“The jungle feeds on the blood of the invaders” is a line from the film Mandrake that pretty much sums up the story and gives you a clear idea of the tone of the movie you’d be sitting through for 90 minutes. If you’re a stoner and came across Mandrake on the tube, you might consider yourself pretty lucky to have the opportunity to view this made-for-TV thriller. But just to make things easy, I’m going to review this for those of you who are considering films to watch while sober and in a relatively normal state of mind. In that case, this movie is probably not for you, because it would be a masochistic act to watch it without being under the influence.
The story follows a group of archeologists, anthropologists and ex-military men who set out into the jungle of South America in search of a five hundred year-old bejeweled dagger. By removing the dagger from a tomb, they awaken a murderous plant creature (hence the title Mandrake, which is a plant) that was summoned by an ancient tribe centuries earlier to protect them from the invading Conquistadors. But once the Conquistadors were gone, the creature fed on the tribes people until they created a protective talisman made by joining a tribal warrior’s blade with the hilt of a Spanish dagger. And this altered weapon is what the modern day scavengers remove from its sacred spot in the process of stealing it, setting the feeding frenzy in motion. Some of the things to look forward to: tame blood and gore (still, there is a torso that gets ripped apart), C-grade special effects, campy acting, and again an actor delivering this line totally deadpan: “The jungle feeds on the blood of the invaders.”
But let me end this review on another note. There is an unofficial genre of unintentionally stupid-funny movies that even non-stoners can enjoy to some extent and Mandrake could be one of them. It all depends on your mood.
The film stars Max Martini, Betsy Russell, and Benito Martinez.
DVD Bonus Features
None
"Mandrake" is on sale April 12, 2011 and is not rated. Thriller. Directed by Tripp Reed. Written by David Ray and Tripp Reed. Starring Benito Martinez, Betsy Russell, Max Martini.
