Grizzly (1976)

Grizzly (PG)

"Grin and Bear it"

In this goofy above ground-Jaws ripoff set in an unnamed National Park, a mysterious Grizzly starts eating nubile, barely-clothed women, attracting the attention of the Chief Ranger and resident Marlboro man, who must track down and stop it's murderous rampage.  Highly derivative of Jaws (his boss won't close the park!  they need to hire an expert to track him!  there a natural scientist on the crew!) done on the way cheap, Grizzly is a matted burr filled pelt with little intrinsic value.  The main actors are mostly TV veterans from a bygone era, the extras are obviously amateur hour.  They tease the bear ala the shark by only showing fur wrapped claws for the first half, and when they do show the lumbering fuzzy wuzzy later the color of it's fur often varies from shot to shot!  There is some fake blood, disregard for life & limb and man vs nature (and his boss) drama, but its oddly underwhelming forests, smallness of scope, inappropriately scored soundtrack, flashes of exploitation and hunters constantly discarding their firearms frustrate like a 10 mile uphill hike to nowhere.  This gas guzzling Grizzly should have hibernated this one out.

3 Park Rangers with a Bazooka out of 10 (BAD)