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Penelope Ann Miller, Tom Sizemore, Linda Hunt, James Whitmore, Clayton Rohner ... see more see more... , Chi-Muoi Lo , Robert Lesser , Tommy Ryan , Lewis Van Bergen , Kent George

A mythological creature stalks the halls of a museum during a society fundraiser in this cheap sci-fi horror genre knock-off of Alien (1979). Penelope Ann Miller stars as Dr. Margo Green, an evolution... read more read more...ary biologist at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History who receives a shipment of artifacts from a colleague performing fieldwork in Brazil. Among the contents are leaves containing a rare fungus that, unbeknownst to Green or anyone else, attracts the palate of a rapidly mutating, lizard-like monster called Kothoga that has stowed away on a Brazilian freighter and has found a subterranean route into the museum from Lake Michigan. Before long, several museum employees have become decapitated snack food for the beast, which prefers to dine on human hypothalamuses and pituitary glands. Despite dire warnings from the museum staff, a gruff coroner (Audra Lindley) and the investigating detective, Lt. Vincent D'Agosta (Tom Sizemore), the Windy City's oblivious mayor orders a black-tie museum fundraiser to proceed. During the event, the building's high-tech security system locks Green, D'Agosta, the mayor, and many chi-chi party guests in with the hungry animal, forcing everyone to attempt an escape through an underground waterway with which Kothoga is all too familiar. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Flixster Users

36% liked it

25,956 ratings

Critics

32% liked it

28 critics

R, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Peter Hyams

Release Date: January 10, 1997

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DVD Release Date: April 20, 1999

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Stats: 724 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (724)

  • kenstachnik
    December 21, 2010
    kenstachnik
    The aboslute, complete, middle of the road, starring that chick you cast when you can't get Renee Russo
  • FiLmCrAzY
    July 13, 2010
    FiLmCrAzY
    this is probably the worst movie ive seen in ages, preictable, boring and a stupidly unbelieveable storyline!
    this movie seriously isnt worth the watch!
  • ironclad1609
    May 17, 2010
    ironclad1609
    Very decent monster horror thriller that makes the best of its rather silly premise and takes it to a really atmospheric museum exhibition. That's highly entertaining, sometimes even pretty exciting. Of course the tension is bigger for as long as you don't see the monster, but co... read morensidering its age, the CGI creature still looks pretty great today. Night at the Museum for adults, it you will.
  • deano
    November 5, 2008
    deano
    Two thumbs up for a cool mythical beast prowls among the exhibits in this sci-fi/thriller film. Would I call it's an Alien in a museum. Heh!
  • 76Majikat
    February 11, 2008
    76Majikat
    After a promising start, this film became dull and in the hope that the storyline would get better I carried on watching until I got so bored I had to switch it off.
  • puffchunk
    January 3, 2008
    puffchunk
    Pretty terrible.
  • thmtsang
    August 30, 2007
    thmtsang
    Horror flick about a monster that terrorises Chicago's Natural Histroy Museum.
  • Deano78
    June 11, 2007
    Deano78
    A very enjoyable horror as an ancient creature turns up at the Natural History Museum and runs amok. Quite gory and good SFX as well.
  • nuheart
    January 18, 2007
    nuheart
    Seemed like a low-rent X-Files to me.
  • garyX
    December 7, 2006
    garyX
    Reasonably well shot, reasonably well acted, reasonable effects but it's all been done so much better already. A decent enough creature feature, worth watching if you've seen Alien one too many times already...

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Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy
December 23, 2006
Emanuel Levy, Variety

Though based on an original and respected novel, Hyams' horror thriller comes across as a pastiche of the genre's conventions as evident in major pictures of the past two decades, such as Jaws and the... Full Review

Susan Wloszczyna
January 1, 2000
Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today

Gore seekers need only to know the body count is high and the scares are cheap as director Peter Hyams shares his beast's repellent disregard for human life.

Jeffrey M. Anderson
April 16, 2010
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

The story comes from a million other movies (mainly Jaws and Alien), and it's completely and totally predictable. Full Review

Scott Weinberg
April 6, 2010
Scott Weinberg, FEARnet

A slick, witty, and unexpectedly effective little genre throwback. Full Review

Chuck O'Leary
October 8, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

A terrific monster movie with an edge. A bloody good time.

Rob Thomas
January 9, 2004
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)

Gory as heck, but still well-crafted monster movie fun.

Alex Sandell
November 5, 2003
Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum

Monster runs through museum. Audience gets bored.

Michael Dequina
January 1, 2000
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com

Miller turns every scene that requires the slightest display of emotion into an overblown Oscar clip, complete with piercing wails and glycerine tears. Full Review

Stephen Holden
August 30, 2004
Stephen Holden, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Richard Harrington
January 22, 2002
Richard Harrington, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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The Relic Trivia

  • I've played a super-smooth spy, a Chicago cop, a king, a member of the SAS imprisoned in California, an outlawed people's champion and been obsessed with finding a holy relic - who am I?   Answer »
  • Which monster movie stars Penelope ann miller, Tom sizemore and Linda hunt?  Answer »
  • In the series Relic Hunter, what nationality is her assistant, Nigel?  Answer »
  • A spoof of the legends of King Arthur and his knights in which 6 very silly Englishmen go looking for a famous relic.  Answer »
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