Locusts (2005)

Too many fans seem to be blown away

the audience applauded

Pretty Good

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

This film is actually better than it is being credited for. It's number one strength is definitely the skill of Lucy Lawless(although it's somewhat wasted in many emotionally light scenes), and the script can, at times, be slightly inept. However, it's an interesting story with something to say. Introducing some very thought provoking themes and ideas about the boundaries of science and human power, it shows a rather creative way in which nature can punish us for our own idiocy. A surprising bonus is the high quality of special effects involved. There's really nothing that comes off as fake. Campy, maybe... but not fake. In the end, this film is satisfying. Especially when compared to the vast sea of other made-for-TV-movies, it stands out ahead of the pack. It's sequel "Vampire Bats"(while still far from perfect), draws on this film's strengths and builds upon them. Both movies are worth a watch, and worth owning if you are a fan of Lucy.

Swarms of mutant grasshoppers crack windows. Sometimes, sometimes not.Swarms of mutant grasshoppers threaten to smother the children of *coughs* plot elements.Swarms of mutant grasshoppers blot out the sun and threaten all life on earth.All their mutant billions are miraculously killed in a few seconds by fiddling the power lines of the Midwest.It is difficult to describe the jaw-dropping awfulness of Locusts nor is there any point in attempting the job. Gotta be seen. It is the Plan 9 of the current generation and is very highly recommended.

I gave this movie 7 out of ten stars, only because of the performance of Lawless. The script wasn't the best to work with, but she is a professional, and managed to pull it off quite well.Still, if your not a fan of Lawless, you'll probably not appreciate this movie. (Like I say, not the best script. But does anyone have any business expecting much from a made-for-TV movie?) The first reviewer actually said that Hollywood needs to adopt a Xenaphobic(!) policy. As an adult, I know the difference between an actress and the character she portrays. It is unfortunate that some of the others who claim to be adults while reviewing work on this site do not.

Television has spoiled me in the last few weeks...I saw the unbelievable Warm Springs, the very well done Mork and Mindy story, and Rosie O'Donell's heartwarming Riding The Bus. For every great Gem is a great big lump of poo and here it is...Locusts!! First this has been done numerous times before and I don't just mean the premise...the actual Locusts thing and it's just dumb. They had to have known that?? Director David Jackson has done enough decent Television to know a stinker doesn't he? Locusts is the "story" of a scientist who was secretly developing an unkillable swarm of locusts in his lab...don't ask why...we'll never know. When his boss Maddy Rierdon discovers this she insists that the Locusts be destroyed but unfortunately a few of them escape and due to their massive re population powers they intensify to a deadly swarm that will within days eviscerate the entire crops of the United States...and then I assume settle in Hawaii for a vacation...sorry....Now Maddy together with her estranged boyfriend, and the scientist who created them must figure out a way to stop these locusts or save the countries crops from their destruction.The story is just so incredibly plot holed it's disgusting. The team moves around the country effortlessly from one end to the other in seemingly minutes. There is a pointless love story entwined in the middle of this, and it seemed like the writer got to a point in the story where they said...good enough I give up...electrocute them all and let's move on the a new project. It's not only the writers fault, the cast is god awful. John Heard who I really respect as an actor plays the completely shallow and empty character of the creator of the bugs. He shows no emotion or depth but then no one does. Star of the film...what a claim to fame...Lucy Lawless, looks great, finally out of the whole Xena thing. But she does an equally crappy job. They are all vapid and unemotional and BORING!! The locusts are also BORING...although I have to give slight kudos to the fact that it doesn't look like a big swarm of computer animated bugs flying around. But you don't ever get that creepy crawly feeling a bug movie should give you. The film has one or two spots of slight excitement before dive bombing into B-Movie crap. Avoid this one like a plague of locusts. 4/10