There Was A Bear In This Woods: Grizzly Park (2008)

Grizzly Park (2008)
Rating: **
Starring: Glenn Morshower, Randy Wayne and Zulay Henao

A Straight-to-DVD slasher featuring (as the title suggests) a bear killing off people in the woods one by one. Last I've seen a "grizzly bear slasher" was the enjoyable cheese-fest of a killer animal flick, Grizzly (1976), so could this be a possible contender for said 70s Jaws- rip off?

Eh, hardly.

Not a lot in sense of plotting as we simply follow seven young hooligans getting a chance to reflect on their actions through a rehabilitation program in the woods, all the while a grizzly bear just so happens to be around, munching on escaped serial killers before setting its teeth on the unwitty teens. It is literally just that and though I love down-to-basic slasher flicks, Grizzly Park (2008) bears some of the more annoying modern slasher tropes that kept me from liking it further.

For one, not a single character here is likable enough to root for. I can overlook bad acting and a cheesy script, but to set up unlikable douches for the kill count simply doesn't do much for me since, last I heard, slasher flicks are supposed to make us feel scared for the victims. It's rather hard to feel anything for these dummkopfs when all they do is be annoying and talk about their obnoxious lives, manipulating us into just wishing someone, or something, will end these brats. There's little suspense in turn, no (working) comedy, and no character development whatsoever, making Grizzly Park (2008)'s an awfully shallow slasher.

The only reason why I couldn't fully diss the film is because I am entertained at some point; what Grizzly Park (2008) lacks in an interesting story, it makes up with a good run of murders packing some decent gore and a few creative takes on the usual bear mauling. They're nothing outlandish, but very passable for a corny movie. There's also a decently fun twist in the end that isn't that big of a game changer, but hilariously good nonetheless.

Grizzly Park (2008) might be close to being horrible, but I can see a lot of openings for improvement. A better script may have done the trick, or even a good dash of crazier gore, but it looks like we are stuck with this one. Not a lot to lose sleep over, but if you're ever in the mood for a killer bear flick of the dead teenager variety, this one should suffice enough.

Bodycount:
1 male had his neck slit with a switchblade
1 male stabbed on the gut with a switchblade
1 male had his face bitten off by a grizzly bear, mauled offscreen
1 female attacked by a wolf
1 male caught on bear trap, mauled offscreen by a grizzly bear
1 male mauled to death by a grizzly bear 
1 male had his head clawed in half by the mouth
1 female mauled in half by a grizzly bear
1 male mauled by a grizzly bear, arms torn off
1 female mauled by a grizzly bear offscreen
1 female had a silicon chest clawed off by a grizzly bear
Total: 11