best movie i've ever seen.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

"Of Unknown Origin" is an interesting item on the resume of the late director George P. Cosmatos. Better known for features such as "Rambo: First Blood Part II", "Cobra", and "Tombstone", he directs this man vs. nature thriller with a sure hand, creating some genuine suspense and some harrowing and disturbing moments. The animal action is first rate, and the shocks done with consummate skill (there's a wonderful jolt involving a toilet). The movie is pretty obvious about its themes - a man running the rat race at work must fight an actual monster rat at home, and must get in touch with his most primitive instincts - but that doesn't mean that they don't still work.The man in question is Wall Street yuppie Bart Hughes (Peter Weller, in his first lead role), who's temporarily left on his own after his wife Meg (scorching hot Shannon Tweed, in the role that officially "introduced" her) and son Peter (Leif Anderson) spend some time with Barts' in-laws. Bart has some important business to attend to at work, but he ends up distracted by the war he must wage with this infernal rodent that's threatening the peacefulness of his exquisitely refurbished brownstone. Just as there are co-workers (played by Kenneth Welsh and Maury Chaykin) who would like to see him take a fall, he's often undermined by the utter craftiness of this beast, who often proves to be a step ahead of him.The movie has a great look, with slick cinematography by Rene Verzier, and it also has an effective music score by Ken Wannberg. Weller is terrific in the lead, and is believable through the characters' whole arc. The exemplary supporting cast consists of such top notch Canadian character actors as Lawrence Dane, Welsh, Louis Del Grande (the guy whose head blew up REAL good in "Scanners"), Keith Knight, Chaykin, and Earl Pennington. Tweed supplies some delectable eye candy early on in a shower scene. Stephan Dupuis handles the makeup effects. The finale, when it comes down to a physical battle between human and rodent, is rousing stuff, with Weller carrying around one very MEAN looking custom made weapon.This is a good little story that does merit another look from dedicated genre fans.Eight out of 10.

A not completely lousy movie from George Cosmatos! That said, the promise this movie has is never fulfilled. What could have been a Lewtonesque study of a man's breakdown degenerates into a silly sub par horror film. Peter Weller plays a career obsessed banker who finds himself becoming even more obsessed with getting rid of a pesky rat that's invaded his swank brownstone (actually more of a mod pad with a castle-like facade). Director Cosmatos, never one known for showing much tact, keeps the game of cat and mouse interesting for a good while until it just gets boring. Frankly, this is the type of movie with a "less is more approach" would need a star far more compelling than Weller. He's not bad, but he is dull and his jokey dialog doesn't help. Shannon Tweed plays his wife and looks dynamite, but really has nothing to do. Jennifer Dale is OK as Weller's smitten co-worker. Judged next to other Cosmatos fare (anyone for COBRA?), it's a masterwork.

Bert Hughes is home alone in his Manhattan apartment,trying to work out a major change in his trust company when a noisy rat starts scratching around his periphery and he becomes obsessed with exterminating it.By the time Hughes is through,his whole apartment is nearly exterminated-and his friends are keeping their distance due to his rat-mania.Pretty suspenseful and effective rat invasion flick with terrific central performance of Peter Weller.Several memorable moments were the diner table discussion turned to rats and everyone felt uncomfortable;and the end battle with the rat.There are also some very effective jump scenes that were finding the cat on top of the refrigerator and the toilet scene.Overall,"Of Unknown Origin" is a fine animal attack film that deserves rediscovery.8 out of 10.

This little movie is hardly a must-see. People who got excited by this forgettable mediocrity have probably seen far too few (good) horror films, or are huge Weller fans.I didn't have a problem with a mere rat being such a challenge for what seemed to be an intelligent man, i.e. the absurdity of the premise is acceptable because this is a horror film. However, the only way this film should have been done was to do it as an all-out comedy. Though, even then it would have probably gotten dull sooner rather than later due to its one-joke premise.Maybe if they had made the rat out to be much larger, or if they had gotten him to look like Martin Sheen... Though, admittedly, if we had a Sheen rat we could never believe that he could be that intelligent.Perhaps if it looked like Barbra Streisand...? A Barbra rat would be just as dull-witted as a Sheen rat but at least its nose would have scared everyone - including me. Brrrr!