by Daniel Stephens

Created on: February 01, 2009   Last Updated: February 27, 2009

Penelope Ann Miller stars as an evolutionary biologist who, after her colleague goes missing when on the hunt for a mysterious mythical creature named the 'Kothoga', finds herself at the center of a murder investigation, of which the killer in question decapitates its victims. With a boat from South America found with the entire crew dead, and then the security guard at Chicago's 'Natural History Museum', where Miller's character works, found headless in the toilets, the police besiege the building in search of their killer. However, with the museum's new exhibit opening that very night; something the mayor of the city is looking forward to, not even the head of the investigation, played by Tom Sizemore has the power to prevent it, and soon enough, when the doors have closed, several dozen smiling faces become several dozen helpless victims.

Director Peter Hyams attempts to bring some originality to the horror genre by placing a number of people in a building they cannot escape from without going through very dark tunnels, through basements and along air shafts. The interesting thing he brings to the genre here is by introducing a killer, who stalks the people in the building, offing as many as it possibly can in more and more elaborate ways. The major problem he is faced with is, by making a film of this genre, the only way he could make it original is through its subject matter. However, what we are presented with is a rehash of better films, written by better writers and directed by better directors. The first film that comes to my mind is Alien, and if only Hyams had paid more attention to Ridley Scott's techniques, we might have been in for a much improved film.

The Relic starts off okay, with some interesting if convoluted exposition, and some tension filled sequences involving 'the security guard who investigates the noise', and a pair of kids who get lost in the basement. Add in some scientific gibberish that makes little to no sense, and you are sucked in; out of the science loop the audience goes, making us keenly listen to every detail that doesn't require a 'P.H.D' in biology to understand. Hyams keeps things dark and quiet, slowly building the suspense, which works well, but it is unfortunate he didn't employ the same technique for the second half of the picture.

As soon as the 'killer' is unveiled, or should I say, as soon as 'Godzilla' rears its evil head in front of the camera, all suspense and tension is lost. Character's scream, run and die,

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