Blackwater (2007)

Fresh and Exciting

Boring

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Not to be confused with all the other films of the same name (Including one thats just come out this year) Blackwater tells the story of 4 girls who go on an adventure camping in the everglades. Things turn sour however when they run afoul of a trio of rednecks.The first 50% of the movie is character development which is adequate but does drag a tad. The cast are just about competent and the sights are beautiful, both of the everglades and its stunning wildlife.When things actually begin to take place they feel rushed, there is very little actual development and the threat feels rather lacking. At no real point do these women seem in much danger so it all comes across quite trivial.The rednecks themselves are lifeless, the action is non-existent and the whole thing comes across rather neutered. Shoulda coulda woulda been better.The Good:Some really nice sceneryEverything is just about passableThe Bad:Very tame stuff considering the subject matterVery slow buildNot exactly what the cover suggests it isThings I Learnt From This Movie:If you want me to care about a character, don't make them a hunterRednecks need a union, they are presented so badly in movies!

BLACKWATER is a very cheap gender twist variant of DELIVERANCE, a film whose plot is ripped off extensively for this otherwise generic and uninteresting picture. The problems with this film are manifest from the outset, with extremely cheap production values throughout meaning that it has a fake look. The only thing they get right is that they filmed it in the Florida Everglades, which you can't fake and which look great.A bunch of whiny and irritating actresses decide to head off to Florida on an adventure holiday, so the viewer is exposed to the usual mind-numbing set up of the story before anything happens. There's a sudden attack by the usual redneck types, a little violence, and then pursuit. All of the major plot twists are copied from DELIVERANCE, with one exception: none of the main characters dies here. That's right, it's a play it safe thriller with minimal exploitation, which I should imagine will be off-putting to the majority of potential viewers.