We’ve seen countless killer shark movies, from “Deep Blue Sea” to “Santa Jaws.”
The sillier, the better. After all, what filmmaker can compete with 1975’s “Jaws,” the definitive shark attack thriller?
That’s why it’s time kangaroos got a little genre love.
Too bad “Rippy,” an Aussie shocker about a rogue ‘roo, packs neither scares nor laughs. Either would have been welcome given the critter in question.
Instead, the film focuses on a hero’s emotional trauma and relies far too much on its CGI wizardry. Sadly, there’s little magic to be found.
Sheriff Maddy (Tess Haubrich) wants to be a local hero like her late, great father. She gets the chance when several townspeople are found dead, their bodies sliced to ribbons.
This isn’t your garden-variety serial killer. No dingo could do damage like this. There’s something out there, a creature that defies the laws of physics.
It’s … Rippy, a CGI beastie who can hop as fast as a speeding car.
The FX here are far from first-rate, a forgivable sin given the film’s indie roots. Why shove so many lingering closeups our way? Less is more when your FX budget is wanting. Spielberg learned that trick when Bruce the mechanical shark wouldn’t behave.
Maddy is on the case, and she gets help from her uncle Schmitty (genre fave Michael Biehn, bringing some life to the proceedings).
It’s boilerplate genre fare but director Ryan Coonan treats each “kill” with considerable respect. These aren’t faceless souls but members of a tight-knit community. We feel the survivors’ pain, a nice touch in an often remorseless genre.
Imagine if the “Terrified” franchise behaved in a similar fashion. It still can’t give “Rippy” the pulse it demands.
The marketing suggests the Aussie thriller is a comedy-horror hybrid, but mirth is in short supply. Even Coonan suggests we’re supposed to laugh and clutch our armrests.
That’s a self-inflicted advertising wound for a genre with tight resources.
The stakes couldn’t be higher throughout “Rippy,” but the main characters keep returning to their emotional wounds. Maddy mourns for her father, but the truth may be trickier than she understands. Uncle Schmitty’s monologue about war-time experiences is heartfelt and belongs in another movie.
The sparks between Uncle Schmitty and Aunt Donna (Angie Milliken) add some texture, but genre flicks live and breathe by a simpler scale. Are we on the edge of our seats or not?
You can place a Faberge egg on said edge and never knock it off.
The title creature in “Rippy” remains relentless, but Coonan can’t conjure enough scares to make his many appearances count.
“Rippy,” known as “The Red” in Australia, deserves credit for treating a grindhouse-style subject with care. You still have to bring the genre goods.
HiT or Miss: “Rippy” is mature, well-intentioned and makes us care about the lives lost in the genre melee. It’s also a well-crafted slog.
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