note: This is another review that I wrote many years ago for my old website. I'm still obsessed with the characters and the work from Preston and Child. Their books still are some of the best action/adventure/mystery stories going today.
Since I sat down to read The Relic when it first came out
years ago I’ve been a big fan of the work of the authors Preston and Child. Together
they have written some very entertaining and thrilling books. Really more than
once I’ve found myself watching the sun come up as I’ve spent a Friday or
Saturday night reading an entire novel in one sitting! While I didn’t read
Fever Dream in one sitting, I did enjoy the book immensely.
The story involves a recurring character named Special Agent
Pendergast, who has been the featured character in several of their novels. Here
we the reader are introduced to his wife, Helen, who I don’t think has ever
been mentioned before. Spoiler Alert:
After a brief flashback that introduces her and then shows her terrible death
the action moves to the present. Quite on accident Pendergast discovers
evidence that proves his wife was murdered and sets off with the help of his
old friend Detective D’Agosta (another reoccurring character) to track down who
is responsible for her elaborate murder. To accomplish this they must retrace
the last few years of Helen’s life, and while doing that they stir up a mystery
from the past. Before you know it there are assassins taking shots at them and
angry locals chasing them across the Bayou.
This is such a great book. The story is very engaging and an
excellent read. There is a fine balance between action and mystery. The plot
isn’t overly complicated but does offer a few unexpected twists and turns that
held my attention from the first page to the last. Though I will admit this is
the first of their novels that I figured out before the end it didn’t diminish
my enjoyment at all. Probably because I expected that I was wrong and was
pleasantly surprised when the big reveal came. By now the characters are very
familiar and well rounded, but even with that I love how each of the books that
feature the Pendergast character gives us just a bit more of his background and
family history. Here we get introduced to his life as a big game hunter and of
course his brief marriage and wife. The authors do a wonderful job weaving this
into the existing character without having to go back and “rewrite” history to
make it fit. I also really dig how the book resolves nicely all while setting
up a couple more plot lines that will need to be resolved in future works.
Really if you haven’t taken the time to read one of the
novels from Preston and Child you need to give one a try. I’ve been hooked
since their first book and can say without qualification that I’ve yet to be
disappointed by them. At least when the work together that is. Hell, my only
real complaint is that I’m dying to figure out what happens with the plot lines
they left dangling at the end of the book! Hurry up and get to writing damn it…
I
used to say that there weren’t any good horror movies in the nineties. Then I
started looking around and sure enough the decade was a heck of a lot better
than I thought it was. The Relic is one of those that I had seen and enjoyed
back then but had totally forgotten about. I haven’t watched it in ten or
fifteen years, so I think it is about time for a revisit.
The
action kicks off with a scientist named John Whitney photographing a native
ceremony in the jungles of Brazil. The locals seem nice enough and even offer
him the concoction they just created. He drinks it and is almost immediately
scared by a guy in a costume. This seems to mean something to Whitney but
doesn’t make much sense to the audience yet. Next, we see him desperately
trying to get his crates unloaded from a ship that is setting sail for home.
The captain informs him that isn’t possible, so he sneaks onboard. It is only
then that we see that the crates weren’t loaded after all.
Six
weeks later that ship is found drifting on Lake Michigan and is brought to
Chicago. There is evidence of violence with blood smeared around, but the crew
is missing. That is until they look in the bilge and find all their bodies. It
is here that we are introduced to Lt. Vincent D’Agosta, played by Tom Sizemore,
who is investigating the killings. A week later he is called again when another
body shows up at the Museum of Natural History. Similarities between the
killings on the boat and the body at the museum has D’Agosta connecting some
dots and investigating the staff. This includes Margo Green, played by another
nineties staple Penelope Ann Miller, a scientist working on DNA sequencing.
Eventually
the characters realize that a monster is running loose killing people to eat
their pituitary glands, which unfortunately means removing their heads. This
also coincides with the big gala event where all the movers and shakers of high
society show up for a fundraiser. Not only are people dying, but important
people at that! Monster shenanigans happen, mysteries are solved, and science
is done!
This
movie is a blast. The story is based on a book from Douglas Preston and Lincoln
Child, which I loved, and is a decent adaptation. Though it is ironic that The
Relic (book) introduced their most famous character Agent Aloysius Pendergast
who was cut out of The Relic (movie) in exchange for making D’Agosta the
central figure. While that is disappointing, I do think that the screenwriters
did capture the fun that was the monster running amok. And to be fair it wasn’t
for a few years that the Pendergast character really took off.
I love the creature design.
The
pacing is wonderful with the action slowing down long enough to dole out a few
tidbits of plot or to creep the audience out. The setting of the Museum at
night with the lights off is beautiful. The shadows and the way the exhibits
look in the dark brings a ton of atmosphere. This helps set the stage for what
happens later. This is a very atmospheric movie with a few scares tossed in
here and there to spice things up.
In
addition to Sizemore and Miller we also get some other familiar faces including
Linda Hunt and James Whitmore. Heck there is even an appearance from Audra
Lindley in her last movie role. You might not recognize her name but if you
watched reruns in the eighties you have seen her. This is a wonderful cast that
is given some decent material to work with. What else could you ask for? Well,
I’m glad that you asked that.
The
creature looks amazing and is brought to life with some latex and practical
effects work. Now there is some CGI, but it looks decent. Well except for the
very end when we see the creature running around on fire, that is sketchy. But
for the most part the work is fantastic. That shouldn’t be a surprise
considering it was done by one of my favorite monster makers Stan Winston. In
addition to the great creature effects work there are some decent kills and
other gory stuff. Multiple heads go flying and one unfortunate SWAT member gets
split in half. Like the creature these are “helped” with some CGI, but it isn’t
too bad. We do get tons of body parts after the fact that are handled with
latex appliances and look amazing. The best scene is when D’Agosta visits the
morgue to talk with the coroner.
Good
cast, great story, and a fun creature. This is the perfect monster movie. I’m
not sure why people, including myself, aren’t talking about The Relic more
often. I feel like if this had come out in the eighties it would be considered
a classic, but somehow the reputation of the nineties has hurt it. Regardless I
highly recommend everyone check out the Relic. I won’t be waiting that long to
watch it again.
