5 reviews
Zuniga looks good; nothing else is
Well, this one had some imaginative plotting for a cable movie. Though there were some good-sized holes in it. Such as Resnick going about in a leather jacket and no tie, something FBI agents NEVER do. Daphne Zuniga did a good job with her character(s) here, even if hardly anyone else did. She was awfully pretty, too. Red West is the only other cast member I can compliment. James Wilder wasn't terrible, but not very good either. Don Harvey was awful, and Michell McBride OK in a very small part. Alexandra Paul wasn't very good in this one. This surprised me, because I think she's done some good work elsewhere. I guess she got too involved trying to pull off the hick Texas accent and manner, and I think she missed it by a wide margin. This movie had some promise, but it wasn't really kept. Grade: C-
Nothing special, but satisfactorily entertaining
Antagonist Patricia is forward and headstrong, and would seem to dance around her words to find a lie that fits in the moment. The writing is kind of the same, as there's a directness to dialogue, scene writing, and plot development that pairs with tropes and a minor sense of contrived movie magic to tie it all together. These elements are as noteworthy as the minimal prior experience that director Fleming B. Fuller or co-writer April Campbell Jones would seem to have. None of this is any specific indicator of quality, of course, though apart from the previous credits or lack thereof of the filmmakers, I'll also say that much else about this movie makes a particular impression. On the one hand, with heartier violence and more explicit sex this would easily be described as an erotic thriller. On the other hand, with a strong female protagonist, a male lover that jilted her, and an antagonist who is noted as having a history of mental illness, the only thing keeping it from being a Lifetime original movie is that Alexandra Paul isn't given still more time in the spotlight. 'Prey of the chameleon' isn't the most remarkable or essential movie you could watch, but it's still decent and suitably enjoyable.
The writing is imperfect, but the biggest weakness I see is any particular lack of feeling. A thriller should carry tension, suspension, or some baseline level of urgency as the course of events develop. Even at the climax, however, and even through whatever heightened emotions the actors may impart, this feature just doesn't have the same fire. That's not to say that it's altogether humdrum or lacking, but from start to finish it Simply Is, and the ending (including the song over the end credits) comes across as an indifferent resolution to hastily wrap up production. Still, it's well made in a broad sense. It's always nice to see Paul - again, were that she were emphasized still more - and Daphne Zuniga, too. The narrative is complete and engaging, if not especially compelling, and the scene writing ably moves things along. I appreciate the work of the crew behind the scenes, and Fuller's direction is fine. And so on.
Do I sound nonplussed? I suppose that's fair. I liked this well enough - I just don't have any specific feelings about it. Whether good or bad, movies should inspire a reaction, or make us think, and 'Prey of the chameleon' just sort of exists and hangs in the air. Everyone does their job well, and I think this is a fair way to spend 90 minutes on a lazy day. Unless you're a huge fan of Paul or Zuniga, however, there's no one reason to seek this out over other titles. Watch it, enjoy it, move on with your day - there are other critical, must-see flicks to take priority, but this is good enough, too.
The writing is imperfect, but the biggest weakness I see is any particular lack of feeling. A thriller should carry tension, suspension, or some baseline level of urgency as the course of events develop. Even at the climax, however, and even through whatever heightened emotions the actors may impart, this feature just doesn't have the same fire. That's not to say that it's altogether humdrum or lacking, but from start to finish it Simply Is, and the ending (including the song over the end credits) comes across as an indifferent resolution to hastily wrap up production. Still, it's well made in a broad sense. It's always nice to see Paul - again, were that she were emphasized still more - and Daphne Zuniga, too. The narrative is complete and engaging, if not especially compelling, and the scene writing ably moves things along. I appreciate the work of the crew behind the scenes, and Fuller's direction is fine. And so on.
Do I sound nonplussed? I suppose that's fair. I liked this well enough - I just don't have any specific feelings about it. Whether good or bad, movies should inspire a reaction, or make us think, and 'Prey of the chameleon' just sort of exists and hangs in the air. Everyone does their job well, and I think this is a fair way to spend 90 minutes on a lazy day. Unless you're a huge fan of Paul or Zuniga, however, there's no one reason to seek this out over other titles. Watch it, enjoy it, move on with your day - there are other critical, must-see flicks to take priority, but this is good enough, too.
- I_Ailurophile
- Jul 29, 2022
- Permalink
"No Country For Young Women"
I was inspired to write this review by an amazing sequence in which we cut to a coyote unearthing a human arm in the desert, followed by a man on horseback coming across the scene...only for the coyote to be absent entirely. No signs of the coyote's presence are anywhere to be found. This is the most narratively expedient animal in the history of cinema. It gets in, does its job (unearthing a body) and gets out very efficiently. The guy on horseback doesn't even have to fire a shot from his pistol (I assume he has one--we're in a state full of chameleons, after all) to scare the pest-predator away from the body.
Whose body is it? I don't know. I don't care, either. Maybe if they'd put some effort into telling the story, that would be different. There's a token plot but it's like Roadhouse meets mid-season 2 Twin Peaks: nothing really happens, but there's a lot of horny barfights.
Whose body is it? I don't know. I don't care, either. Maybe if they'd put some effort into telling the story, that would be different. There's a token plot but it's like Roadhouse meets mid-season 2 Twin Peaks: nothing really happens, but there's a lot of horny barfights.
- Vvardenfell_Man
- Oct 10, 2024
- Permalink
An excellent, involving and unfairly overlooked early 90's female psycho thriller sleeper
- Woodyanders
- Aug 15, 2006
- Permalink
Not Science Fiction
For some reason I thought this was science fiction and that the chameleon exchanged bodies, but that is not what the movie is.
For what it is, this is a good movie; I do not know if it would be as good without Daphne Zuniga but with her and Alexandra Paul, who are both great actresses and beautiful women, it is certainly worth watching for those of us that appreciate them. There are parts that I did not understand, but probably I was confused about which body belonged to the killer or the victom. It would help to know that the killer is just one body that only changes in personality.
Alexandra Paul plays a sheriff whose former fiancee returns after a few years. He had left her on their wedding day and had never provided an explanation or any other communication prior to returning. Daphne Zuniga is the chameleon and the movie is about the sheriff's investigation of murders occurring in the small town and the search for the murderer. The details are somewhat predictable but the movie is entertaining. The movie is also a romance about the former fiancee's involvement with the sheriff and the chameleon.
For what it is, this is a good movie; I do not know if it would be as good without Daphne Zuniga but with her and Alexandra Paul, who are both great actresses and beautiful women, it is certainly worth watching for those of us that appreciate them. There are parts that I did not understand, but probably I was confused about which body belonged to the killer or the victom. It would help to know that the killer is just one body that only changes in personality.
Alexandra Paul plays a sheriff whose former fiancee returns after a few years. He had left her on their wedding day and had never provided an explanation or any other communication prior to returning. Daphne Zuniga is the chameleon and the movie is about the sheriff's investigation of murders occurring in the small town and the search for the murderer. The details are somewhat predictable but the movie is entertaining. The movie is also a romance about the former fiancee's involvement with the sheriff and the chameleon.