Introduction"Skeleton Man", likewise called "The River Ghost", is a 2004 sci-fi horror movie directed by Johnny Martin, and starring Michael Rooker and Casper Van Dien. The film was produced by Nu Image Films and launched by Lionsgate. The film focuses on a supernatural figure known as the Skeleton Man, who is terrorizing a group of military workers who are sent to investigate the weird goings-on in a remote forest.
Plot SummaryThe film starts with two archaeologists, Sarah and Dr. Gainsborough, who discover a Native American skull in an uncharted location of the jungle. As they leave the site, an unnoticeable figure begins to stalk and eliminate them. Their mutilated bodies are later discovered by park rangers, and their deaths are reported to the neighboring military base.
After the strange deaths of the archaeologists, a group of heavily-armed soldiers known as the Delta Force is appointed to examine the scenario led by Captain Leary (Michael Rooker). Once they arrive in the forest, they get a lone survivor from a previous search celebration, Diana (Lydia Jordan). She claims to have seen the killer and indicates that it isn't human.
As the team ventures even more into the jungle, they discover more bodies and lose contact with their helicopter pilot. Soon, they experience the culprit of the slaughter-- the Skeleton Man-- who is a thin, cloaked figure using a skull mask. The Skeleton Man attacks the soldiers with extraordinary speed and strength, choosing them off one by one. The group struggles to comprehend the nature of their enemy and why their sophisticated weaponry stops working to hurt it.
During their defend survival, they experience a Native American guy called Nez Perce (Tim Abell), who is likewise looking for the Skeleton Man. He explains to them that the beast is part spirit, part man-- as soon as a warrior named Cottonmouth Joe who was cursed by an ancient Shaman after looking for vengeance for his tribe's massacre. Now, the Skeleton Man is bound to the forest, permanently looking for more souls to kill.
Climax and ResolutionThe remaining members of the Delta Force, Captain Leary, and Nez Perce develop a strategy to damage the Skeleton Man by trapping him in a cave with dynamite. As they draw the creature into the cavern, Nez Perce is mortally injured and dies after handing down his understanding about menstruation warrior to Leary. The team detonates the dynamite with the Skeleton Man caught inside, however it manages to leave the explosion.
The Skeleton Man goes after the survivors to a neighboring dam, where a last showdown takes place. It is revealed that the dam's high voltage has the power to compromise the supernatural animal. Utilizing a grenade launcher, Captain Leary is lastly able to eliminate the Skeleton Man.
With their enemy defeated, the remaining staff member are saved by a helicopter that gets here to extract them. As they leave the location, the video camera pans to the dam, where the Skeleton Man's mask is seen drifting in the water, hinting that the animal may not be completely destroyed.
Reception and Conclusion"Skeleton Man" got primarily unfavorable evaluations from critics, with lots of indicating its weak plot, poor character advancement, and low production values as significant defects. Despite this, it has actually gained a cult following amongst fans of low-budget scary and science fiction movies. The film stands out as an example of the late-night, throwaway scary films that characterized the 2000s, and it is most likely to be remembered for its campy, excessive property instead of its cinematic merits.
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