Octopus 2: River of Fear Reviews

This maritime horror flick never really tightens its rather rubbery tentacles around its target audience. New York City scuba cops Nick (Michael Reilly Burke) and Walter (Fredric Lane) investigate the disappearance of two inebriated tourists, who encountered an octo-beast at the South Street Seaport. Walter becomes yet another midnight snack for the beast, but Nick's chief doesn't buy his fish story about the briny attacker that took his partner. Even after the creature chows down on a tugboat crew, the only person who takes Nick seriously is the Mayor's public relations attache, Rachel Starbird (Meredith Morton), who he rescued from the behemoth. Unfortunately, Independence Day festivities scheduled to bring 20,000 boats will into New York harbor loom large, and the craven Mayor (Duncan Fraser) decides public safety isn't worth canceling planned events; he's willing to gamble that the octopus won't be feeling peckish that day. While Nick tries to pinpoint the monster's whereabouts, Rachel plays tour guide to a busload of visiting children. The hungry octopus smacks a bridge and causes a tunnel collapse that traps Rachel and the children in what could develop into a watery grave. Can Nick and his new partner, Tony (John Thaddeus), spearhead a tricky rescue before the tentacled menace starts picking off kiddies one by one? A few of the octopus's sneak attacks merit attention, but overall this monster this is clumsy and builds to a two-pronged climax that will please neither disaster movie lovers or creature feature buffs.