Grizzly II: Revenge Review: A Loving Restoration And All Star Cast

Release date: January 8, 2021 (Digital Rerelease)
Running time: 83 minutes
Starring: George Clooney, Laura Dern, Charlie Sheen, Louis Fletcher, John Rhys-Davies, Deborah Foreman, Steve Inwood, Dick Anthony Williams and Deborah Raffin
Director: André Szöts
Writers: Joan McCall, David Sheldon 

All hell breaks loose when a 15-ft grizzly bear, reacting to the slaughter of her cub by poachers, seeks revenge and kills anyone that gets in her way. In the 3 days before the major concert, the gigantic grizzly has brutally attacked campers, a poacher and a park ranger. The terror doesn’t end there as the giant grizzly bear finds its way to the concert grounds to go on a killing spree.

Grizzly II has received a restoration and digital re-release for 2021.  The restoration is actually really well done.  The film looks old, but it looks sharp with clean images and bright colors.  I could tell that the film is from the 80s, but it looked as good as any other restoration I have seen.  The filmmakers used clever splicing of modern nature footage into restored older film to add some beautiful scenery to this film as well.  It also lengthens what is already a pretty short film.  But what will draw you to this film is the all star cast that happened to be in it.  The film is a who's who of well known actors including the first appearances of George Clooney, Laura Dern, and Charlie Sheen.  They have a short but memorable scene in this film and seeing them in a 1983 movie was a treat!  They looked so young!  The film also has a large role from John Rhys-Davies as a grizzly hunter / trapper with an interest in Native American culture.  

But the film itself feels like an old 80s horror movie.  The effects are hit or miss and the bear itself is barely shown during the film.  It is only hinted at until the very end, much like other horror movies at the  time.  In many respects, this movie feels like a terrestrial Jaws, with a larger than life predator mercilessly killing without consequence.  And although there is a decent amount of build up, the final scene is too scattered and resolves itself too quickly.  And often the movie feels like it is a vehicle for a related concert that the grizzly rampages through.  The concert and performers have a lot of screen time and rehearsals are prominently shown before the big event.  And the film also has a few hitches here and there, like dialog that is just played over a person who is not speaking and effects that have different times spliced together for a sequence.  

But all that being said, seeing the loving restoration and the early appearances of many major stars is a treat.  The film itself is forgettable, but seeing these stars in their early roles is a definite draw.  Grizzly II receives a loving restoration for this campy horror film with an all-star cast and 80s horror effects.

Rent it.

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Grizzly II: Revenge is available digitally and on demand January 8, 2021.

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