Grabbers (2012)

I'll tell you why so serious

Good start, but then it gets ruined

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Erin Island, off the coast of Ireland, was just a quiet, idyllic fisherman's spot away from the busy hustle and bustle of the Dublins, where everyone knows each other, with many sharing a shot or pint at the local pub. At the beginning of the film a male and female alien land in the ocean close to Erin, eventually washing ashore, looking to find humans as a source of blood and water, both of which are key to their survival and longevity. Arriving to Erin is a cute, perky, astute, and genially spirited Dublin officer, Lisa (Ruth Bradley, absolute charmer), on holiday, accepting a law enforcement post alongside perennial drunk, Ciarán (Richard Coyle). She is substituting for Ciarán's boss while he ferries with other island residents to the mainland for two weeks. Habitual drunk fisherman, Paddy (Lalor Roddy), cages the female alien in his lobster trap, himself attacked with it poisoned by the high content alcohol in his blood! Ahhh, yes, a vulnerability! The giant male alien comes looking for its mate, equipped with a tongue that whips around necks and even through victims, moving about with slimy tentacles, containing a circle mouth with shark fin teeth that can clean crunch off heads.Yep, booze is the answer to combating aliens...I love it! This film has so many things going right for it. The aliens are ugly, resembling a combination of sea creatures and the island setting, especially the beach and natural landscapes, is stunning. But the leads and additional cast (can't fail to mention Russell Tovey as the enthusiastic sea animal expert) launch this off the pad exponentially. The drunk pub gathering with all the remaining village folk in the hopes of saving them from the male alien and its hatchlings is a hoot! Bradley has her Weaver Aliens forklift moment, and Coyle must fend off the face hugging female alien...just two memorable scenes among many. There are severed heads, baby alien slugs slithering in the pub, dead whales ashore as foreshadowing, a woman jerked out of her home by the alien tongue through her chimney, Bradley hilariously drunk, Coyle and Tovey eyeing Bradley and clearly in their tone, little asides, and patterns of behavior competing for her, and the incredible special effects for the aliens...so much to recommend in this appealing sea creature comedy. Aims to please and has a cast that is talented enough to pull it off. The villagers accumulate seamlessly into the charms of the comedy. Serious sleeper. Especially amusing is seeing the leads aware of their chemistry, wishy washy about addressing their building feelings, and gradually falling for each other. Roddy steals every scene he's in.

GRABBERS, as a film, offers me a conundrum. I love creature features and this is certainly a creature feature. At the same time, one of my pet hates in cinema is drinking, and watching performers attempting to act drunk on screen. GRABBERS is a film that seeks to combine the two, so I had no idea what to expect.Sadly, this Irish comedy - about a remote fishing village being invaded by a killer alien squid creature that hates alcohol - goes for laughs first, thrills second. And I didn't think it was very funny. The characters are broadly drawn, but the actors chosen for the parts, like Richard Coyle and Ruth Bradley, fail to give them any warmth or sympathetic characteristics. They're trying too hard to be funny, and they're just not. 90% of the running time is concerned with drunken larking around, which is just something I'm not interested in watching.The creature stuff is more of a disappointment, and what makes this film feel like a SyFy Channel movie with tacked-on laughs. The CGI effects are as disappointing as you'd expect for a tentacled beastie, and it's a pity because obviously a lot of effort and enthusiasm has gone into this one. It's just not my cup of tea - or rather, pint of Guinness - I'm afraid.

I'm no expert, I seldom ever write reviews unless I feel strongly about a film and/or feel that it has been overlooked.Also, I won't explain the plot because that has already been done & is detailed under the heading "Storyline" above. (It bothers me when people just regurgitate information that has already been provided, or worse yet, expand it to 'spoiler' point!) *In my opinion, as a fan of UK films & fanatic of the horror genre, this movie is an absolute gem.*The story is really original, smart, funny & moves along with no trouble keeping your interest. The characters are endearing (even those with more minor roles), the creature is very unique with effects that, I think, are well done. As for the filming location, it is absolutely beautiful, making all of the scenic shots just breathtaking.It made me jump...several times, hold my breath in angst, get a tiny bit misty, almost wet myself from laughing so hard & also made me think, just a little. (the humor is not corny, but smart & witty. It's often subtle)I admit, there was one scene in which a character did not react in the most believable or logical way (Under attack they did not use a phone that was right next to them, etc.). Otherwise, I really have no other criticism.I only watch movies that I really like more than once or twice, & I have watched this movie well over ten times! It's rating seems very low to me & I hope that my input might encourage people to watch despite it's number rating.This is just my personal viewpoint. However, everyone that I have had watch this has enjoyed it and had fun...I really hope you do as well!!

A mildly amusing romp with no pretensions to high quality cinema.Weird tentacled aliens arrive in a remote Irish village.They soon discover that drunk Irish people can be quite nauseating--literally!I can't help thinking this movie would have been better if they'd played it straight and gone with a traditional horror angle.As it stands, it's probably fine if you're drunk enough.I didn't recognise any of the actors but they did a decent job.I rate 'Grabbers' at 16.65 on the Haglee Scale, which works out as a solid 5/10 on IMDb.10 lines minimum, IMDb? Seriously?