The Skeleton Man' as well, killed off one by one. Half the group are women, half are men. Michael Rooker (HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER) portrays the leader and Casper Von Dien (MODERN VAMPIRES) looks like he's sleeping through this one.The killings, though, are intense, particularly when people are speared and then hoisted in the air, their feet dangling. Also, one is scalped.In a flashback we are told about an Iroquois man who went insane and killed his tribe. Only a few of the women in the tribe look like they may actually be Indians, the others clearly white guys with mohawks. This is supposed to be who the Skeleton Man was. How he looks like the grim reaper, why he wears a monk-like robe-and how he gets numerous weapons is left unexplained. It is very un-American Indian like. We just assume (I suppose) that he gets them from this dimension he can go in and out of.In the end there is a confrontation with the final mortal survivors and the creature at a chemical plant-and, of course, lots of needless explosions. Rooker walks out of the exploding building with a grim look on his face, probably wondering what the hell this was all about. The forest, when the people are in it, looks like a Northern forest-but every so often it cuts to a shot of desert-looking mountains and I saw a palm tree in one shot! That, plus this random cutting to an eagle crying out, made it even more confusing. They even encounter an old Indian man in the forest who is just some white guy with long gray hair. In comparison, those 1950's and 60's cowboys and Indians movies were more convincing at portraying Native Americans
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Rating: 7.0 out of 10.0 - 4 votes cast total
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