BIFAN 2018: BOAR Review – Big Tusks, Loads of Gore, and Charming Characters
Jonathan Barkan
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Starring John Jarrett, Bill Moseley, Nathan Jones, Roger Ward, Melissa Tkautz, Trudi Ross
Written by Chris Sun
Directed by Chris Sun
Not exactly a giant monster movie but still very much a creature feature, Boar is the kind of horror movie that is meant for those who adore seeing humans face off against the beasts of nature. Admittedly, this monstrosity is a bit larger than it has any right to be.
Boar follows a giant wild pig that is roaming the Australian bush and slaughtering anything in its path. From campers to locals, everyone is a target. Enter a family that ventures into the countryside to spend time with their relative, Uncle Bernie (Nathan Jones), and their day/night of horror as the pig sets its sights on them.
Undeniably Australian, the characters of Boar are overflowing with personality, riffing off each other with puns, jibes, and slang that breathe life into people who are otherwise fodder for the death count. Bill Moseley plays the only interloper as Bruce, the US-born stepfather to the Australian family.
The film features odd pacing issues and there are scenes that feel not so much out of place but rather out of order. We’ve all seen movies where a character, much like Quint in Jaws, will give a speech, one that is rarely believed, about the creature and how everyone should fear it. In Boar, we are given that exact same moment, only it comes towards the end of the 2nd act, feeling a bit late as by then we’ve already seen a serious body count. Furthermore, while Bruce and Family are the main characters of the film, there’s a massive near-35 minute section where we don’t see them at all. Their lack of screen time makes it very difficult to build the kind of character development where any attachment can be made. That being said, the real star is a giant wild pig, so how much do we really need to care about anyone, right?
Unabashedly intent on ensuring viewers have a raucously good time, Boar sees scenes of John Jarrett being, well…John Jarrett (a compliment of the highest order, I assure you), a part where Nathan Jones goes all Chris “Fuck Boulders!” Redfield and launches himself at the pig for an all-out brawl, and enough bloodshed to make fans of the Hatchet series feel right at home.
The boar itself is a marvel of practical FX. Staggeringly large, its frightening presence is felt every time it’s on screen. The only issue is that such a massive practical piece makes it difficult to move across its entire body. Often you’ll see the boar roaring and moving its head while the body remains quite motionless. This also means that any time there needs to be scenes of the boar moving, it shifts from practical to CGI, which is totally understandable but the visual quality is noticeably worse.
There are certainly those who will compare Boar to 1984’s other Australian killer pig film Razorback and it’s a fair observation to make. I do believe, however, that there are enough stylistic and tonal differences to see them as separately valuable entries in the nature horror subgenre. And did I make it clear that Nathan Jones punches the everliving fuck out of a giant pig?
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Boar
Summary
Hindered by strange pacing and restrained by the limitations of a giant practical pig, Boar still manages to be a thoroughly entertaining and wildly savage bloodbath through the beauty of the Australian bush.
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