RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Skinwalkers
Skinwalkers

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Skinwalkers (2007)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
14 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:35

Fresh:5

Rotten:30

Average Rating:3.5/10

Consensus: Skinwalkers is an atrociously-acted project whose unoriginal and ineptly-staged action sequences remind viewers of far better werewolf and action movies.

Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: Though a statement at the opening of the film explains that the creatures of the title are, in Native American lore, people who have the ability to transform into various animals, SKINWALKERS... Though a statement at the opening of the film explains that the creatures of the title are, in Native American lore, people who have the ability to transform into various animals, SKINWALKERS focuses on two warring factions of werewolves. One is a family concentrated on protecting Timothy (Matthew Knight), a boy about to turn 13 who is the offspring of mortal Rachel (Rhona Mitra) and a Skinwalker. Timothy's family, led by kindly Uncle Jonas (Elias Koteas), chooses to avoid slaughtering innocents during full moons by restraining themselves in straps in the back of a beaten traveling camper. Their rival clan, captained by Varek (Jason Behr), lives with a leather-clad biker gang, riding from town to town and reveling in their bloodlust. When the clock strikes midnight on Timothy's birthday, he will be able to (in terms not explicitly spelled out) end the bloody reign of the Skinwalkers--but not if Varek and his gang can catch and kill Timothy before he officially becomes a teenager. SKINWALKERS focuses more on its action sequences than on the horror elements, but those seeking a good chase sequence will find plenty to enjoy in the film's second half. Director James Isaac (JASON X) gives the film a graphic novel-like visual style, with plenty of red tints and scenes of rising moons. Elias Koteas (CRASH, EXOTICA) seems to be having fun as a werewolf patriarch, but veteran Canadian supporting actress Barbara Gordon seems to be enjoying herself even more as a pistol-packing grandma. Stan Winston's creature designs resemble the man-beast creations from 1977's ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU more than they do Rick Baker or Rob Bottin's revisionist werewolves from AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and THE HOWLING, but they are effective nonetheless. [More]

Starring: Scott Anderson, Jason Behr, Lyriq Bent, Sarah Carter

Starring: Scott Anderson, Jason Behr, Lyriq Bent, Sarah Carter, Kim Coates, Barbara Gordon, Tom Jackson, Elias Koteas, Rhona Mitra, Matthew Knight

Director: James Isaac

Director: James Isaac
Screenwriter: James Roday, James DeMonaco, Todd Harthan
Producer: Don Carmody, Dennis Berardi
Composer: Andrew Lockington
Studio: Lions Gate Films

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Jason Behr
    >
    Stan Winston
    >
    Shawn Roberts
    >
  • Natassia Malthe
    >
1 - 4 of 5

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Skinwalkers

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

in the absence of tension, laughs, thrills, scares or anything like complexity, there is nothing here for viewers to sink their fangs into. The only real note of menace...is a hint at the end that there may be a sequel.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
09/22/08
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This Canadian-made action drama sparks an old-fashioned B-movie charge -- it's welcome to the grindhouse all over again.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
08/09/07
Frank Lovece
Frank Lovece
Film Journal International

One of the year's more pleasant surprises.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
08/17/07
Jim Hemphill
Jim Hemphill
Reel.com

The film may have suffered some bad buzz earlier on, but it's far better than most of the other werewolf offerings.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
08/17/07
Michael Szymanski
Michael Szymanski
Hollywood.com

Skinwalkers wears its B-movie badness on its sleeve like a badge of honor.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
08/13/07
Rob Humanick
Rob Humanick
Slant Magazine

A throwback to workmanlike '70s and '80s-era low-budget action thrillers.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
08/14/07
Steven Hyden
Steven Hyden
AV Club

What differentiates Skinwalkers from other bad werewolf movies is just how colossally bad it is: it makes Blood and Chocolate look like Ashes and Diamonds.

Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
08/10/07
Adam Nayman
Adam Nayman
eye WEEKLY

stinks like a mangy animal's fetid coat

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/27/07
Bill Gibron
Bill Gibron
Filmcritic.com

A hastily-edited-to-a-PG-13 werewolf movie, with acting so dreadful it makes Troll 2 look like a Mercury Theater production.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment 3 Comments
08/10/07
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
eFilmCritic.com

If lots and lots of shooting and wrassling and growling turns your crank, then you might have a good time with Skinwalkers; otherwise, it's a total snore.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
08/20/07
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

The only thing more boring than a vampire with moral issues about biting people in the neck is a werewolf who’d rather become fully human than howl at the moon once a month.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
08/10/07
Chuck Wilson
Chuck Wilson
L.A. Weekly

A werewolf movie without much bite.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
08/10/07
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

In Skinwalkers, there are two kinds of skinwalkers. Some see their bloodlust as a curse, and others, more colorfully, "embrace the power of the beast."

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
08/16/07
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

Why make a serious, no-holds-barred horror film about werewolves when you can make a PG-13 kiddie show free of all the elements an audience goes to see this kind of movie for?

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
08/10/07
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

You'll laugh and roll your eyes, but at least you won't be annoyed.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
08/10/07
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

A thoroughly undistinguished addition to a genre that probably reached its peak a quarter-century ago with An American Werewolf in London.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
08/10/07
Frank Scheck
Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A werewolf movie so bad it merits a silver bullet.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
08/11/07
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

Skinwalkers announces its irony-impaired comic-shop geek credentials from the beginning.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
08/10/07
Geoff Pevere
Geoff Pevere
Toronto Star

The problem with most werewolf movies isn't that they're derivative, but that they're badly written, badly acted, or just plain silly. Skinwalkers hits the trifecta: all three apply.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
08/11/07
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Viewers who make it through the dire early scenes may be surprised by the quality of the later ones.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
08/10/07
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson
Globe and Mail
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
all

Latest News for Skinwalkers

November 27, 2007: RT on DVD: A Warm Slice of Waitress, A Side of Futurama, Hold the Lindsay Lohan Career Killer
This week, navigate the minefields of the rotten (Mr. Bean's Holiday, Hot Rod) and the even worse (Lindsay Lohan's career-murdering I Know Who Killed Me) to pick up a genuine... More...

August 09, 2007: Critical Consensus: Rush Hour 3 Runs On Fumes; Stardust Shines; Daddy Day Camp Is Laugh-Free
This week at the movies, we've got wacky cops (Rush Hour 3, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker), fairy tales (Stardust, starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer), the... More...

August 09, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Chan and Tucker Back in Action
Another wide assortment of summer offerings will hit the multiplexes across North America this weekend. The action-comedy sequel Rush Hour 3 leads the way as the main course and... More...

August 08, 2007: Own Your Very Own Life-Size Skinwalker!
If you like werewolves and are looking for a conversation starter for your living room, you're in luck. After Dark Films is giving away one life-size Skinwalker creature,... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
21
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
159
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
56
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
71
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
49
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
49
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
45
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
42
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
40
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
38
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
30
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
26
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
22
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
22
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Skinwalkers at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Skinwalkers at IGN
  • Skinwalkers at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.