Retro Film Review: The Relic (1997)
Peter Hyams didn't win many friends with his, for many snobbish critics blasphemous, sequel to Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Following that film he lost any chance of being treated with the same respect as Great Film Makers of Our Times. So, it took rather special set of circumstances for one of his titles to be announced as the year's best film by one of respected critics. The Relic, film briefly enjoying that honour, was released at the very beginning 1997 - same as the critic's opinion - and its great standing owed more to rather limited choices at that time of the year.
The plot of the film is based on best-selling horror novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. It begins with a Amazon researcher employed by Chicago Natural History Museum who desperately tries to stop the shipment of his samples to his employers. His efforts are in vain and few weeks later a ghost ship with massacred crew appears in Chicago port. In the meantime, Dr. Margo Green (played by Penelope Ann Miller), one of Museum's scientists, is baffled with the samples that seem to contradict all the principles of evolution. She meets Lt. D'Agosta (played by Tom Sizemore), Chicago police detective investigating nasty murder of Museum's security guard, related to the massacre of ship's crew. D'Agosta is getting increasingly convinced that the murders are work of some non-human monster hiding in Museum's endless corridors. D'Agosta attempts to seal off the Museum are thwarted by administration determined to hold benefit reception attended by Chicago's mayor.
The Relic is not going to be remembered as particularly successful or important example of horror genre, but it looks more than decent compared with most of recent Hollywood horror films. It owes that mostly to its director Hyams, not very imaginative but capable Hollywood professional. Hyams did very little to improve on the script burdened with its cliches and one-dimensional characters, but his direction indicates someone who understood what had made great horror films like Alien and Jaws so successful. The film's monster is not seen until the very end and the audience can only guess who it looks, thus adding their own subconscious nightmares to the fear so effectively created by Hyams. At the end the monster reveals not only itself, but the impressive work by special effects master Stan Winston. The Relic, unlike most of modern horror films, doesn't shy away from quite graphic displays of violence and gore, but potentially nauseating effect is prevented by Hyams's clever use of dark cinematography. Although far from the high standards established in 1970s, The Relic returns faith in Hollywood being able to produce quality horror films.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on January 13th 2004)
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