Critters 4
Encyclopedia
Critters 4 is a 1992 science fiction
comedy
horror film
starring Don Keith Opper
, Terrence Mann
, Angela Bassett
and Brad Dourif
. It was directed by Rupert Harvey and written by Harvey, Barry Opper, Joseph Lyle and David J. Schow
. It is the fourth and seemingly final film in the Critters series
. Unlike the first three films, this installment takes place not on earth but on a future space station.
, Charlie McFadden places the last two remaining Crite eggs inside the preservation capsule as instructed by Ug. Charlie is somehow also locked inside and sent into space, where he remains in hibernation until a salvage ship finds the pod in the year 2045.
The crew (which includes Captain Rick, Fran, Bernie, Al Bert, Dr. McCormick and young Ethan) reluctantly report the discovery to the Terracorp Council, upon discovering their old logo on the side of the pod. They then go to an abandoned Terracorp station to await the arrival of the council. The station is actually on its last legs and will blow up within a month or so. Furthermore, the station is controlled by a computer called Angela, which only takes orders if given the opposite instruction: working on the flawed logic that the crew are not authorised to have access and it should do the opposite of what they command.
A selfish Rick however decides to open the pod early, freeing Charlie but also letting loose two young Crites which kill Rick and escape, while the crew constantly bicker about where to go from there. After a close call in a waste disposal unit, Charlie and Ethan are rescued by Bernie. Charlie learns from the others that he is no longer in 1992, and that everybody he knew on earth is now dead. Ethan finds a lab coat containing a keycard. But just like Rick earlier, Bernie strays from the group, takes the keycard with him and is then killed by the now adult Critters inside a pharmacy room. Dr.McCormick tries to stop the Critter but is killed herself.
Following an attack from a lone Crite, Charlie carelessly uses an antique gun to kill it, but ends up deactivating the ship with only one bullet remaining. From then on, the crew are sitting ducks. Ethan then dashes off to search for the remaining Crite, shouting at Al Bert. Terracorp arrives shortly thereafter, but they are not there to negotiate payment. They simply want the Crite eggs returned to them. Ug, now a corrupt businessman going by the name Counselor Tetra, kills an uncooperative Al Bert, and threatens to kill Fran next unless the eggs are returned.
Charlie is upset, barely accepting that his old friend has now become a traitorous villain. Tetra sends his guards to find the Crites, but the nuclear reactor begins a 10 minute self-destruction sequence. Ethan lures the guards into a room full of genetically altered Critters, which kill the guards. After killing the lead Crite, Ethan is threatened by Tetra at gunpoint. Charlie re-appears and shoots his former friend without any hesitation. With the Critters now extinct, Charlie, Ethan and Fran take Ug/Tetra's ship and begin their delayed flight back to Earth.
In 2003, New Line Home Entertainment
released the film on DVD. The film was re-released in a set containing all 4 Critters
films on DVD by Warner Bros.
in 2010.
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
comedy
Comedy horror
Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary and film genre, combining elements of comedy and horror fiction. The comedy horror genre almost always inevitably crosses over with the black comedy genre; and in some respects could be considered a subset of it.The short story "The Legend...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
starring Don Keith Opper
Don Keith Opper
Don Keith Opper is an American actor, writer, and producer who has starred in film and on television. He is known for his role as Charlie McFadden in the 1986 science fiction film Critters and all 3 of the sequels. His most recent film is in the 1998 film Where's Marlowe?...
, Terrence Mann
Terrence Mann
Terrence Vaughan Mann is an American actor, director, singer, songwriter and dancer who has been prominent on the Broadway stage for the past three decades...
, Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
and Brad Dourif
Brad Dourif
Bradford Claude "Brad" Dourif is an American film and television actor who gained early fame for his portrayal of Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and has since appeared in a number of memorable roles, including the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play franchise, Younger Brother in...
. It was directed by Rupert Harvey and written by Harvey, Barry Opper, Joseph Lyle and David J. Schow
David J. Schow
David J. Schow is an American author of horror novels, short stories, and screenplays. His credits include films such as The Crow and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Most of Schow's work falls into the sub-genre splatterpunk, a term he is sometimes credited with coining...
. It is the fourth and seemingly final film in the Critters series
Critters (film series)
The Critters film series, from New Line Cinema, comprises four movies that combine elements of horror, science fiction and comedy. The first film, called simply Critters, was released in 1986 and received "two thumbs up" from Siskel and Ebert....
. Unlike the first three films, this installment takes place not on earth but on a future space station.
Plot
Taking place almost exactly after Critters 3Critters 3
Critters 3 is a 1991 sci-fi comedy horror film directed by Kristine Peterson. It is the third installment of the Critters series. It was shot back-to-back with its sequel, Critters 4. Unlike the first two movies, it does not take place in the town of Grover's Bend...
, Charlie McFadden places the last two remaining Crite eggs inside the preservation capsule as instructed by Ug. Charlie is somehow also locked inside and sent into space, where he remains in hibernation until a salvage ship finds the pod in the year 2045.
The crew (which includes Captain Rick, Fran, Bernie, Al Bert, Dr. McCormick and young Ethan) reluctantly report the discovery to the Terracorp Council, upon discovering their old logo on the side of the pod. They then go to an abandoned Terracorp station to await the arrival of the council. The station is actually on its last legs and will blow up within a month or so. Furthermore, the station is controlled by a computer called Angela, which only takes orders if given the opposite instruction: working on the flawed logic that the crew are not authorised to have access and it should do the opposite of what they command.
A selfish Rick however decides to open the pod early, freeing Charlie but also letting loose two young Crites which kill Rick and escape, while the crew constantly bicker about where to go from there. After a close call in a waste disposal unit, Charlie and Ethan are rescued by Bernie. Charlie learns from the others that he is no longer in 1992, and that everybody he knew on earth is now dead. Ethan finds a lab coat containing a keycard. But just like Rick earlier, Bernie strays from the group, takes the keycard with him and is then killed by the now adult Critters inside a pharmacy room. Dr.McCormick tries to stop the Critter but is killed herself.
Following an attack from a lone Crite, Charlie carelessly uses an antique gun to kill it, but ends up deactivating the ship with only one bullet remaining. From then on, the crew are sitting ducks. Ethan then dashes off to search for the remaining Crite, shouting at Al Bert. Terracorp arrives shortly thereafter, but they are not there to negotiate payment. They simply want the Crite eggs returned to them. Ug, now a corrupt businessman going by the name Counselor Tetra, kills an uncooperative Al Bert, and threatens to kill Fran next unless the eggs are returned.
Charlie is upset, barely accepting that his old friend has now become a traitorous villain. Tetra sends his guards to find the Crites, but the nuclear reactor begins a 10 minute self-destruction sequence. Ethan lures the guards into a room full of genetically altered Critters, which kill the guards. After killing the lead Crite, Ethan is threatened by Tetra at gunpoint. Charlie re-appears and shoots his former friend without any hesitation. With the Critters now extinct, Charlie, Ethan and Fran take Ug/Tetra's ship and begin their delayed flight back to Earth.
Cast
- Don Keith OpperDon Keith OpperDon Keith Opper is an American actor, writer, and producer who has starred in film and on television. He is known for his role as Charlie McFadden in the 1986 science fiction film Critters and all 3 of the sequels. His most recent film is in the 1998 film Where's Marlowe?...
as Charlie McFadden - Terrence MannTerrence MannTerrence Vaughan Mann is an American actor, director, singer, songwriter and dancer who has been prominent on the Broadway stage for the past three decades...
as Ug/Counselor Tetra - Angela BassettAngela BassettAngela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
as Fran - Brad DourifBrad DourifBradford Claude "Brad" Dourif is an American film and television actor who gained early fame for his portrayal of Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and has since appeared in a number of memorable roles, including the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play franchise, Younger Brother in...
as Al Bert - Anne RamsayAnne RamsayAnne Elizabeth Ramsay is an American actress best known for her role as Lisa Stemple on Mad About You, for which she shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Ensemble in a Comedy series.- Early life :...
as Dr. McCormick - Paul Whitthorne as Ethan
- Anders HoveAnders HoveAnders Hove was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.He was born in Fåberg.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from the Market towns of Hedmark and Oppland counties in 1945, and was re-elected on two occasions.Hove held various positions in Lillehammer city council, and served as...
as Rick - Eric DaRe as Bernie
- Martine BeswickMartine BeswickMartine Beswick is an English actress and model, best known for her roles in two James Bond films.-Biography:Beswick was born on 26 September 1941 in Port Antonio, Jamaica to English parents....
as the voice of Angela
Release
The film was released direct to video in the US by New Line Home Video in October 1992.In 2003, New Line Home Entertainment
New Line Home Entertainment
New Line Home Entertainment is the home entertainment distribution arm of New Line Cinema, founded in 1990. According to New Line's website, Misery was the first New Line Home Video release....
released the film on DVD. The film was re-released in a set containing all 4 Critters
Critters (film series)
The Critters film series, from New Line Cinema, comprises four movies that combine elements of horror, science fiction and comedy. The first film, called simply Critters, was released in 1986 and received "two thumbs up" from Siskel and Ebert....
films on DVD by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
in 2010.