Blue Monkey (1987)


REVIEWER RATING: 
5/10


Also known as Insect on some old VHS covers, this film was released back in 1987 and until now has since been pretty much unknown to me. Don't let the title fool you, this movie isn't about a killer blue monkey, but it is about a mysterious giant insect that runs amok in a highly-populated hospital. The film starts off with an old man visiting a friend's greenhouse, only to get pricked by a strange exotic plant. Shortly after, he falls ill and is taken to a nearby hospital, where they determine that he's suffering from some kind of bacteria; a bacteria that seems to be spreading to other patients that come in contact with him. It doesn't take long before he dies, but not before a worm-like creature (which looks like a white turd) comes out of his mouth. The worm is placed under careful observation by the local doctors in the hospital, who fail to find an origin of the creature.

Once a group of mischievous kids mistakenly sprinkle a jar of growth stimulant onto the creature (thinking it's a hungry pet that needs food, silly kids!) it eventually turns into a viscous giant insect, or better yet, a cross between a fly, an ant, and a lobster! The government hears news of the incident, so they decide to quarantine the entire hospital and everyone in it. With word to shoot anyone who attempts to cross the barrier, the people are essentially trapped inside, and are forced to fend against the giant insect when it makes its way from one point of the hospital to the other, killing everyone in its way. This is your standard cheesy 80's creature flick that doesn't offer much originality, but does deliver an interesting batch of characters to keep us watching for the first half, as the monster doesn't actually make an on-screen appearance until around 50-minutes into it.

Genre fav. Steve Railsback plays the cop that's in the hospital after his partner is shot, and naturally plays the hero in the film. Then we've got the fun group of bed-ridden kids that like to play games in the halls (even though they're not supposed to) and also have a key role later on in the film. After that, we've got your standard insect specialist that gives us the answers to all the loose ends and a female doctor that seems to know a little more than she should about the creature. Speaking of which, the giant insect was a pretty sloppy design (lobster claws? c'mon!) and they attempted to cover it up by keeping the scenes dark, so we don't get a good look at it. Despite the premise, there really isn't a whole lot of gore in the film -- a guy gets his head ripped off when the mayhem starts, but aside from a little blood here and there, that's pretty much it.

The movie is a decent watch if you're in need of a cheesy 80's creature fix, otherwise, skip it.
OVERALL: 
The movie is a decent watch if you're in need of a cheesy 80's creature fix, otherwise, skip it.


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