Animal

...ultimately devolves into just another forgettable straight-to-video horror flick that predominantly features characters hiding and running within all-too-dark environs.

People go into the woods, and they don't come out. Add a man-eating whatsit, and you've got a horror movie. Not a very good horror movie. But, certainly genre fans get what they want, some old-fashioned blood-and-guts. Chomp, chomp.

One wishes there was more creativity put into exploring the animal of the title and the lore behind this species' existence, but there is no denying the crafty skill and above-average production values with which "Animal" has been made.

Animal has enough carnage to appease more forgiving horror fans, but despite a quick pace and brutal kills, it's repetition that truly kills this beast.

A healthy amalgam of "The Descent" and "Feast," with a hint of "Night of the Living Dead."

Simmons is a capable helmer, presenting a few choice moments of bloodshed and intimidation to make a pile of clichés sit upright for a change.