'Beast' mode: Idris Elba faces off with a deadly lion in survivalist safari thriller

The safari thriller “Beast” is basically a killer-shark movie on land with a lethal lion instead of a great white. It’s ridiculous – and not the good B-movie kind of ridiculous.

The titular beast is a PO’d lion bent on killing every human that dares enter the jungle after a pack of poachers slaughters its pride. That’s bad news for the grieving widower Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) and his two teenage daughters (Iyana Halley and Leah Sava Jeffries), who are on holiday in South Africa to mend relationships in the wake of their mom’s death. Nothing bonds a family like being terrorized by a rogue lion in the savanna where Dad met Mom. The good news is that Nate is played by the brawny Elba, who’s got the heft to wrestle the big cat and the surgical skills to triage the bloodiest wounds with just gauze and grain alcohol. Even better news is Sharlto Copley (“District 9”) joins the fun as a family friend and guide.

Movie: 'Emily the Criminal' is a smart, suspenseful crime drama

A veteran of action and disaster movies, Baltasar Kormákur (“Everest,” “2 Guns,” “Contraband”) works from a script by Ryan Engle, who already wrote a version of this movie with 2018’s “Rampage,” about another killer animal. Kormákur keeps the action moving at a good clip, but he can’t escape the lame dialogue (“Stay calm.” “Move Away.” “We're in his territory now.” Dun-dun-duuuun!!!) or an abundance of horror-movie cliches. Yup, cars do not start when it’s time to flee the claws of death. And, of course, the characters think it is a good idea to split up, but they don’t think twice about leaving a window rolled down when there’s a giant predator on the prowl. It’s one stupid decision after the next, which produced loads of unintentional laughter and eyerolling from the audience I screened the film with.

What’s more, when things get really hairy, the jump scares come right on cue with everyone running around breathing heavily and gasping. NOTHING they do can kill this creature, neither a tranquilizer dart nor a gas explosion. Talk about nine lives.

Movie review: Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock ride the 'Bullet Train'

The family’s sad backstory adds some emotional weight, grounding the film in a bit of reality, but the plot is too predictable to care. “Hakuna Matata” this isn’t. So let’s not pretend anymore. The mane (err, main) reason to see “Beast” is to watch Elba take on the lion, mano-a-mano, even punching the bloodthirsty beast in the face (not a spoiler, it’s in the tail end of the trailer). The showdown doesn’t quite reach the heights of Leonardo DiCaprio vs. the Bear in “The Revenant” but it’s a highlight in a movie that has little else to offer.

‘Beast’

Rating: R for violent content, bloody images and some language

Cast: Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, Leah Jeffries

Director: Baltasar Kormákur

Writer: Ryan Engle

Running time: 93 minutes

Where to watch: In theaters Friday

Grade: C

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. Please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@patriotledger.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 'Beast' mode: Idris Elba faces off with a deadly lion safari thriller