It's not that The Tank is a completely horrible film.
The acting is rather decent.
The monster is kind of cool (at least it's not horribly rendered with CGI).
And it has a dark and foreboding atmosphere.
The basic premise here, is that a giant storm, in the distant past, washed a bunch of axolotls (or other such amphibious creatures) from the ocean, into the septic tank of a house in a remote community...causing them to mutate into carnivorous human-eating salamanders (or, possibly, reptiles)...as a result of their exposure to human excrement.
At least that is what is implied...I think.
However, it's rather hard to get around the ridiculous logic on which the story is based.
First and foremost, the way the father finds and enters the tank- which supposedly awakens/releases the beast- is absurd.
Literally noone goes to a new place...sees an overgrown grate...and is overcome with the curiosity to lift and enter it.
It's just not plausible, or believable.
And comes off completely forced.
Not to mention, axolotls don't even live in the ocean...and if they did get washed into a septic tank (by some freak course of nature)...that doesn't really meet the criteria of them becoming "land based" creatures.
On top of that...not only is the whole first half of the film incredibly basic...it's also rather boring.
With the introduction of characters (outside of the family) coming off as equally forced as the father entering the septic tank in the first place.
Plus, the way the monster first appears, also doesn't make any sense- as it seems to be some sort of supernatural force, as opposed to an actual flesh and blood creature.
I guess, if you can suspend disbelief- and ignore all the logical inconsistencies around which the story is based- you can garner some enjoyment from watching the film...despite it's mediocrity.
You just have to accept that it is all some sort of divine cosmic intervention, to bring karmic justice upon a family that dabbles in the trafficking of endangered species (for the purpose of the pet trade).
At least they put a little imagination into it...by taking some of the world's cutest creatures...and transforming them into terrifying monstrous beasts, hellbent on the destruction of humanity.
So...there's that, at least.
But I can't help but think that this was a completely avoidable situation.
3.5 out of 10.
Tingnan pa 