The Relic is one of those movies that no one ever talks about because it isn’t particularly that amazing and that’s sad. It may not be a masterpiece but I stand by it as being one of the more effective big budget monster movies of the 90s. It’s a simple premise, scientist goes to the Amazon, eats something weird, gets turn into a giant reptile that needs to eat people’s hypothalamus glands to stay alive and ends up in a Chicago Museum where it wreaks havoc during the gala opening of a new exhibit and feasts upon a buffet of 1%-ers. Who doesn't love that? The simplicity works in it’s favor and allows director Peter Hyams to stage an old fashioned atmospheric and tense monster movie.
Penelope Ann Miller (that actress who any kid who saw Carlito’s Way or The Shadow instantly developed a crush on) and Tom Sizemore (that guy who did a lot of coke with Heidi Fleiss) play the leads, something that would never happen today outside of a cheap movie on SyFy. Miller does what she can as Dr. Margo Green with the thin material her character is given but she handles the scary scenes quite well, displaying both a vulnerability and intelligence that is a welcome change from other similar roles. Sizemore brings a weathered quality to his Lt. D’Agosta, a guy who’s seen it all while also still believing in lucky charms. His character takes charge when the shit hits the proverbial fan and just gives what could have been a bland cop role a bit of a gruff Sizemore-like edge. Linda Hunt and James Whitmore add a bit of class to the proceedings. Whitmore especially is a favorite of mine. His mentor character to Miller’s protege is another role that could be pretty rote but he has a grandfatherly warmth to him that I can’t help but love.
Peter Hyam’s has always been criticized for his cinematography, he’s the rare director who is his own DoP, but I’ve always enjoyed his near pitch black compositions. He brings the image just to the brink of being totally dark but knows where to put his highlights to give you an idea of exactly what’s going on. This process works wonders in this film with shots being lit only by emergency lighting, flashlights and strobes. Hyams keeps the monster in the shadows for the majority of the movie and then slowly reveals it bit by bit. It’s not the most original monster but it’s movements have a lot of weight to it and, along with an interesting Stan Winston-created look that leans towards Predator but still works, it does pose a believable threat. It’s mostly a CGI creation but it tends to blend well with the exception of the finale. CG fire will never look good, people.
It’s a bit of a shame that the movie wasn’t a hit. It was based on a book and the D’Agosta character appears in the novel’s sequels. It would have been nice to have had a series of monster/supernatural movies starring Sizemore back then.
All in all, The Relic is a fun and simple monster movie that already has it’s fans but does deserve to be seen by more movie lovers. I revisit it every so often just because I think it moves pretty quickly and features more than it’s fair share of decapitations of rich white people. I’m a simple man with simple tastes.
