The Rats (2002) from Johnny Web (Uncle Scoopy; Greg Wroblewski)

This "nature gone wrong" film had some potential.

No matter where you are in New York City, there is a rat within five feet. The creature threat here consists of those millions of rats lurking just behind the walls, just beneath the floors, teeming through the subway tunnels, sewers and cellars of New York City. What if that immense population of hungry, rabid rodents suddenly became unmanageable?

NUDITY REPORT
Kim Poirier is topless in the opening scene - she's trying on clothing in the dressing room of a posh New York department
The film is full of creepy scenes of people walking through the forgotten and abandoned spaces of a large old city, with rats watching them, sometimes attacking them. About half of this film is really eerie.
The other half is surreal and silly-looking. Example. A janitor who loves rats suddenly turns on one who bites him. The rest of the rats cease to be docile and attack him. The janitor then throws himself around his basement living space while wearing a suit covered with plastic rats - all of this to simulate the rat attack. 

The Critics Vote

  • filmcritic.com 1/5

 

The People Vote ...

  • debuted on cable
IMDb guideline: 7.5 usually indicates a level of excellence, about like three and a half stars from the critics. 6.0 usually indicates lukewarm watchability, about like two and a half stars from the critics. The fives are generally not worthwhile unless they are really your kind of material, about like two stars from the critics. Films under five are generally awful even if you like that kind of film, equivalent to about one and a half stars from the critics or less, depending on just how far below five the rating is.

My own guideline: A means the movie is so good it will appeal to you even if you hate the genre. B means the movie is not good enough to win you over if you hate the genre, but is good enough to do so if you have an open mind about this type of film. C means it will only appeal to genre addicts, and has no crossover appeal. D means you'll hate it even if you like the genre. E means that you'll hate it even if you love the genre. F means that the film is not only unappealing across-the-board, but technically inept as well.

Based on this description, C-. It had its creepy, scary moments, but it also was - can you say this about a rat movie - "cheesy"

Return to the Movie House home page