Welcome to the Scream Factory Crypt! In this binge series I will be watching all my Scream Factory titles I own alphabetically! Scream Factory is my favorite imprint of Blu-Ray’s because they take movies that studios and the public might not adore but have fans and deserve to be given respect. This will take a long time as I have over 120(!) titles and counting, I know I will have more before I finish, so stay tuned! Not only will I talk about them on the podcast but I will review them here as well so you can see how I feel about aspects of each release.
After a long hiatus I am back! (I haven’t gone anywhere, you can read my thoughts on my favorite Blu-Ray releases of 2018 on our site). I also planned to have this review up much earlier, but I didn’t expect the sci-fi-horror/comedy/B-Movie Critters Collection to be some jammed packed with extras. Huge props to Scream Factory for giving this film series quite the release. The 20th part of The Scream Factory Crypt is, The Critters Collection!
The Critters Collection contains the four Critter films for your viewing pleasure. And while each film varies in quality they all are quite fun.
Released in 1986, Critters is a fun film that finds devious little monsters running amok in rural America. The “Crites” are evil little boogers who escape imprisonment and make their way to Earth. Soon they are chomping their way through a farm with violence and glee.
All the actors are aware of the movie they are in, but they sell the film. Dee Wallace is great, so too is Scott Grimes as the son, Brad who of course is the first to notice the Critter menace. As the Critters further their attack they soon unleash other abilities, such as shooting poisonous quills.
One aspect of Critters that works surprisingly well are the cheap but awesome puppets by The Chiodo Brothers. When I say cheap, I don’t mean the quality of the effect but the way the movie works on a minuscule budget. They look silly but somewhat scary at the same time.
Critters is a fun, solid B-Movie that is a blast to watch.
The success of Critters on home video gave way to the sequel, Critters 2: The Main Course. Director/Co-Writer Mick Garris turned up everything in Critters 2, making it a winning follow-up to the first film.
The Crites are back and they are hungry! After some of the Crites eggs are thawed during an Easter celebration, it’s up to Brad, and alien bounty hunters to stop the menace.
Critters 2 leans a lot more into the comedy aspect of the first film. Where Critters had some pretty dark elements, the Main Course decides to go sillier. It doesn’t however make for a less satisfying film. Garris keeps the film moving at a brisk pace, never truly slowing down.
I’m not sure if Critters 2 is a better film then the first one, it is however a solid follow up for fans of the franchise.
The fun that is Critters 2 doesn’t find its way into Critters 3. Already a low budget series, Critters 3 is the lowest of the low. After watching the special features evidently this film and Critters 4 were shot back to back to save money and boy does it show. The Crites are now in Los Angeles and one would think it would open up the world of Critters but no it shows the limitations. With a lesser budget the Critters pop up less making their absent very noticeable.
Critters 3, is however more infamous for being the first film that Leonardo Dicaprio. Normally I would say to actors, don’t be ashamed just own it. But I understand why DiCaprio wants nothing to do with this boring entry into the Critter saga.
Critters 4 takes the fur balls into space to continue their feeding! The Critters franchise would never recover from the misfire of Critters 3 and 4. Moving the action to space seems like a natural progression for the series.
Like Critters 3, the fourth part suffers from the Critters not wreaking havoc for an extended amount of the run time. Even after their first appearance there is another long gap before they return again, and the only reason to watch Critters is to watch them eat and cause problems. Which makes their absence all that more egregious.
The video transfer for Critters and Critters 2 are brand new 2k scans and the results are awesome. It is so cool that Scream gave these cult classics a fresh coat of paint. The colors are rich and full of pop. The films look sharp and clear. After seeing Critters recently on DVD the new scans are most welcome. Gone are the undefined and murky look of SD, in their place are stunning new transfers.
Critters 3 and 4 are not afforded the same 2k scan and instead just given a slight upgrade over their DVD counterparts. Although the results are not as good, Critters 3 and 4 look better then they probably have any right to.
The audio won’t blow you away but the discs get the job done. Again the first two films sound leaps and rolls better. The dialogue on all films are clear and the Critters squeaks and gibberish sound great.
The extras on this set are extensive. Each film gets a making of documentary, the first two films documentaries clock in at over an hour and both are absolutely great. Critters 3 and 4 doc are shorter but are a lot of fun to watch. Almost all the major players are present and they share some truly great stories.
Critters also has “For Brian” an honest and heartfelt tribute to the writer of Critters who passed away in 2010.
Critters contains two commentaries the first featuring producer Barry Opper and star Dan Opper, the second featuring the always entertaining special effects artists the Chiodo Brothers.
Both Critters and Critters 2 feature some classic behind the scenes footage. Critters 2 also includes some SD cut footage, basically extended scenes from the film.
Critters 3 has a commentary from Opper and Opper, with Critters 4 also offering a commentary with director Rupert Harvey.
All films include trailers and a still gallery.
At the end of the day, The Critters Collection offers great B-Movie fun. The first two films are bonafide cult classics. Critters 3 and 4 can’t overcome their low budget restraints but do have some fun moments with the furry monsters. Scream Factory has given the fans of these films something they will surely devour.
Critters
Film: B+
Video: A
Audio: A
Extras: A+
Overall: A
Critters 2: The Main Course
Film: B+
Video: A
Audio: A
Extras: A+
Overall: A
Critters 3
Film: C
Video: B
Audio: B-
Extras: A
Overall: B-
Critters 4
Film: C
Video: B
Audio: B-
Extras: A
Overall: B-
The Critters Collection
Films: B
Video: A-
Audio: A-
Extras: A+
Overall: A-