Reviews
Wuchak

Wuchak

November 17, 2019
5.0
***Lizard-man on the loose in the Philippines, er, I mean Hawaii*** Dynamite used for illegal fishing awakens a man-like lizard creature on a Hawaiian island, which draws the attention of the local sheriff (William Steis) and a marine biologist (Kathryn Witt). A resort owner (Laura Banks) takes advantage of the region’s mythological monster to attract business, but the situation turns horrific when bodies mount up. "Demon of Paradise" (1987) is a creature feature that mixes the basic plot of “Jaws” (1975) with “The Great Alligator” (1979) and “Gargoyles” (1972). The helicopter scene from “Jaws 2” (1978) is ripped off, but is sophomoric by comparison. Some have called it an unacknowledged Filipino remake of “Up from the Depths” (1979) by the producer of that movie, Cirio H. Santiago, albeit with a different monster. While the events purportedly take place in Hawaii, the scenery appears like the Philippines and the natives look like Filipinos, obviously because that’s where it was shot. If you can get past that and the low-rent opening credits, this is a decent creature feature with a relatively unique-looking monster. I was expecting something more along the lines of the Gill-Man from “Creature of the Black Lagoon” (1954) or the creatures from “Humanoids of the Deep” (1980), and there’s a little of that, of course, but it’s different enough and effective enough. The sheriff and marine biologist make for stalwart and likable protagonists, but they’re offset by the shrill Banks (the resort owner) and the trying-too-hard to be “comedic” Frederick Bailey. Meanwhile the beauty department is limited to the too-thin tall blonde Leslie Scarborough. The film runs 1 hour, 27 minutes. GRADE: C

Recommendation Movies

5.7
Horror
View
5.7
Bad Dreams
Bad Dreams1988
7.7
Drama
View
7.7
Do the Right Thing
Do the Right Thing1989
7.8
Drama
View
7.8
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas2008
7.1
Horror
View
7.1
The Substance
The Substance2024
7.1
Crime
View
7.1
Brubaker
Brubaker1980
5.6
Comedy
View
5.6
Cockneys vs Zombies
Cockneys vs Zombies2012
7.3
Adventure
View
7.3
Mad Max 2
Mad Max 21981
6.8
Drama
View
6.8
Dear John
Dear John2010
7.5
Western
View
7.5
The Revenant
The Revenant2015
6.9
Horror
View
6.9
Orphan
Orphan2009
7.3
Romance
View
7.3
Brooklyn
Brooklyn2015
8.1
Drama
View
8.1
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer2023
7.4
Action
View
7.4
John Wick
John Wick2014
6
Science Fiction
View
6
Class of 1999
Class of 19991990
7.4
Comedy
View
7.4
Home Alone
Home Alone1990
5.7
Action
View
5.7
Timeline
Timeline2003
7.1
Action
View
7.1
Tenet
Tenet2020
8.3
Action
View
8.3
Inception
Inception2010
5.9
Horror
View
5.9
Scream 3
Scream 32000
8
Horror
View
8
The Thing
The Thing1982
© 2025 MoovieTime. All rights reserved.Made with Nuxt