The last movie before Taring I watched and wrote something about was Lucio Fulci’s The New York Ripper, and as you can see there’s always something to write about his films. That’s why it’s so damn hard to write a review of something so empty, so stupid, so silly as Taring. Not that I didn’t like it, actually the opposite, it’s a delicious little exploitation film - but like with most of them: they have absolutely nothing to say. The director and writer are there to deliver sexy women (in this case super models in peril), an exotic location (a jungle in Indonesia), cheap gore and monster (not bad at all actually!) and of course, like in all Asian films, comic relief - this time in form of a stereotypical gay character.
The story is close to retarded: models goes out in the jungle - a dangerous jungle, something wooden signs everywhere says (and of course the locals, they warn our heroes!) - for a photo shoot and not long after they’re one by one killed by nasty, terrible, disgusting tree demons who looks like a mix between old, old women and… yeah, demons with white eyes and fangs. Lovely. Very not-so-sexy. I know they’re completely different, but I always refer this film to as the Indonesian The Descent but set in a jungle. But I’m probably way out for my league doing that comparison.
Taring exists to entertain the audience for 78 minutes, nothing else. There’s no message, there’s no character layers to decipher.The film begins with tons and tons of footage of women posing in bikins at at a pool party (but believe me, it’s not even close to what the same directors deliver in his follow-up monster mash Jenglot Pantai Selatan, most of it are set on a beach!) until somehow the dialogue leads us into the main storyline of a rich dude who’s been taking over his brother fashion company and wants his pal the photographer to join them into the jungle to for a photo shoot). There’s some halfheartedly attempt for some drama when one of the models have a sick mother. But everything is forgotten within a few minutes. They tried at least.
While the jungle scenes look cheap and sometimes rushed they still seem to have been shot in a jungle and it makes the movie look a lot more nicer than it probably would have looked if they’ve placed the story in a factory or some cheap location instead. The shots of the demons (or what they hell they are!) often look cool and kinda creepy, and sometime just like they’re trying to copy the J-horror craze with some fast movements and odd movements. Thank heavens there’s plenty of very cheap graphic violence and lots of blood spraying when the demons actually attacks. I’m not saying the gore is cheap and GOOD, it’s just cheap and graphic and far from realistic. There’s a nifty arm down the throat, some slicing and dicing, intestines, stabbings and one character get’s ripped apart. Fun!
No, I can’t say Taring is a scary film, no, not at all. Scary Movie 2 is more horrifying. But when the monsters appear it’s at least full speed ahead and never becomes boring. The ending is silly and idiotic and serves no purpose than to deliver one last scare, but at least another annoying character bites the dust. That’s my kind of happy ending.
"The director and writer are there to deliver sexy women (in this case super models in peril), an exotic location (a jungle in Indonesia), cheap gore and monster (not bad at all actually!)"
To hell with quality.....this is an awesome combo!
hahhahahahhahha
"Taring exists to entertain the audience for 78 minutes, nothing else. There’s no message, there’s no character layers to decipher."
Yep.....an audience brainwashed with cheap thrash from mainly US might not care.....
"No, I can’t say Taring is a scary film, no, not at all. Scary Movie 2 is more horrifying. But when the monsters appear it’s at least full speed ahead and never becomes boring. The ending is silly and idiotic and serves no purpose than to deliver one last scare, but at least another annoying character bites the dust."
Sometimes you have to look for small blessings.....good review and thanks
Posted by: Megatron | April 29, 2014 at 00:06