When you see a film called Big Ass Spider! you pretty much know what you’re going to get. So anyone seeking this film out should not be surprised by what they get.
An homage to ’50s horror films, this film pulls from many different sources, but it mostly feels like Arachnophobia meets King Kong with a little bit of Aliens thrown in.
The story is as simple as they come. A government-created giant spider is loose in downtown L.A. and it’s up to a dedicated but somewhat bumbling exterminator, Alex (Greg Grunberg) and his sidekick security guard Jose (Lombardo Boyar) to stop it. The military crew that shows up to deal with the escaped arachnid is led by Major Braxton Tanner (Ray Wise). And no film would be complete without a romantic interest and that role is filled by Lieutenant Karly Brant (Clare Kramer).
The film has a pretty epic opening. In slow motion our hero wakes up in the streets amid total chaos. Soldiers are shooting into the air while civilians run screaming. Alex stands and slowly walks towards the danger which is revealed to be the titular giant spider atop a tall building destroying helicopters. All set to a pretty solid cover of Pixie’s “Where Is My Mind.” It’s a strong opening and it puts you in the right mood for the kind of film you’re about to watch.
Spider is a good mix of horror and comedy. It’s got some good laughs, most of them intentional, and a few kind of tense moments too. It pays homage to so many different horror films that there would be too many to list here, looking for them is part of the fun of watching the movie.
Greg Grunberg does a great job of carrying this film. He is a very fun and likable leading man and his chemistry with Lombardo Boyar is great. The back and forth between these two brings most of the laughs and really keeps things moving. Clare Kramer is also good in this. For a trainer soldier she ends up the damsel in distress a few too many times, but this is Alex’s story and if he can’t save the girl how is he supposed to woo her? Then there is the great Ray Wise who brings a whole other level to this film. He is a very strong actor and seeing him here is really great.
This isn’t the best movie ever, but it’s not trying to be, nor is it pretending to be. It is exactly what you want it to be. If that’s the kind of movie you’re in the mood for then you’re sure to have a good time. Movie’s like this walk a fine line. Some try too hard to be campy and end up just being bad films, while others try to take themselves way to seriously when they don’t have the budget or the talent to pull it off. However, Big Ass Spider! obviously has some good talent in it and everyone involved knows how silly the idea is and make it as fun a film as possible.
The film is presented in a widescreen format. The sound is in 5.1 surround sound. The special effects look really good for the budget in some scenes, and kinda weak in others, but over all this is a pretty good looking film for the kind of film it is.
For extras you get SXSW Featurette (5 min.), Cast Interviews (1 min.), audio commentary and trailers. The commentary is pretty funny, it’s obvious everyone involved had a really good time making this film.
If you like silly monsters movies and watch a lot of horror and sci-fi films, then you’ll likely enjoy watching Big Ass Spider!.
Epic presents Big Ass Spider!. Written by Gregory Gieras. Directed by Mike Mendez. Starring: Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer and Ray Wise. Running time: 80 min. Rating: PG-13. Released: January 7, 2014.
