The Relic (1997)

Director: Peter Hyams
Starring: Penelope Ann Miller, Tom Sizemore, Linda Hunt

Synopsis:
A museum becomes the site of a mysterious murder shortly after receiving a pair of crates from an anthropologist on assignment in Brazil.

Impressions:
I remember this movie from when I was a teenager, so it was interesting coming back to it now. As far as creature features go, I've certainly seen worse. The practical effects are quite good, coming from Stan Winston, after all, and the CG is passable. Penelope Ann Miller's character is a bit annoying when she's in sneering straw atheist mode, but that thankfully gets dropped when the action proper starts. Tom Sizemore was good as Detective D'Agosta, I liked James Whitmore as the curator Dr. Frock and Chi Muoi Lo was fairly good as the smarmy Dr. Lee. There's a bit of a slow buildup, but the pacing isn't too bad. There are a couple dumb moments that'll make you wince a bit (the SWAT team in particular), but otherwise it's a decent monster rampage story. While not great, it's still quite watchable and worth giving a try.

Rating:
Watch It