17 reviews
As far as these syfy movies, which range from adequate to terrible, go this is better than most. It does have an intriguing premise, and starts off very well. And for a syfy movie it actually looks quite good, with the scenery quite nice, the photography not looking completely slip-shod and the monster creepy-looking and giving an adequate sense of menace. As for the attacks, two or three were nail-biting and quite gory, but some of them are quite tame.
Despite the cool premise and twenty-five minutes of genuine atmosphere, Mandrake quickly becomes repetitive and predictable. The dialogue is fairly unimpressive mostly, with a number of cheesy moments that never ring true, and the direction while better than you would expect is patchy particularly towards the end where the film unravels in credibility. The film's pace is uneven, the beginning is very well-paced, but some of the middle drag and the end feels rushed. I didn't find myself connecting to any of Mandrake's characters, and in all honesty I don't think the actors did either.
In conclusion, better than expected but that's not saying very much. 4/10 Bethany Cox
Despite the cool premise and twenty-five minutes of genuine atmosphere, Mandrake quickly becomes repetitive and predictable. The dialogue is fairly unimpressive mostly, with a number of cheesy moments that never ring true, and the direction while better than you would expect is patchy particularly towards the end where the film unravels in credibility. The film's pace is uneven, the beginning is very well-paced, but some of the middle drag and the end feels rushed. I didn't find myself connecting to any of Mandrake's characters, and in all honesty I don't think the actors did either.
In conclusion, better than expected but that's not saying very much. 4/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Apr 12, 2011
- Permalink
Mandrake is about an expedition group funded by a very rich guy named Henry to retrieve a dagger...little do they know...a great evil lurks in the jungle!!
The film was surprisingly good...the acting was decent...CG was bearable and the storyline was original. It isn't your typical syfy for those reasons I'd say.
Although it was an above average syfy type movie...I found it not the least bit scary...maybe one or two parts during the film stood out for "frightening" but, other then it was somewhat boring.
The movie was also very predictable. What you think would happen...happens. So at times it would become hard to watch and hard to get into the movie.
All in all, it was not a total bust because the monster was original and the acting was pretty good. But other then that it's your typical syfy predictable not scary film.
The film was surprisingly good...the acting was decent...CG was bearable and the storyline was original. It isn't your typical syfy for those reasons I'd say.
Although it was an above average syfy type movie...I found it not the least bit scary...maybe one or two parts during the film stood out for "frightening" but, other then it was somewhat boring.
The movie was also very predictable. What you think would happen...happens. So at times it would become hard to watch and hard to get into the movie.
All in all, it was not a total bust because the monster was original and the acting was pretty good. But other then that it's your typical syfy predictable not scary film.
In a fictitious Latin American country, the soldier of fortune Sgt. McCall (Max Martini) leads the Vargas Expedition sponsored by the powerful Harry Vargas (Benito Martinez) and formed by the archaeologists Dr. Felicia (Betsy Russell) and Lin (Wayne Pere); the local Santiago Zavala (Nick Gomez) and a baggage carrier through the jungle. In the base, Carla Manning (Jon Mack) gives support to McCall's team and is the liaison with Harry, who is obsessed for a dagger.
When they reach a tomb facing south in a sacred ground, they open the tomb and finds a dagger with a ruby craved in a skeleton and Lin removes weapon from the grave, accomplishing the objective of their assignment. Dr. Felicia advises them that the tomb has a warning advising to not remove the dagger. Soon they discover that nature and the Yamballi tribe are chasing them; further, the previous expedition sent to the forest to retrieve the dagger has been slaughtered.
"Mandrake" is a TV movie released in Brazil on DVD. The story is absolutely predictable and the adventure of the expeditionary team is not scary. In the end, watching this film was a waste of time in a Saturday afternoon. Better off if I had taken a nap. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "A Raiz do Mal" ("The Root of the Evil")
When they reach a tomb facing south in a sacred ground, they open the tomb and finds a dagger with a ruby craved in a skeleton and Lin removes weapon from the grave, accomplishing the objective of their assignment. Dr. Felicia advises them that the tomb has a warning advising to not remove the dagger. Soon they discover that nature and the Yamballi tribe are chasing them; further, the previous expedition sent to the forest to retrieve the dagger has been slaughtered.
"Mandrake" is a TV movie released in Brazil on DVD. The story is absolutely predictable and the adventure of the expeditionary team is not scary. In the end, watching this film was a waste of time in a Saturday afternoon. Better off if I had taken a nap. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "A Raiz do Mal" ("The Root of the Evil")
- claudio_carvalho
- Sep 14, 2012
- Permalink
I wanted to like this movie, filmed in Shreveport, La. including a better cast than some of these SyFy movies have, but NO. Andre Stevens of Dallas fame and b-movie star produced this film it has some good special FX, and production values, yet the script never works, the actors never capture their characters. Watch it you sit thru the whole thing thinking wow this looks better than most Saturday Night flicks, even the monster is fairly cool looking, and when its over you'll think what happened to my last two hours. The actor from the Unit isn't bad but you just can't seem to connect to anyone in the film. A few inventive moments nothing more.
- elliott78212
- Sep 12, 2010
- Permalink
The beginning of this made-for-Siffy movie starts out with a lot of promise, as far as Siffy Original movies go. The production values are high (comparatively speaking), the acting is good, the sound is synchronized with the video, there aren't any glaring, amateurish CGI effects, and the actors' names may tug at long-forgotten memories of low-budget movies you've seen in the past. Usually, in the first two minutes, I can tell if made-for-TV movies are worth watching or not, and, frankly, most of them aren't. The production values and special effects maintain their comparatively high standards (approaching the quality of a ST:TNG episode), but the acting, directing, and, especially, story end up dragging down the score substantially. I can't really blame the actors, because their characters were written to be really stereotypical, barely-developed fodder for CGI monsters. There isn't much you can do with that. I'm not sure how much of the blame lies on the director, either, because he, too, probably did the best he could with the material he was given. How do you make a movie about a CGI monster that hunts down a ruthless CEO and his nameless mercenaries, without it becoming one huge, boring cliché? I'm surprised the CEO didn't try to personally burn down the Amazon rain forest just for laughs, like a Captain Planet villain. Seriously, this movie is a live-action Captain Planet episode, with the same heavy-handed moralizing and 2D villains.
Oh well. With a better script, maybe this movie could have been good, but it's still watchable. Barely.
Oh well. With a better script, maybe this movie could have been good, but it's still watchable. Barely.
After have seen a production from The Asylum, The Terminators, it was back again time to see a SyFy production. If you ever have seen a SyFy flick you will never forget it because they are mostly really bad. This one here was an average flick but again the cheap CGI teared it down.
As always the beginning is rather good and I thought, hell, this is going to be something in the Predator genre. But no, once the creature attacks it's just cheap CGI. The whole cocoon scene looked promising but of course they always did the killings off-camera. You do see some blood splattering here and there but it is never that frightening. Overall it looked like a flick to watch with the family on a Saturday night.
But this time they added a big name on the list, Max Martini from The Unit. The second main lead was by Betsy Russell, another big name from the Saw franchise but I was never involved with their characters. I couldn't care less if they were hurt or going to die. Storywise it was also a bit simple and you could see clearly what was going on.
I have seen worse, especially from SyFy but still, not a good movie.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5
As always the beginning is rather good and I thought, hell, this is going to be something in the Predator genre. But no, once the creature attacks it's just cheap CGI. The whole cocoon scene looked promising but of course they always did the killings off-camera. You do see some blood splattering here and there but it is never that frightening. Overall it looked like a flick to watch with the family on a Saturday night.
But this time they added a big name on the list, Max Martini from The Unit. The second main lead was by Betsy Russell, another big name from the Saw franchise but I was never involved with their characters. I couldn't care less if they were hurt or going to die. Storywise it was also a bit simple and you could see clearly what was going on.
I have seen worse, especially from SyFy but still, not a good movie.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5
This film opens with a woman running through woods (being chased by a mainly unseen being). This is never a good sign. If you've watched pretty much any handful of random horror films, you'll know that 'woman running through woods' is possibly the most overused cliché of the genre (with perhaps the teenagers having sex and dying being a close second).
That opening is a kind of warning of things to come. Some films thrive on having a low budget. The lack of money behind the picture forces the film-makers to use new and more subtle techniques to tell the story. Not here. This film has no budget and it shows in every scene.
It's about a team of archaeologists, sent somewhere in South America (like the location really matters!) to retrieve something for someone (again, such details are kind of pointless in the scheme of things). However, this 'South American' jungle looks suspiciously like some nice grassy fields in America. Plus the 'natives' also look a little Caucasian, considering they are supposed to have lived in the hot jungle all their lives.
The acting isn't all bad, but the dialogue is. Just because the film is set in a wood (sorry, jungle), the writers seem to want to make the characters talk like they're out of Predator. Yes, there's something hunting them, but whereas Predator used a monster that was actually there, the makers of Mandrake spent the entire $2.50 budget on some 'creepy' CGI tentacles. Woo.
If you like cheesy monster-munching movies, then you probably know plenty out there which will amuse and entertain (try things like Deep Rising, Tremors, or Grabbers to name but a few). Mandrake is not one of them.
That opening is a kind of warning of things to come. Some films thrive on having a low budget. The lack of money behind the picture forces the film-makers to use new and more subtle techniques to tell the story. Not here. This film has no budget and it shows in every scene.
It's about a team of archaeologists, sent somewhere in South America (like the location really matters!) to retrieve something for someone (again, such details are kind of pointless in the scheme of things). However, this 'South American' jungle looks suspiciously like some nice grassy fields in America. Plus the 'natives' also look a little Caucasian, considering they are supposed to have lived in the hot jungle all their lives.
The acting isn't all bad, but the dialogue is. Just because the film is set in a wood (sorry, jungle), the writers seem to want to make the characters talk like they're out of Predator. Yes, there's something hunting them, but whereas Predator used a monster that was actually there, the makers of Mandrake spent the entire $2.50 budget on some 'creepy' CGI tentacles. Woo.
If you like cheesy monster-munching movies, then you probably know plenty out there which will amuse and entertain (try things like Deep Rising, Tremors, or Grabbers to name but a few). Mandrake is not one of them.
- bowmanblue
- Oct 1, 2014
- Permalink
- poolandrews
- Apr 10, 2011
- Permalink
- nogodnomasters
- Mar 27, 2018
- Permalink
- hwg1957-102-265704
- Jul 26, 2022
- Permalink
- PentagonDark
- Oct 22, 2013
- Permalink
Sent into the jungle to find a long-lost Spanish treasure, a rescue team finds that it's tied into a supernatural creature intent on wreaking havoc in retaliation for its disturbance and forcing them to battle both its human guardians and the creature itself to get away alive.
This wasn't a bad film at all, but one that could use a lot of work. What really works here is the film's typically high-energy scenes which are usually found in the Sci-Fi Channel features which are in this one pretty frequently. The opening chase through the underbrush gets this one going nicely with a rather thrilling moment, the resurrection of the creature at the tomb is incredibly effective as the cracking trees and vines gives this a great start to the frantic battling of the tribe who come out of the jungle or the stalking scene where the team gets wiped out by the jungle vines who take care of the troops in a rather great scene really giving this one a really nice amount of action. Likewise, other really great action parts come off with even more involved scenes here including the scenes of the captured group in their village which is quite different from the creature feature style action of the other scenes by going for the creepiness of the tribes' primitive look and strange customs in their preparations and the ceremony with the sacrificial altar for the beast to take advantage, as combined with their exotic look which makes them quite creepy looking which is all counterbalanced by the cheesy action when the creature's on-screen, which isn't that often. That comes into great play in the finale where it's quite a fun ride getting some really fun and energetic brawling as the tribe's stalking and encounters in the jungle lead this into the big final battle that occurs here, and along with the creative finish it's got a rousing final half. The other big part to this, in that the creature's design is cool and unique, there are some rather fun and exciting parts of this one. Among the biggest issues here is the creature's limited screen-time that we hardly even get to see it, let alone get a glimpse of it. This here is mainly due to having too much time is spent away on other ideas including the explorer leader engaging in all the different double- crosses and general treachery that he attempts or the fact that there are all the extra scenes of them wandering around the jungle not doing anything which really lowers the amount of time for the creature. That also ties into the usually lame CGI present which gives this the same overall flaws as to be expected here. These are enough to hold it down, but it does have a lot anyway.
Rated R: Graphic Violence and Language.
This wasn't a bad film at all, but one that could use a lot of work. What really works here is the film's typically high-energy scenes which are usually found in the Sci-Fi Channel features which are in this one pretty frequently. The opening chase through the underbrush gets this one going nicely with a rather thrilling moment, the resurrection of the creature at the tomb is incredibly effective as the cracking trees and vines gives this a great start to the frantic battling of the tribe who come out of the jungle or the stalking scene where the team gets wiped out by the jungle vines who take care of the troops in a rather great scene really giving this one a really nice amount of action. Likewise, other really great action parts come off with even more involved scenes here including the scenes of the captured group in their village which is quite different from the creature feature style action of the other scenes by going for the creepiness of the tribes' primitive look and strange customs in their preparations and the ceremony with the sacrificial altar for the beast to take advantage, as combined with their exotic look which makes them quite creepy looking which is all counterbalanced by the cheesy action when the creature's on-screen, which isn't that often. That comes into great play in the finale where it's quite a fun ride getting some really fun and energetic brawling as the tribe's stalking and encounters in the jungle lead this into the big final battle that occurs here, and along with the creative finish it's got a rousing final half. The other big part to this, in that the creature's design is cool and unique, there are some rather fun and exciting parts of this one. Among the biggest issues here is the creature's limited screen-time that we hardly even get to see it, let alone get a glimpse of it. This here is mainly due to having too much time is spent away on other ideas including the explorer leader engaging in all the different double- crosses and general treachery that he attempts or the fact that there are all the extra scenes of them wandering around the jungle not doing anything which really lowers the amount of time for the creature. That also ties into the usually lame CGI present which gives this the same overall flaws as to be expected here. These are enough to hold it down, but it does have a lot anyway.
Rated R: Graphic Violence and Language.
- kannibalcorpsegrinder
- Oct 10, 2017
- Permalink
I had no I idea if this movie would be worth watching or not, but me and my mom decided to get it. When she was reading to me what it was a bout at the Red Box I told her to get it.
The cast was amazing! Top notch acting I believe. They all had my attention and I found there characters all very likable, even the ones that I didn't think I would like eventually I found likable. Not to say there ain't ones you may not like.
You'll see the scenery in the movie is beautiful. It takes place about in mid South America, but was really shot in Louisiana. This creature you will see in the movie looks pretty amazing. This wasn't no typical SyFy movie. Give it a watch, its worth it!
The cast was amazing! Top notch acting I believe. They all had my attention and I found there characters all very likable, even the ones that I didn't think I would like eventually I found likable. Not to say there ain't ones you may not like.
You'll see the scenery in the movie is beautiful. It takes place about in mid South America, but was really shot in Louisiana. This creature you will see in the movie looks pretty amazing. This wasn't no typical SyFy movie. Give it a watch, its worth it!
- bpoprocker
- Apr 15, 2011
- Permalink
An obsessed millionaire hires archaeologists, anthropologists and mercenaries, one of which does not exactly belong. But unfortunately, ancient tribesmen, some plant monster(s) and even their own boss eventually stand in their way.
Apparently Syfy films have been around for long enough for nostalgia as the natives will seem familiar to those who only hoped they could forget "Snake King"
But it doesn't end there! Because they added another villain; those who have witnessed such why-couldn't-it-be-forgettable films as "Cerberus" and "Raptor Island" will non-consentually feel a familiar feeling with the introduction of a heartless rich man, willing to murder his troops should they even consider getting in his path, slowing him, or on occasion not being the closest to the monster!
Ultimately many people die as you would expect, and naturally everyone you'd expect to die dies. The plant monster itself is an interesting idea but didn't contribute much more than, say, another giant or crocodile.
Apparently Syfy films have been around for long enough for nostalgia as the natives will seem familiar to those who only hoped they could forget "Snake King"
But it doesn't end there! Because they added another villain; those who have witnessed such why-couldn't-it-be-forgettable films as "Cerberus" and "Raptor Island" will non-consentually feel a familiar feeling with the introduction of a heartless rich man, willing to murder his troops should they even consider getting in his path, slowing him, or on occasion not being the closest to the monster!
Ultimately many people die as you would expect, and naturally everyone you'd expect to die dies. The plant monster itself is an interesting idea but didn't contribute much more than, say, another giant or crocodile.
- BakuryuuTyranno
- Jul 18, 2011
- Permalink
A really silly little movie that I might have liked more as a teenager I guess. It has the wife of Jigsaw in it, that's a plus, no? Of course it's not, although I really do like her. Another character is pretty neat (imho), but the whole plot is a mess. It doesn't make much sense, the CGI isn't helping either.
But since this is a Syfy production (and you probably know them from their other mostly creature feature ... features), you should know what to expect... and what not to expect! With that in mind, you can enjoy the silliness of it all or just stop watching after the first couple of minutes, because you ain't going to like it any better along the ride.
But since this is a Syfy production (and you probably know them from their other mostly creature feature ... features), you should know what to expect... and what not to expect! With that in mind, you can enjoy the silliness of it all or just stop watching after the first couple of minutes, because you ain't going to like it any better along the ride.
"Mandrake" (a ridiculous title, about as ridiculous as SyFy, and no more so than IMDb's "Top Billed Cast") is such a superior Sci Fi Channel production as to make me doubt that being the origin. The lead actors, despite the aforementioned "Top Billed Cast" are Max Martini (from "The Unit) as McCall, Jon Mack as Carla Manning, Nick Gomez as Santiago, and Benito Martinez (from lotsa shows, including "The Shield" and "Saving Grace") as Harry Vargas. Basically the plot has Vargas sending Manning and others, including Santiago as guide and McCall as bodyguard, to recover an ancestral artifact from some place in a Central or South American jungle. Mayhem obtains as natives and a "protective" entity object to the recovery. The players, including the females, are attractive, but not gorgeous, get with the action in a reasonable, human -- not superhero -- fashion, get dirty, and in some cases dead. I found the movie superior for the genre, and as I said, excellent, for a Sci Fi Channel production -- if in fact it was.
- gray1937-1
- Oct 3, 2010
- Permalink