All Rise...

Judge David Johnson has big feet. Size 14 bee-yatch!

Editor's Note

Our reviews of Bigfoot (2006) (published April 9th, 2010) and Bigfoot Terror Collection (published August 10th, 2006) are also available.

The Charge

Friendship can get a little hairy.

The Case

I've lost track of the number of Bigfoot movies I've seen over the years. Those were mostly horror movies. This one is the first family-friendly Sasquatch tale I've checked out since the iconic cinema classic Harry and the Hendersons. How does it stack up against that masterpiece? Really, how does anything measure up?

The answer, by the way, is "not well." But more on that later. Here's what awaits the sure-to-be-young-viewers of Bigfoot:

Percy Caldwell (Adam Raque) is kind of a dork, desperately in love with one of the most popular girls in school. How should he proceed? Maybe make her a mix tape? Write a thoughtful little poem? Have her fill out a "Do You Like Me? Circle Yes or No" questionnaire? Wrong. He's going to yammer on and on about meeting Bigfoot in the woods!

That's right, Percy has found himself a friend in Bigfoot, who had been forced out of his habitat because of a wildfire. The two manage to move past their differences, and forge a unique bond that only an adolescent boy and an eight foot tall hominid covered in hair can share. Together, they explore a friendship that involves a lot of goofy grinning, close encounters with a pair of mildly retarded hunters, and…well, that's about it.

But what have you done with your life recently?

That's your Sasquatch movie. In the crowded genre of kid-friendly fare, Bigfoot should appeal to the young'uns. Fire this up and let the images of a dopey kid giving high fives to a Wookiee transfix and delight them. As for you, well, that would be a good time to get some much-needed home repairs done. The flick is corny, witless, and doesn't make a whole lot of sense—why Percy didn't run screaming the second he saw Bigfoot or why Bigfoot didn't instantly decapitate the kid is a hard sell. The latter can be forgiven, as this is a dopey kids film, but a little effort in the script would have been appreciated. As it stands, Bigfoot is a generic boy-meets-freak-of-nature, can't-we-all-get-along cheesefest, something kids might dig, but adults will likely want to steer clear of.

The DVD is no-frills: a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, 5.1 surround, and no extras.

The Verdict

Guilty, because the movie's not very good, but the target audience won't suffer much.

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