Mandrake DVD Movie Review
Mandrake DVD Movie Review
Directed by Tripp Reed. Starring Betsy Russell, J. La Rose, Benito Martinez, and Max Martini
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Mandrake is a root named so by witches of yore for its male-like shape. Mandrake the movie was named so by the SyFy Channel for its resemblance to all the excitement a turnip has to offer. Trying to jazz up this recipe for disaster by casting Benito Martinez (of The Shield series) and Betsy Russell (of the Saw film franchise) doesn't hurt — both are admirable deadpan in the face (and limbs) of this killer plant on the loose in the Amazon rain forest (Shreveport, LA., stands in). (Nope. Sadly, it's not an adaptation of Mandrake the Magician.)
Martinez plays Harry Vargas, a ruthless millionaire (is there any other kind in these things?) who's hellbent on retrieving a priceless artifact from the darkest jungles and will stop at nothing to get it. While the extraction team dives headfirst into the leaves, another group, those of the scientific sort, are also on a collision course with the mandrake monster (don't worry, no jolly greens were harmed in the making of this MOW; the veggie villain is all CG). I wish I could tell you more, but there is no more.
Mandrake is basically an hour and a half of actors running around a small, fake jungle and saying things like, "We must protect the environment!", "If it's got a heartbeat I can kill it," and "Who's out there?"
As tree monster movies go, Mandrake is a pretty bland one. Instead, I'd go for The Woods, The Ruins, and my personal favorite: The Green Man. Or… Wait for the Roger Corman SyFy Channel movie about a half-human / half-duck creature out to kill (with its bill, natch!).
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson