Rats (2003)

Directed by Tibor Takács [Other horror films: The Gate (1987), I, Madman (1989), The Gate II: Trespassers (1990), Mansquito (2005), Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep (2006), Ice Spiders (2007), Mega Snake (2007), Spiders 3D (2013), Bunks (2013)]

While Rats isn’t a good movie, it is a movie that could have been decent. If the plot had been tightened up a bit, and the special effects improved on, it might have been something that was sort of special.

As it is, I have some minor history with this film. Like movies such as Webs, How to Make a Monster, and Piñata: Survival Island, I saw Rats when I was rather young in life, so it does have a bit of a special place in my heart. That doesn’t save the movie – the poor special effects can’t be defended – but I can admit to enjoying this a smidge more because of my past with it.

Also, the story isn’t that bad. A female journalist goes undercover at a private psychiatric hospital to work on a story, and a guy who telepathically communicates with rats tries to hold back a massive rat attack. Okay, well, the first part of the movie (undercover at a mental institution) was a solid idea, in a Nellie Bly-type way. Admittedly, it goes off the rails once the giant rat comes in, but to all good things there must come an end.

The special effects are pretty horrendous. The 3D rats looked, as the kids say, quite shit, and they never really look good at any point. Even during a personal favorite scene in the film (and one that stuck with me the most from my childhood viewing of this movie), in which rats attack people locked up in isolation rooms, straight-jackets and all, show the rats entering the room with some of the worst special effects imaginable.

Sara Downing made a pretty decent lead. She occasionally reminded me of A.J. Cook, and that’s never a bad thing. Ron Perlman (Desperation, The Last Winter, and I Sell the Dead), an actor I can’t stand usually, is pretty tame and tolerable here. Denise Dowse’s character half the time was atrocious, but I liked her performance. On the more generic side, we have Bailey Chase, Michael Zelniker, and Michael Hagerty. The only performance I actively didn’t like was Zelniker’s, but that’s more due to his character than anything else.

Not to be confused with Rats (2000), The Rats (2002), or Rats: Night of Terror (1984), Rats isn’t terrible if you just want someone comfortable to snuggle up with, but if you’re looking for someone to hang onto for the rest of your life, I doubt Rats could do that for you.

5.5/10