Like countless other slasher-type films, the humans aren’t as easy to root for as the bloodthirsty antagonist(s) – especially considering that they’re perpetually unprepared, unaware, unobservant, and slow.

Fun monster trash.

_**Stuck on a remote Pacific island with mutated arachnids**_ An expedition from Guam investigates a remote island in the Pacific after a man dies of a fatal spider bite. Chris Potter plays the leader of the mission and Alex Reid the pilot. “Arachnid” (2001) is an island adventure/horror that basically mixes the setting of “Six Days Seven Nights” (1998) and the later “Welcome to the Jungle” (2013) with horror elements reminiscent of “The Fly” (1986), albeit not limited to the one-dimensional warehouse milieu of that flick. The CGI effects in the opening are too cartoony, but the practical effects throughout the rest of the movie are well done considering this isn’t a blockbuster (surprisingly, it only cost $570,000). While this is superior to the half-baked "In the Spider's Web" (2007), it’s not as good as “Arachnophobia” (1990). But I like the social dynamics of the castaways and the challenges of a hot jungle locale are palpable. Alex Reid is pretty good on the female front (I like her facial expressions). Spaniard Neus Asensi is also on hand as the attractive spitfire Susana. The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico, and Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. GRADE: B-

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