Tremors: Shrieker Island

This seventh movie in the Tremors series is interesting mainly due to Burt and a few other likable characters, but it's cheap and not particularly inventive, with little new to say. Gross (who's also known for Family Ties) was a supporting character in the fun original Tremors (1990); his character, Burt, has gone on to appear in every other Tremors movie (with the exception of the fourth, a prequel, in which he played Burt's great-grandfather) -- and even the 2003 TV series. That's a long history, and he carries it proudly, even if he doesn't really have anything to do in Tremors: Shrieker Island that he hasn't done before.

Heder plays yet another lovable goofball, charging into the fray despite his perceived cowardice/weaknesses, and Cruz (Orange Is the New Black) plays the kind of tough, powerful woman you'd want on your side. But director Don Michael Paul movie feels rushed and ill-timed; it goes on too long and yet feels choppy and truncated. Two characters of color are left stranded with virtually no dialogue, with their jobs being simply to obey any orders barked at them. And the digital monster effects feel plasticky and dislocated, leaving very few actual scares. But if the main job of Tremors: Shrieker Island is to cement the legacy of Burt Gummer, then it does that job just fine.