Devil Ivy (2006)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

As Good As It Gets

Blistering performances.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The pre-credits scene for Thai supernatural horror Devil Ivy sees a hunter confronted by a very nearly naked babe, just a few splodges of body paint and some strategically placed leaves ensuring that a modicum of modesty is retained. The nearly naked woman vanishes into the trunk of a tree and emerges as a green monster with plastic fangs who proceeds to chow down on the man's neck.After the credits, we are introduced to a young woman, Jenny, who is strutting her stuff to Push the Button by the Sugababes; she's wearing a skimpy two-piece outfit that reveals an expanse of bare midriff and which gives director Vichian Ta-in ample opportunity to show off Jenny's tush. We can excuse her poor taste in music.Clearly, this film is all about exploiting the female form, which isn't a bad thing since everything else about Devil Ivy is unimaginative and extremely dull: with cheap production values, poor visual effects, flat direction and perfunctory performances, gratuitous female flesh is all that this film has going for it.The extremely slight plot sees a group of scientists on an expedition to find a tree that, according to legend, bears a fruit (shaped like woman) that can cure any disease. Leading the way are several unscrupulous guides who plan to kill the boffins and take the fruit for themselves, but what they don't realise is that the tree is guarded by evil spirits who seduce and kill anyone who comes near.As the group trudges through the jungle, the viewer is given several opportunities to ogle Jenny as she swims in a river or struggles to climb up a muddy bank in tiny shorts (low camera angle, of course), and the nearly naked tree spirits pop up occasionally to carry off an unwary victim, all of which makes the dull drama and predictable character conflicts just about bearable.3.5/10, rounded up to 4 for IMDb.

DEVIL IVY is another example of the ordinary Thai low budget horror film. The story is based on the legend of a tree which bears magical fruit in the form of the female figure. A bunch of characters go on a hike to find said tree only to discover something nasty in the woods instead. There's a whole lot of talk here amid a few cheesy effects of glowing green eyes and the like. It's all very amateurish and long-winded, of interest to only local audiences I should imagine.