Plot: What’s it about?
The end of the road has arrived for those terrible little balls of lint, as bounty hunter Charlie (Don Opper) has the last two of them within his grasp. Just as he aims his gun and prepares to end their intergalatic reign of terror, he gets some bad news. As these two critters are the last of their kind, it is illegal for Charlie to exterminate them, as it would create an extinction. So he is forced to load them aboard special transporter and send them off, which he is sure is the worst idea he has ever heard. But he does as he is told, though he winds being taken along with the critter eggs and is trapped on the transporter. The craft is trigged to turn cryogenic, so Charlie and the eggs soon become frozen solid and time begins to stand still for the trio. Over five decades later, someone happens upon the transporter and of course, gets curious about what it holds. A junk dealer’s team manages to locate the lost craft and return it to their boss, a man without morals known as Rick (Anders Hove). Rick hauls in the find under the banner of super corporation TerraCorp, but he has more than a small personal interest in the ship’s hold. Of course, his curious nature soon takes over and he just has to open the frozen container. In the process, the critters hatch and escape, which means its up to Charlie to save the universe…
This is the end of the line, the final adventure, the last gasp for those horrible hairballs, the fourth and final Critters motion picture. As you can imagine, the series had run out of gas by now, but if the tank wasn’t bare before, it was by the time this sequel rolled into production. But as Critters was aimed at fans of cheese laden horror and sci/fi in the first place, a slanted scale is needed to critique these pictures. Even that slanted scale can’t save this third sequel however, as it simply doesn’t have enough of the franchise magic to cash in. Then again, the series was coasting on fumes before this one was released, so perhaps we should be glad Critters 4 turned out as well as it did. A lot of folks balk at the move to space, but come on, the series is about homicidal fuzzballs from outer space, so it seems like a natural choice to me. This time around, the action plays like a low rent Aliens, which means it happens in space and involves aliens, but that is where the comparison begins to drift apart. Don Opper returns as Charlie, while other cast members include Brad Dourif (Child’s Play) and Angela Bassett (Innocent Blood). Critters 4 won’t win any new fans to the series and might even scare some devotees off, but if you’re a completist or a diehard horror fan, then New Line’s disc is worth a look.
Video: How does it look?
Critters 4 is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a full frame version also included on this disc. I have to applaud New Line for their work on this, as well as the other Critters movies, as all four look terrific. This one is the most recent one, so it has the cleanest and slickest visual presentation. A few nicks and marks emerge on the print, but outside of minor flaws, the source elements look great here. The colors have solid texture also, with some bright hues peeking out through the shadows. But this is a dark movie, so expect more blacks, silvers, and greys, as opposed to more vivid, rich color selections. The contrast is solid in all respects, though the low budget roots limited overall refinement. When you consider the material however, you have to commend New Line’s effort.
Audio: How does it sound?
I hate to do this, but its been a long, hard road to plow through these four Critters pictures, so my hand has been forced. The new Dolby Digital 5.1 sounds the same as the previous three movies offered, so one last time, here are my comments on the audio for this series. I found this to be a very active track in all respects, but the surround use never seems forced, which is good. The needed offbeat, yet eerie mood is present throughout and no problems seem to emerge at all. The dialogue is crystal clear and always at a proper level, never overshadowed by the other elements. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
