Short Attention Span Review: Man's Best Friend (1993)
As guilty pleasures go, this is a big winner. While it never aspires to be anything more than a B-rate horror flick that cross-pollinates the killer canine sub-genre with the Frankenstein mythos, Man's Best Friend never fails to entertain either. There's a cool medley in play; the sci-fi and the horror elements complement one another well, and there's a surprising amount of humor and some genuine creativity in the mix to round things out. The effects and the action are both top shelf stuff, the direction is crisp, and the score nicely accentuates the suspense and bloodshed unfolding on-screen. Most importantly, it features Lance Henriksen at his apex, chewing up scenery like a mad dog himself, and upping the ante at every turn. He probably spent a week or so on set at most, but he elevates the picture with his tenacity, turning what could have been a garden variety mad scientist into the sparkplug that keeps this baby firing on all cylinders from start to finish. Ally Sheedy is also worth mentioning here, as she does a fine job in the lead role. The script is both clever and bloodthirsty when it needs to be. It's no classic, but Man's Best Friend still manages to stand out from the pack.
Final Grade: B
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| Go ahead. Hit him with a rolled-up newspaper. Call him a bad dog. Remind him who's boss. I double-dog-dare you. |
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