n anthropologist studying superstition in primitive tribes in Brazil sends two mysterious crates to the natural history museum he works at in Chicago. One contains a broken relic; the other has nothing in it except huge leaves with something appearing to be fungus on them. Dr. Margo Green (Miller), an evolutionary biologist, decides to study the leaves.
A week earlier a cargo ship out of Brazil was found floating in Lake Michigan with its crew murdered. The murders are particularly grisly -- the victims were decapitated and a chunk of their brain was apparently removed. When a guard at the museum is murdered in the same way, Police Lt. Vincent D'Agosta (Sizemore) starts looking for a connection. D'Agosta focuses on the museum, believing the murderer may still be there.
Despite his conviction that a threat exists, D'Agosta is forced to allow the museum to open for a gala fund-raising event. When the event begins, so does the body count as Dr. Green and Lt. D'Agosta discover there's more to the leaves and the murders than they could have imagined.
Predictable, but still scary
The Relic, based on a novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, is an edge-of-your-seat, action-packed thriller with enough special effects and dead bodies to keep the typical audience entertained. As directed by Peter Hyams, the film has just about nothing to do with a relic. Instead it focuses on mixing science and superstition while a really nifty monster munches on people. The museum setting is especially effective with its spooky lighting and endless tunnels.
As with most horror movies, logic has little to do with the action. The characters in The Relic react to the script rather than to real situations. And there's no getting past the fact that the plot is predictable with little surprise as to which characters will become dinner for a hungry and growing monster. However, The Relic manages plenty of chills and suspense even though there's not much doubt where the film is going.
While the stars of the film are the special effects and the action, the actors are quite solid. Miller shows plenty of spunk and intelligence as the lady scientist, and Sizemore comes across nicely as the cop who's upset because his ex-wife was awarded custody of the dog. Even though many of the characters are stereotypes, it's nice to see the other featured actors given a moment or two in this action-heavy script (especially quality actors James Whitmore and Linda Hunt).
