Well-made, but has some problems

Wuchakk

Released in 2010, "The Lost Tribe" tells the story of a group of five people who become shipwrecked. The island they wash-up on shows signs of an abandoned archaeological dig and a mysterious pack of primordial ape-men.

There's also an interesting subplot concerning evidence of the missing link found at the dig site and the Roman Church sending a hit-man (Lance Hendriksen) to terminate the evidence, including the scientists. Yet don't let this keep you from seeing the film if you find Darwin's theory dubious because, in the story, it's never proved that the ape-like creatures ARE the missing link. They could just as well be a previously undiscovered species of ape, like gorillas.

I was surprised at how well-made the film is, particularly after reading all the negative reviews. Although this may be a low-budget flick, it's clear that filmmakers are total professionals. The photography, score, actors, locations, editing, F/X, gore, etc. are all excellent (not that I care about gore, but gorehounds will want to know).

Unfortunately, there are some problems that force my rating down. First of all, there are the blatant rip-offs from "Predator." Just look at the DVD cover for proof. However, even though the film steals quite a few elements of "Predator," there are enough differences that make it distinct. For instance, the beasts aren't aliens, there are no commandos, the story revolves around a group of castaways, and the main protagonist is a woman.

Speaking of women, the film should be commended for including the beautiful Brianna Brown as one of the castaways. This provides the perfect opportunity to have Brianna prance around in some alluring island attire, sorta like cutie Beth Rogan in the original "Mysterious Island" and a couple of the actresses in "Touristas." Unfortunately, the filmmakers have Brianna dressed in one of those long skirts that women put over their bikinis. So we have this gorgeous, shapely woman and they dress her in a floor-length skirt during the entire island sequence of the movie? Absurd.

Another problem is that there's not much depth to the characters and the story beyond the deep love of two main characters and the sometimes-moving music. Still, that's more depth than films like "Anaconda 3," lol.

The film runs 100 minutes and was shot in Panama.

FINAL WORD: "The Lost Tribe" is professionally made and mixes together elements of "Predator," "Touristas," "Dead Calm" and "The Descent." The ape creatures are excellently done and totally brutal, but the film borrows a little too heavily from "Predator." Plus there's not much depth beyond the love story and moving music, which makes for a strangely uncompelling watch. Still, it's well worth your while if you're into these kinds of movies.

GRADE: Borderline C /B-

score 6/10

Wuchakk 9 December 2012

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2717413/