Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter (1994)

Why so much hype?

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

During its heyday, PM Entertainment made some great action movies. But when it came to making family movies, the results were pretty miserable, and "Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter" is no exception. I guess it could have been worse than it is. For one thing, like other PM Entertainment movies, it looks pretty nice for the most part. The lighting and photography are professional, and the production values are fairly solid (if you don't count the bogus-looking Bigfoot costume and makeup.) However, pretty much the rest of the movie is extremely tough to take. The script by director Corey Michael Eubanks is pretty simple-minded to the point that even young kids will feel they are being talked down to in an insulting manner. Also, there are a few plot points that are either explained in a really vague manner or not at all. In the director's chair, Eubanks stumbles just as much with his screenplay. He has his cast act more often than not in a really broad manner, the story unfolds in a really slow-moving and drawn out way, and the scenes with Bigfoot contain no awe or magic at all. You do get to see B movie legend Clint Howard in an unintentionally hilarious wig, but a few seconds of chuckles don't seem to be an adequate payoff for sitting through the remaining ninety or so minutes of the running time.

This is one of my favorite titles from the "Bigfoot Genre". It features some great acting by some underrated actors. David Rasche is wonderfully evil as the money-hungry Chaz Fredrick, his ambition to capture Bigfoot and place the creature on display reminds me of real-life millionare Tom Slick. Rance Howard (Ron Howard's brother) plays Fredrick's clueless and loveable sidekick account. I especially like the part where Howard discusses the "Bigfoot escrow account" with the townspeople.Zachery Ty Bryan could have been better, in fact, I think he failed to connect with Bigfoot, and instead treated the legendary creature as a guy in a suit. Bigfoot himself was too comical in this movie. I was hoping for a slightly more violent creature, especially when he gets captured. Also deserving acclaim is Matt McCoy, who plays Ranger Nick Clifton.