Ben (1972) Horror Movie Review

by Spider
(Salem, Oregon, USA)

Our favorite rat is back and he’s going to bring more trouble.

Release: June 23, 1972
Directed by: Phil Karlson
Written by: Gilbert Ralston
Starring:

Lee Montgomery as David Garrison
Joseph Campanella as Cliff Kirtland
Arthur O'Connell as Bill Hatfield
Meredith Baxter as Eve Garrison

This film is the sequel to the 1971 film Willard. I begins by showing the last ten minutes of Wilard, which makes no sese. I mean really, if you hadn’t seen Willard, watching the last ten minutes doesn’t really set up the background for Ben and if you have seen it, it’s just kind of monotonous. If I wanted to see the end of Willard, I’d just watch Willard.

Once the story finally begins, we find out cops have been combing Willard’s old mansion as part of the investigation into the deaths of the characters from the previous movie. The officers have found Willard’s journal so they know about Ben and the other rats. They have also found Willard, or rather what’s left of him, but try as they might they can’t seem to find Ben and the other rats.

Ben has found them however, and as we see him watching the lead investigator from the rafters and he does not seem pleased.

Eventually a lone cop goes into the cellar and hears the sound of rats coming from inside the wall. He decides to pry open the wall paneling, by himself, with a crow bar, to see of the rats are in there. This is the kind of horror movie logic I love. The cop knows there are dangerous rats but instead of calling for back up or better yet animal control, he breaks into the wall by himself with no one else around. Predictably the rats come swarming out of the wall and attack him. Now, the cop could still run to the door to escape and get help, but what does he do? He stands there swinging at the rats with his crowbar and then tries to shoot them, until it’s too late to escape and the rats swarm and devour him.

Ben realizes he and the other rats can’t stay there, so they make their exit, leaving the law enforcement baffled as to their whereabouts. It’s at this point we are introduced to our protagonist Danny Garrison, a lonely boy who’s battling a serious heart condition. Ben comes across Danny playing with puppets in a workshop behind his home and the two quickly bond. Ben becomes Danny’s best friend, but the friendship seems bound for tragedy as the law enforcers search for the rats escalates in intensity and the rats increasingly butt heads with humanity with their attacks on human structures for food.

Will the Rats or the Humans prevail in this film? Will Ben and Danny’s friendship survive? How many times will we have to endure the sentimental theme song, sung by a young Michael Jackson? Well since I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, so you will just have to watch the movie and see.

Overall the film Ben like it’s predecessor Willard is corny, has cheesy special effects, sub par acting, painful plot holes and is far from terrifying. But it’s still kind of a fun film and it’s obvious Director Phil Karlson likes rats as we get some really cute scenes of Danny and Ben playing. So I give it 4 out of 10 points, and recommend it for anyone looking for a fun cheesy horror movie rather than cinema gold.