Eric Mabius and Eddie Kay Thomas in "Nature of the Beast"
courtesy of ABC Family Channel
"Nature of the Beast" (ABC Family)

What would October be without a new werewolf movie! Just so we don't have to find out the ABC Family Channel is offering us "Nature of the Beast," a werewolf comedy starring Eddie Kay Thomas, Autumn Reeser and Eric Mabius. If you can explain away the different uses of profanity and the sexual innuendoes, then you might be able to let your kids enjoy it. They are the ones for whom this "family" movie seems to be intended.

Rich (Thomas) and Julia (Reeser) are engaged. Rich seems like the down to earth type but every month he goes away to a cabin in the woods to work on his doctoral thesis. He generally only stays gone a night or so. Julia doesn't think this is too unusual, but viewers soon learn he turns into a werewolf once a month when the moon is full.

Rich is not a happy werewolf. He wants to be free of the curse. Maybe with the love and help of his fiancée, and a chance to kill the person who caused him to be cursed, he will be hairless and happy again.

Thomas is a little difficult to take in the lead role. He is so off-putting in his portrayal of the clueless Rich that you can't root too strongly for him. His lifeless demeanor is in stark contrast to the exuberant Julia as played by Reeser. Opposites may attract but this is ridiculous. Reeser keeps her energy level up for the length of the entire movie while Kay is a downer from start to finish.

Eric Mabius is seen as an old (and I do mean old) college buddy of Rich's named Donovan. Mabius plays this guy in a very serious way, never seeming to realize he is in a comedy. His attitude is in contrast to that of everyone else.

The dialogue of the film is interspersed with profanity, and the sexual relationship between the couple is addressed many times. That is a shame because younger kids are the ones who would embrace this movie, silliness and all. If this cable channel is going to call itself a "family network" then it needs to clean up its act as to content. 

"Nature of the Beast" premieres Sunday, October 21 at 8PM on the ABC Family Channel.
 

 

 

 

 

©2007 Jackie K. Cooper

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