Stars:
Vincent Spano and Madchen Amick,
Writer:
Tommy Lee Wallace
Director:
John J. Lafia
Feature
length: 94 minutes
Extras:
“Wild On The Set” Making Of Featurette, Trailers
Languages:
English Dolby Surround 5.0 and Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 28
Sound:
Dolby Surround Sound 5.0 and 2.0
Year
of DVD Release: 2002
Home
Video Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
This
Fox television film was postponed for a television season and recently aired a
few weeks ago on the Fox television network followed by the subsequent VHS and
DVD-Video releases. “The Rats” tells the story of thousands of ravenous
rodents who lay siege upon a major Manhattan department store and subsequently
spread with a hive like intelligence. The reason for the leap in intelligence
for the rats is never clearly spoken though the film spouts off countless data
about rats by the numbers and tries to create a nature run amuck effect. As far
as TV fair goes, this is pretty slow moving and pretty silly, but the site of
mountains of rats emerging like fountains from below and attacking is
unintentionally hilarious if you have a sadistic sense of humor.
The
teleplay was penned by John Carpenter disciple Tommy Lee Wallace and the film
stars Madchen Amick (Twin Peaks) and Vincent Spano (The Prophecy 3: The Ascent.)
The film is presented in a clear though somewhat subdued (1.78:1) anamorphic
widescreen aspect ratio with a choice of either English Dolby Surround 5.0 or
2.0 Soundtracks. English Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired
and Spanish Language Subtitles are encoded on to the DVD as options.
The
behind-the-scenes “Animal Planet” featurette “Wild On The Set: The Making
Of Rats” is in some ways more interesting than the feature as you actually see
how live rats were used with the cast to create a more realistic effect coupled
by CGI rats that look very CGI when compared to their live counterparts. It is
as an odd sight to see Madchen Amick cradling a rat as if it were a pet, but she
is an animal lover and even states her kids would love it!
Trailers
for “Ablaze,” “From Hell,” “The Fury,” “The Omen,” and
“Phantom Of The Paradise,” wrap up the extra features included on this DVD.
The menus are standard interactive still frames that are easy to navigate.
“The Rats” will
debut on DVD-Video on
Tuesday, October 15, 2002 from Twentieth Century Fox Home
Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.