www.evannichols.com -- Movie Review: The <I>Tremors</I> Cycle

The Tremors Cycle

As I write this in August, it's still too hot to think about a cold winter weekend where there's nothing better to do than rent an armload of movies and settle in to watch them all. For those that plan ahead, here's a threesome to put on the list:
It all started in 1989 with Tremors, a low-budget, tongue-in-cheek horror movie with a surprisingly big-name cast (Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Reba McEntire, Michael Gross!). Now, before you get prudish about watching a "horror" movie, these aren't axe-wielding-psycho slashers or evil-Hell-demon splatter films. The quirky inhabitants of isolated Perfection, Nevada are threatened by huge, underground monsters, promptly (if lamely) dubbed "Grabboids." Sure, there's a bit of gore, but how can you make a movie where people are being eaten without a little blood? Most of the movie is suspense, not splatter, so even the squeamish can watch this with only a few moments with hands over the eyes.
The surprising success of Tremors was followed in 1996 with Tremors 2: Aftershocks. Fred Ward and Michael Gross return (apparently Kevin Bacon was too BUSY to do this film), fighting the next evolution of Grabboids (the slightly-better-named "Shriekers") in South America. Okay, it's a sequel, and not quite as good as the original, but still entertaining. Finally, Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001), where Michael Gross returns (apparently Fred Ward was busy, too), to find Perfection, Nevada threatened by real-estate development and another wave of Grabboids. Many of the original denizens of Perfection return, and the creatures evolve to their reproductive state (giving away their moniker here would be a spoiler). Much of the charm of the original returns as well, plus an homage to the climax of Jurassic Park.
So here's what you need to know to watch these films:

Check your disbelief at the door. Don't try to scientifically analyze the evolutionary possibility of the Grabboids. It won't help. If you don't resist, you'll be rewarded.
Those who are paying attention will say "Hey, that's the girl from Jurassic Park!" You're right, Ariana Richards was in Jurassic Park, but she was in Tremors first, and comes back in Tremors 3, all growed up.
The rating card at the start of Tremors 3 said it was PG for language and brief nudity, but I didn't see any nudity, brief or not, and I watch for that kind of thing. There are some flying entrails and a bit of suspense, but this is a comparatively tame horror flick.
One thing that works in the favor of this series is the progression of threat, even if it is improbable. In each film we see a different developmental stage; a larval stage, an adolescent stage, then reproductive maturity (kind of like the Alien movies). Even though the characters are still fighting to live, it is different, and more challenging, each time.
What makes these movies work is the easy transference of the protagonists to the viewer. They're not geniuses, martial artists, or commandos, just a normal bunch of people trying to avoid being eaten. They don't make the stupid mistakes so common in horror films (Don't the people in movies ever watch movies?). The viewer gets to vicariously survive and conquer, and it's all done with a sense of humor. If any of this sounds good to you, check them out!
If you liked the movies below, you'll probably like this one (and visa versa):

Jurassic Park
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Spaced Invaders (yet another Ariana Richards film!)
Critters
Tremors
Overall Rating: 7 (where 1=Worthless, 10=Fabulous)
Eight-Facet Info Rating, rated on a scale of 0 (None) to 4 (Lots!)):