The Invisible Raptor
Indie creature feature's a real keeper.
Film Yap is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
You should know what you’re getting into when watching a movie entitled “The Invisible Raptor” (available in select theaters and on VOD beginning Friday, Dec. 6). It ain’t high art, but it’s a fun exercise in dumb-smart.
Dr. Grant Walker (Mike Capes) is a down-on-his-luck paleontologist slumming it at the prehistorically-themed theme park DinoWorld. Sure, he gets to teach kids like Elliot Kintner (Luke Speakman) about dinosaurs, but he also has to do embarrassing rap and dance numbers alongside costumed mascot/janitor/security guard Deniel ‘Denny’ Denielson (David Shackelford), a jack of all trades and a master of none. On hand to witness one such display is Grant’s ex-girlfriend Amber (Caitlin McHugh, Mrs. John Stamos).
Grant is pulled out of his funk and into action when our titular, translucent raptor escapes from a top secret government laboratory and begins wreaking havoc on the sleepy community of Spielberg County. Aiding Grant in his pursuit are Denny, Amber and crotchety chicken farmer Henrietta McCluckskey (Sandy Martin, Mac’s Mom from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”).
“The Invisible Raptor” is directed by United States Air Force veteran Mike Hermosa and scripted by Capes and Johnny Wickham (he was Eli Manning’s backup quarterback at Ole Miss and a fixture at Nerdist through the 2010s). The movie is chockablock with pop culture references and serves as a love letter to the films of Steven Spielberg, which is like catnip for this devotee of The Beard. Vanessa Chester, who played Jeff Goldblum’s daughter in Spielberg’s “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” even turns up as a DJ at a house party. Nods to the pictures of famous supporting players also pop up, i.e. Sean Astin and “Encino Man” or Richard Riehle and “Office Space.”
“The Invisible Raptor” has absolutely no business being almost two hours long and would probably play better at 90 minutes, but I must admit I was never bored. It’s creative, fun, funny and gory. It’s like a best case scenario of what a Syfy original movie should be. Dogs aren’t safe. Kids aren’t safe. There are dick, fart and poop jokes aplenty. I only watched it once. I wish I watched it twice. I can’t wait to get a copy on physical media and show it to friends over pizza and beer. It’s that kinda flick. It’s also markedly better than “The VelociPastor,” but please keep in mind I’m not a religious man.