[Kaw]
Plot:During his last day on the job...a sheriff's small town comes under attack from genetically altered ravens with a hunger for human flesh.

Cast: Sean Patrick Flanery, Rod Taylor, Stephen McHattie, Kristin Booth, Megan Park, Ashley Newbrough, Amanda Brugel, John Ralston, Michelle Duquet.

My Thoughts:Not bad for it's genre.

Review:Usually when you have a premise where nature runs amok in a horror movie that's a SCI-FI Channel original picture, you run for the hills. But "Kaw" was one of those rare SCI-FI Channel pictures that while not being the greatest thing you'll ever see...it was a modestly good way to kill two hours. The film takes the usual path of not wasting too much time before it sets it's antagonists in motion. In "Kaw"'s case, the antagonists are hundreds of vicious Black Ravens, who after an attack which leaves one person dead, start going after more victims inside a small quiet town. "Kaw" is basically one Raven attack after the other strung together with the typical type of characters that you'd find in smalltown U.S.A. Rednecks, a sheriff, a local woman who has a thing for the sheriff, etc. But writer Benjamin Sztajnkrycer tries to be atleast somewhat creative by tossing in some Amish characters who have a may or may not have a connection to the vicious packs of Ravens that continually attack the locals. The birds themselves are what really make this movie go. There are some really great attack scenes in "Kaw", reminiscent of the old horror classic "The Birds". These birds don't just fly around a person and leave them with a few cuts here and there. These birds do everything from pecking into a victims skull and picking out their brainmatter, to even attacking and killing dogs. One of the films most intense and amazing scenes comes when a few people on a school bus trying to get out of town are set upon by the birds, who after killing one member of the group which sends everyone else to lock themselves inside the school bus for protection. The birds after numerous failed attempts to crash their way inside, begin to lift up stones off the road and hurl them at the windows of the bus, eventually making their way inside to get at their victims. It's creative moments like that that make a movie like "Kaw" a good popcorn movie as opposed to a decent one. Look wise....the Ravens are of course CGI but well-hidden CGI which was an obvious attempt to not embarass the movie or distract from what was happening too much. Sean Patrick Flannery is about the only reocgnizeable face in "Kaw", coming off of another direct-to-tv effort called "Demon Hunter". In my comparison, "Kaw" was a far better movie. Flannery while not really good at changing his facial expressions on cue, certainly holds his own as the local sheriff who seems to get very lucky time after time surviving many of the raven attacks. While his friends and deputies don't seem to be so lucky. Of course with characters which most of the time put themselves in danger from the killer birds by not running away fast enough, not running at all, making foolish decisions to stray away from shelter alone, or just standing around..I guess Flannery's character had to survive because without him, who was going to be left to save these idiots?? "Kaw" eventually does manage to answer the who, what, where, and why questions about the birds and why they've all of a sudden become so violent. The answer may surprise anyone who sees this movie, as it sure surprised me and for once it wasn't something hokey, supernaturally ridiculous, or worse. But instead a nature-specific explanation which made alot of sense and actually fit well into the overall picture. "Kaw" is about as good as you will get when talking in terms of a SCI-FI/Horror pic about CGI birds on the loose. It should be an enjoyable experience for anyone looking for a good man vs nature popcorn flick.

Positives:The birds were awesome villains. A very significant amount of blood, gore, and graphic material.

Negatives:Idiotic characters, pretty lousy acting.

Overall:Worth seeing atleast once.





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