Hypothermia, Monster vs. Family

Michael Rooker is one of our favorite actors.  We loved him in "The Walking Dead," and noticed the show got unwatchable after he left it.  In 2010 he starred in a monster movie called "Hypothermia" (directed by James Felix McKenney)  It is one of those movies in which we cheer for the monsters.  In fact, Michael Rooker's character is the only one we want to survive until the end credits.  Today we look at this monster-in-the-lake film set in icy Maine.

Ray (Rooker) and his wife Helen (Blanche Baker) are hosting their son, David (Benjamin Forster) and his girlfriend Gina (Amy Chang) for a weekend at their cabin.  Ray has planned for the four of them to go ice fishing.  We instantly don't like Gina and David.  Both these snot nosed kids have graduated from college and signed up to serve in the Peace Corps...in Uganda.  I'm sure the Ugandans are so thrilled at the prospect of these lily-livered libs coming to show them how to wash their hands. Okay...to the ice.  Very cold.  The parents seem to bond with Gina nicely.  Then Steve (Don Wood) and his son Steve (Greg Finley) arrive.  The dad Steve is obnoxious and is more about blaring loud music and drinking beer.  No matter...fish aren't biting (they've all been eaten by the monster).

Then it attacks.  It lives below the ice and begins hunting our six ice fishers.  The thing is humanoid and breaks through the ice and drags the victim into the depths where it rips them to shreds.  Too far away from shore to run away, they try to hunt the thing.  This won't go well.  The thing is mean, angry, and aggressive.  One by one, the humans are torn to pieces...not entirely sad.  The gore will get pretty good. We will see how useless our Peace Corps couple is...something which the Ugandans probably already know.  On the cold and icy lake, the war will wage on with bloody consequences.

Should the Peace Corps send its peeps to Western Europe or North America where the citizens are really screwing up just about everything, instead of Africa?  Is this creature feature a minor remake of "Creature from the Black Lagoon"?  Should anyone or anything survive this film?  Good gore and a neat monster make this film worthwhile.  For a nice Friday night creature feature, take in "Hypothermia."