Under the Mountain

Sony

R4 DVD

Black Sheep director Jonathan King adapts New Zealand novelist Maurice Gee's fantasy tale. The original novel was written in 1979 and while made into an eight part television series this is its first big screen debut. This strange and wonderful tale is a mixture of science fiction, fantasy and horror with a focus on the teen market. It is a joyful romp which pays homage to a range of horror classics from the work of H.P. Lovecraft, the cinematic series Phantasm and Aliens and B grade horror.

The plot is about two warring alien species. One has no compassion and simply wants to conquer the universe. This species subjugated huge Godzilla like creatures, the Gargantua, and used them to wander from world to world destroying them as they go. Only a few beings from the last conquered world and they banded together and locked the creatures and their alien masters under the seven great volcanos of New Zealand. However as centuries past the aliens escaped their prison and become the “Wilberforces”, slimy shapeshifters who live in an old funeral home across the lake.

Now only one of the alien guardians is left, Mr. Jones (Sam Neil), master of fire. Teenage twins Rachel (Sophie McBridge) and Theo (Tom Cameron) are staying with relatives after the death of their mother. They have psychic powers and a strong link exists between them. They sense something is wrong with the house across the lake and believe that the earthquakes shaking the region are premonitions of a coming disaster.

As Theo investigates the old house across the lake, which ends up being a mortuary filled with strange, slimy like creatures with lots of tentacles, the battle begins. Mr.Jones explains to them the innate power that some twins have and gives them two “fire stones” which they must use to destroy the aliens and their creatures.

This is a beautifully done horror-fantasy story with special effects by the Weta workshop and a great moody atmosphere. It is film that runs at a frantic pace and makes the most of its limited budget to create an unusual fantasy classic.

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