It's easy to make the mistake of dismissing The Final Terror as just another instantly forgettable, derivative backwoods slasher: the characters are your usual array of one-dimensional psycho-fodder; the setting is the standard 'spooky woods located miles from civilisation'; there's the corny campfire legend that sets up the back story for the killer; and the film features several cribs from other similarly themed horror movies (most obviously John Boorman's Deliverance).

However, I think this film is a more important addition to the genre than it is given credit for: not only did it give director Andrew Davis (of The Fugitive fame) and several future Hollywood stars (Daryl Hannah, Rachel Ward, Joe Pantoliano, and...errr... Adrian Zmed?!?) a step up in their careers, but—and you can call me mad if you like—I am also convinced that The Final Terror was a big influence on the excellent Arnold Schwarzeneggar sci-fi/action movie Predator!

As Lloyd Grossman used to say in Through The Keyhole, 'Let's take a look at the evidence...'

The group of friends stranded in the wilderness; the strange creature who hunts them one-by-one; the pivotal moment where the hunter finally becomes the hunted; and the final showdown in which the killer is lured into a booby-trap made from a huge tree trunk. Let's face it.... all that's missing is a mini-gun!!!

Anyway, regardless of whether you subscribe to my Predator theory or not, The Final Terror is still a reasonably enjoyable way to pass the time, with some effective jump scares, a fair amount of atmosphere, and some lovely cinematography. I'd liked to have seen a bit more gore, some nudity from the ladies (this is a slasher, after all!),and Adrian Zmed get slaughtered (I still remember T. J. Hooker),but I suppose you can't have everything!

6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

One of the better "Friday the 13th"-inspired let's hack up a bunch of attractive young adults in a breathtaking remote sylvan setting slasher fright features to flood theaters in the early 80's. Not just content to emulate the basic story from that horror film hit, the screenwriters ("Dead and Buried" scribe Ronald Shusett among 'em) toss in elements of "Deliverance" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" into the varied, yet still hugely derivative brew as well. Lack of originality aside, it's the very mixing of random bits and pieces from several different disparate sources that gives this honey a substantial lift out of the rut, especially when in a refreshing break from the wimpy dumb victim slice'n'dice norm the obligatory coed campers being terrorized by a wild, grubby, mangy-haired, murderous cannibalistic hermit hag band together into a mighty fighting force so they can kick the nasty old psycho biddy's ugly ill-kept a** for putting them through sheer torturous hell. Yes, fellow theme freaks, this picture does indeed persuasively articulate a valid point about strength in numbers.

Moreover, the film is made with praiseworthy polish and panache. Director Andrew Davis, who started out as a cinematographer-for-hire on such solid Grade B outings as Paul Bartel's "Private Parts," "Cool Breeze," "The Slams," and "Mansion of the Doomed" before moving on to helm the more respectable mainstream blockbusters "Under Siege," "The Fugitive," and "A Perfect Murder," keeps the pace barreling along at a speedy, steady clip, successfully evokes a frightfully palpable sense of ambient, ever-present and expansive backwoods danger and menace, and manages to create a sizable amount of nerve-jangling tension. Davis' sharp, crisp, strikingly slick and handsome photography also hits the spot; ditto the fluid, smooth editing by Paul Rubell and Erica Flaum and Susan Justin's spooky, shivery, crackling guitar feedback-drenched score. The cast come through with uniformly sound performances: John Friedrich cuts an impressively rugged and unnerving figure as a crazed, truculent, take charge 'Nam vet, classy British beauty Rachel Ward and the eternally yummy Daryl Hannah make for highly delectable damsels in distress, Mark Metcalf, Adrian Zmed and Lewis Smith are solid and engaging as trainee forest rangers who get a harrowing on the job education on the essential rudiments for survival, and Joe Pantoliano goons it up something spazzy as an edgy, browbeaten, hot-tempered geekoid handyman. In fact, the uncommonly strong acting and production values are good enough to make the minimal body count, only moderate lashings of pretty mild gore, and extremely tame sex (with no nudity!) both forgivable and acceptable.

Not a fan of the original "Friday the 13th" film or its sequels or "Nightmare on Elm Street" or any of the other wisecracking or silent slashers, I was pleased to find that this is more of a thriller based on the fact that you do not see the killings, only the victims being sneaked up on and the insinuations of what happens. Deliberate gore in my opinion made a mockery of horror films in the 1980's and 90's, so to find this one which takes place among the California Redwoods is more enjoyable to me.

Shots of nature at its most beautiful makes the opening of this intriguing to give a chance to, with the deer grazing and the beautiful full trees majestic and stunning. When a couple on a motorcycle come along and fall over, the man is badly injured, so his girlfriend goes to get him help. She returns alone to find him missing, but all of a sudden appearing out of nowhere, having chose at least through his body to hang around a bit.

The cast includes a few actors who went onto bigger things (Darryl Hannah, Rachel Ward),found brief fame on TV (Adrian Zmed) or were familiar to me from their other works (Ernest Harden Jr.). This is an ensemble piece so no one really is the star, but there's a variety of diverse personalities and backgrounds to make each of them interesting. There are of course members of their camping team who are rather suspicious so that adds to the mystery. The use of intrigue rather than blood and guts (although there is some) to this makes it a lot better to me than I expected, and the gorgeous photography of the California wilderness is a definite plus.