Movie Review: Black Sheep

FILM REVIEW: BLACK SHEEP

By Michael Phillips

Tribune Movie Critic

2 stars

From New Zealand comes a wee comic beastie called "Black Sheep," about genetically engineered lambs leading countless humans to slaughter. Writer-director Jonathan King is willing to try anything in pursuit of sustaining his experiment in camp terror, which is part of the problem. One minute we're meant to be "scared" of the marauding, flesh-tearing killer sheep; the next we're getting shots of one of the woolly four-legged crazies driving a truck. I'm sorry, but if I'm going to a killer-sheep lark, I'm going to need some internal comic consistency.

On a farm near Wellington, a pair of fervent environmental activists free one of the lab sheep, thus causing a daisy chain of entrails-nibbling trouble. King's narrative pits the farm's current, insidious manager (Peter Feeney) against his quivering brother (Nathan Meister), the victim of a sheep-related practical joke when he was young. Most of the jokes can be heard thundering in from a mile off. "The sheep are revolting!" goes one setup; a nickel to anyone who can't guess the rejoinder.

I did like seeing the (fakey-looking) sheep take flying neck-high leaps at various human throats, in scenes recalling the killer rabbit in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." And I enjoyed the Kiwi dialects. And I suspect King's next film will be better.

"Black Sheep"

Written and directed by Jonathan King; photographed by Richard Bluck; edited by Chris Plummer; music by Victoria Kelly; production design by Kim Sinclair; produced by Philippa Campbell. An IFC First Take release. Running time: 1:27. No MPAA rating (violence and language).

Henry - Nathan Meister

Angus - Peter Feeney

Tucker - Tammy Davis

Experience - Danielle Mason