Grizzly Park (2008)

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The first must-see film of the year.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

2008's "Grizzly Park" piqued my interest because I liked the trailer (see it on IMDb) and it was shot near the Mt. Rogers region in SW Virginia & NE Tennessee (Marion, VA, and Backbone Rock Recreation Area, TN), which is one of the places I vacationed last summer.THE PLOT: Eight delinquent youths from the city are assigned community service at Grizzly Park, CA, chaperoned by no-nonsense Ranger Bob. What they don't know is that there's an escaped killer on the loose, as well as a killer grizzly!The movie starts out great with a quote of 2 Kings 2:23-25, which refers to the occasion where a bunch of youths jeered the prophet Elisha and his baldness. When he couldn't take it any more, Elisha cursed them and two bears came out of the forest, mauling 42 kids. The following opening credits sequence is creative and well done, the music too. At this point I was wondering if I may have stumbled upon a hidden gem, like "Sasquatch Mountain" and (much less so) "Flu Birds," entertaining Grade-B creature-features that shoot for more depth than the norm (see my review of each). From there, however, the film derails into serious C-Grade territory with bad dialogue, a mildly campy approach, lousy pacing and no suspense. Fortunately the film makes up for it in the last act, the final 30 minutes or so, which is a killer grizzly gorefest, but you have to slog through a semi-uneventful first hour to get there.Despite the negative comments there are a handful of positive points:Gorgeous late Summer/early Fall locations in SW Virginia & NE Tennessee; although the story takes place in California. - A good cast of women: a brunette, a blond, a Hispanic and an Asian. The brunette, Bebe (Emily Foxler), struck me as a likable character who unlocked my compassion and favor despite being a seemingly total airhead (until the end, that is, which ruined it; you'll know what I mean when you see it). The Hispanic girl, Lola (Zulay Henao), is the real beauty here and the viewer is treated to some quality eyecandy. - One white dude, Scab (Randy Wayne), turns out to be slightly likable, even though he's supposedly a hardcore "white power" racist. His indoctrination is shattered, however, when he discovers himself falling for the Hispanic Lola, which gives indication that he's actually a very smart young man. This leads to a beautiful and touching scene between the two. I wasn't expecting this in a Grade-C campy gorefest. - There's no CGI. The bear is real, except for a couple parts where there's a human stand-in. - Like I said, the last act features some hardcore gore, like one of the girls being bit in half with her entrails laying loose, heads getting bit in half, etc. I don't watch these types of movies for the gore, but some like it. The only thing is, although the gore is very extreme in the last 25 minutes I didn't find it shocking or scary at all; in fact, sometimes I just busted out laughing, but that's mainly because of the campy tone more than anything. In other words, since the filmmakers deliver the goods in a semi-serious this-is-all-a-joke manner I couldn't very well take the shocks & gore serious. Yet this doesn't mean it's not entertaining. - The old campfire classic "I Met a Bear" is utilized a couple times during the movie and fully during the end credits, performed here by Twin Sisters .For those who argue that the murderer subplot seemed totally pointless: It's more than just a red herring and ties into the media's theory for the so-called murders revealed at the end, a doofy bear costume being a chief piece of evidence.The DVD features a handful of "making of" extras with cast and crew, including the 1300 lb. bear, Brody; each one is only a few minutes in length. You'll marvel at how close the trainer and other crewmembers get to the bear. I'm glad each segment is short because I only prefer the gist of it; I don't care to see a friggin' movie on the making of the movie, if you know what I mean; unless of course it's something like "Apocalypse Now."BOTTOM LINE: Despite being a semi-campy Grade-C film with a fairly uneventful first hour and some bad writing, pacing, etc., "Grizzly Park" possesses a curious 'cult' ambiance highlighted by a great opening credits sequence (big deal, huh?) and a violently gory climax. I like the women (Lola!), the real bear, no CGI, the campfire classic "I Met a Bear" and the gorgeous Eastern locations, plus there's at least one touching, nigh reverent romantic scene, no kidding.Part of me wants to rate this 6/10 Stars since, in many ways, "Grizzly Park" delivers the goods, but I'd feel too guilty because this isn't really a good movie. It's equal parts boring, dumb, eccentric, fun, inept, impressive and fascinating. A guilty pleasure that will likely develop a small cult following who'll openly admit it's not good, but like it anyway (sort of).GRADE: C

After watching so many lame-duck B-grade horror movies, I was not expecting much from this movie too. But whenever I least expect something, there's always a surprise :) Grizzly Park is an average scream flick but still engages well with all the gore, tension & partial nudity ;)Yes, most of the attacks are predictable but like any horror fans, I too can't get enough of dumb characters being disfigured or torn apart :D All the violence are kinda funny to watch and though we can guess how each of the victims will die(either by the deranged man or the grizzly), we are still kinda entertained by the mayhem.Of course, with hot scenes well inserted here & there, your attention span too is taken care of :pAll the eight youngsters in the role of convicts play being IDIOTS to near perfection :) Some of these guys seem quite talented. Emily Foxler as the "dumb belle" Bebe gets the best role & acts fine. The others who also score are Randy Wayne as the druggie Michael "Scab" White and Kavan Reece as the arrogantly rich Ryan the III. Jelynn Sophia who plays another convict Kiki delivers badly while shedding tears & crying for help. It was a bit painful to watch!I wish there was little more sense in the story and I'd have enjoyed it. It's a little annoying to see all these people act really DUH to avoid our serial killer, I mean grizzler, oops....I meant grizzly bear :=) Verdict: A slasher flick which titillates & mildly entertains - well, the basic expectations of any B-grade horror :)

The bear horror films are usually made for bigger audiences,this was also a point of the makers,but personally not sure they can keep our attention with used,imbecile,bad characters,lame,boring plot,bad dialogs,twists after twists,and more twists at the end,pictures were enough sharp,and grading is good.I had seen the cable television version,which was not entertaining most of time.No question this was originally straight to DVD,or straight to television,but somehow they try-ed to push to the other area.(in some countries)Believe me Grizzly Park (2008)is a mess in almost every level.Rather watch something else like Jaws 3D,or Jaws 4.

Hi. The best part of the entire movie was not the movie itself, but the behind the scenes material. The way the writer/director and some cast members describe the making of this film, was worth the $1.07 I spent to rent it. To them, it was if they were creating a masterpiece, a Citizen Kane or a great Hitchcockian gem. Talk about being in denial!! Rent, then watch this poorly acted, directed, written, produced, edited, scored little pile of bile and then brace yourself for the behind the scenes material. I slid off my couch laughing hysterically watching this stuff. If you're looking for a good scare, this film won't do it for you. My 4 year old thought is was goofy and unrealistic. The bear claws used in close ups looked like it was Black tooth from the Soupy Sales show--a guy with his arm in a moth riddled bear suit. Loads of laughs!!!