Tremors 4 - Agli inizi della leggenda

Nevada 1889,a mining village called Rejection are happening mysterious events in the mine where die seventeen miners.There live a small group people(a habitual of native roles August Schellemberg,Sara Bostford,J.E Freeman, among others Chinese actors).Then comes Hiram Gummer(Burt's ancestor)played by the usual series Michael Gross.In the desolate plateau where are roaming a beasts,he arrives in the stage line and he brings a lot of luggage and a cycle.Later is hired a famous gunfighter called Black Hand Kelly(Billy Drago)to chase the strange creatures with three tongues.Then they confront against the West's most fearsome predator that savagely stalking its prey,the human group.The large wormlike burrow around in the underground looking for the human food.This time,Gummer will use a large rifle and a steam machine for battling the dreadful giant bugs called Graboids in an epic final fighting...And ultimately the town's name is changed by ¨Perfection¨.

It's an OK and entertaining juvenile entry of the series,is remarkable for FX recreating of the carnivorous and ferocious beasts developing a bloodthirsty hunger for men eating.The giant worms delivers the goods with hair-raising chills,screams,grisly horror when they spontaneously appear.The essential characteristics from the series are the following : A remote plateau in a desert location called Perfection, a solitary misfit group fighting against the astonishment monsters called Graboids and of course the Michael Gross presence as Gummer,besides all are produced by Brent Maddock,Nancy Roberts and SS Wilson.The best is the original directed by Ron Underwood(Fred Ward ,Kevin Bacon),it's followed by inferior sequels aimed to video market :¨Aftershock¨ directed by S.S Wilson (also with Fred Ward and Helen Shaver),¨III Back to Perfection¨ directed by Brent Maddock(Charlotte Stewart,Ariana Richards) and Television series with Gladys Jimenez,Victor Browne,Marcia Strassman and as always Michael Gross.

I have been a huge Tremors fan ever since the movie first hit theaters. While the majority of people discovered the original gem on video, I have been a fan since day one. But I don't fault video. It is video that has made this franchise thrive in a way that it never could have as a series of theatrical films. In the theater you would've gotten more of the same, but with a bigger budget, possibly different filmmakers, and a great loss of originality. But with the modest budget allowed by video, you keep the original creators who probably do not command a huge salary, therefore you have gotten a series of films treated with a great deal of TLC. Also by not having a huge budget, the filmmakers are forced to use their creativity in their storytelling rather than let their production values tell the story for them. (Are you listening George Lucas?) Now as for the previous films, I've already mentioned how I regard the original. Tremors 2 is probably the best direct to video sequel ever made. It showed the filmmakers intentions on giving you what you paid to see, plus things you didn't expect at all. Tremors 3 was only a disappointment in that they seemed to lose track of humor and character, and relied too heavily on CG effects. (Lucas Syndrome) Still Tremors 3 was fun, inventive, and exciting. Now we have Tremors 4, and I have to admit I was very skeptical. Right now Tremors the tv series airs on SciFi channel, and while it remains fun, it suffers due to having to shorten it's stories to 45 minutes. So with that going on I thought cranking out another video sequel might end up fouling the nest. NOT SO! Tremors 4 is not only a total surprise, but it redeems the missteps of number 3. Two of the three biggest redeeming qualities are a return to character driven story, and the use of puppets and animatronics in favor of CG heavy effects. Let's face it, the puppets look more real. The third biggest plus to this film is making it a prequel. The filmmakers had run the course of the Graboids life except for showing them at their birth stage. And what better way to show that than to show how they were first discovered over 100 years ago. It's like reinventing the creatures and the franchise in one swoop. Bravo Tremors team! Now what can I say about Michael Gross? Most people thought the Tremors series would be nothing without Kevin Bacon. At least Tremors 2 had the other leading actor, Fred Ward. For the first 2 films, Michael's character Burt, had been a supporting character. But even so, I think he's been most peoples favorite from the get go. Burt's over the top preparedness always had everyone cheering. Will anyone ever forget the first time they saw the gun wall in Burt's basement in the first film? I know I won't. But here, Michael is playing Burt great grandfather Hiram Gummer. And he couldn't be more different from Burt. A pampered aristocrat, Hiram has never even handled a gun. But Michael plays him with good cheer and throughout the course of the movie you see him gradually become the precursor the government hating soldier of fortune we will know as Burt. So in the end, great action, great characters, great story, great effects!. Bring on Tremors 5!!!!!!!

Tremors 4: The Legend Begins is a prequel to the other Tremors films and the TV series.

I find the experience of watching this film to be a pleasant one. It has humour and mild threat, with some tense scenes. I certainly think this is a better entry to the franchise that Tremors 3: Back to Perfection, and far superior than the latest, Tremors 5: Bloodlines.

The Graboids are back to basics with almost no CGI, and they are convincing creations.

It features real characters who are portrayed well by the cast, and sheds an interesting light on the origins of Burt Gummer through the exploits of Hiram Gummer, both played by Tremors veteran Michael Gross.

This is a good watch; the story is well told, the monsters are fun to watch, the characters are likable, there's some effective moments of tension and traditional Tremors humour. Good film.

My Take: The best of the straight-to-video TREMORS sequels.

Next to the original, this third sequel is one of the best. It's wonderfully packed with laughs, outrageous B-monster movie horror and a western flavor. The results are great. Michael Gross returns for this sequel, playing Burt's great-grandfather Hiram Gummer, who goes to the town of Rejection to investigate the death of miners in his priceless gold mine. But when he discovers that it has been enslaved by hungry graboids, he must lead the town to fight the beasts and save Rejection.

The film is a "prequel" to the original, and it's very faithful to the original "Tremors". Showing how it happened and who are the characters. The creature effects have improved from the previous sequel and Jay Ferguson's music is interesting, appropriate to the film's western atmosphere. And, oh yeah! I forgot about Billy Drago. He stars here, giving the weird performance he once applied in Brian De Palma's "The Untouchables" and in the films by Cannon Films co. which he mostly starred in.

I really enjoyed this sequel, my line up for the series:

1. "Tremors" 2. "Tremors 4: The Legend Begins" 3. "Tremors 2: Aftershocks" 4. "Tremors 3: Back to Perfection

TV movie rating: *** out of 5.

If you're looking for entertainment..no more, no less - this little gem delivers! By far the best sequel (arguable order of merit for the series would be 1,4, 2 and 3) this is Michael Gross's film in totality. He has made the franchise his own and comes full circle playing his own Great Grandfather. It is a measured and emotional performance. As mine-owner Hiram Gummer he comes to Rejection" (as the backwoods township was known) to find out what has been killing the miners. What he discovers is completely outside his somewhat wimpy comfort-zone.

Very much a return to the original in terms of characters...and even special effects which rely thankfully here, far less on laughable CGI. What might be seen as scaled-down excitement is more than compensated for with absolutely knock-out performances - Drago and Gross especially.

All four films have an easy-on-the-eye laid back feel, principally because the production teams has remained intact throughout. Four excellent movies without sex, gratuitous violence and a solitary screen cussing in fifteen years. Not that Gross looks any older now than he did in 1989/1990.

Very faithful to the earlier films and fully explanatory of how it all came about. Mention should also be made of Jay Ferguson's great musical score - the best of the four films.

Best scripted, photographed and acted straight-to-video film I have yet seen and certainly was deserving of a theatrical release.