Plot: What’s it about?
In Africa and South America, waves of killer bees can be found, but America has never given them much concern. This is because of the sheer distance between the two, but after decades of slow movement and breeding with more docile bees, the killer bees are now ready to invade American borders. After an assault on Houston causes a list of fatalities thousands deep, the government rolls a plan into action. But of course, it is slow to defeat the bees and as time passes, the creatures cover even more ground and rack up more victims. All kinds of methods are used to stop the bees, but little success is found and soon enough, it looks as if the bees might take over the entire landscape. As so often happens when the fate of the world is in question, a single scientist might be able to solve the problem, though he’ll need some help from an odd assortment of supporting players. Can the massive swarm of killer bees be stopped before mankind is stung into extinction, or has the end finally drawn near?
Twenty-two million killer bees can’t be wrong, which is why I am thrilled Warner has come around and finally released The Swarm. I am a big fan of monster movies and while bees aren’t monsters per se, The Swarm has a monster movie texture, to be sure. But instead of a massive lizard crumbling buildings, it has over twenty-million killer bees hounding a star studded cast, which ain’t bad at all. I mean, sure a more traditional monster evokes fear, but think about the realistic threat of a swarm of bees, which is not to be dismissed. We know that fatal bee attacks can and have happened in real life, though never to the extent seen here in The Swarm, of course. The absurd scale of the bee invasion is what gives The Swarm a campish feel, but one that is likable and tons of fun to experience. In fact, the harder the film tries to be serious and menacing, the more hilarious it becomes and that is why The Swarm is so entertaining. If you want to be scared, then this isn’t the picture you’re looking for, but if you want some good old fashioned monster movie thrills, then I more than recommend The Swarm.
The mere thought of Michael Caine in a movie about killer bees should be enough to sell you on The Swarm, at least it should be in my book. I mean, Caine has taken on a wealth of roles in the span of his career, but we don’t often see him face to face with nature’s assassins, the unstoppable killer bee menace. His performance is not as serious as some found here, but he never plays up the camp too much, which was a wise decision. I like Caine a lot and he can often take even a bad role, shine it up, and make it good, but here he never rises above laughable, but then again, who could in a movie like this one? Other films with Caine include Dressed to Kill, Goldmember, Quills, Get Carter, Sleuth, and The Italian Job. The cast also includes Katharine Ross (The Stepford Wives, The Graduate), Richard Chamberlain (King Solomon’s Mines, The Towering Inferno), and Slim Pickens (Blazing Saddles, Honeysuckle Rose).
Video: How does it look?
The Swarm is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As this is a cult level picture, I had low expectations for the visual presentation, but Warner has turned out a superb, impressive effort. The print looks terrific and has minimal age related defects, though some of the special effects laden shots show additional grain & debris. This is to be expected however, as time hasn’t been kind to older special effects shots, so no hard feelings there. The colors look good and have no real fading present, while contrast is also solid, though not quite as rich as a more recent production would boast. All in all, this is a tremendous visual treatment for a cult level catalog release, so kudos to Warner on this one.
Audio: How does it sound?
I had minimal expectations for the 2.0 surround soundtrack, but it sounds good and surpassed all of my expectations. I do think it sounds dated on the whole, with some thin sequences and a lack of overall presence, but it still comes through very well. The surrounds see action a number of times, especially whenever the bees attack and while not too remarkable, it is nice to have some added presence in those scenes. The dialogue is clean and while sometimes a little flat, the musical score is solid enough in the end. This disc also includes a French language option, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A true masterpiece of promotional madness, Inside The Swarm runs just under half an hour and is simply hilarious to experience. The interviews treat the film as if it were a documentary of sorts, like swarms of bees were due to arrive any moment, to do the same kind of damage as seen within the feature itself. Imagine Michael Caine warning the audience of the impending bee menace, this is the kind of stuff you just have to see to believe. This disc also includes the special extended version of the movie itself, with over twenty minutes of additional footage, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer, which is also fun to watch.
