This is a great film for those rainy Sunday afternoons combining breathtaking and nail-biting action sequences, lush production values, high-flying martial arts, gloriously atmospheric photography, stunning costumes, a superb cast and special effects including the Beast courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop, though the Beast is no miss Piggy this film won't frighten those with a weak disposition.

Based on the true story of The Beast of Gevaudan, which terrorised the French countryside in the early summer of 1764.The story is wonderfully narrated keeping the pace flowing from start to finish, a blend of the old and new this film combines well to keep the audience interested throughout.

For two years a mysterious beast has been killing scores of women and children in the Gevaudan region of France. With the whole country shaken by these inexplicable killings, the King decides to send scientist Grégoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan) and his Mohawk companion and martial arts expert Mani (Mark Dacascos: The Crow: Stairway To Heaven), to investigate. Mark Dacascos plays his part superbly in particular the fantastic fight scenes and Matrix style choreographing.

At a dinner given in his honour, Fronsac meets Jean-François de Morangias (Vincent Cassel: 'The Reckoning', 'Birthday Girl', 'Shrek'), a one-armed aristocrat, and his ravishingly beautiful sister Marianne (Emilie Dequenne), to whom he is instantly attracted.

After an unsuccessful hunt produces many an innocent wolf but no beast, the men visit the local brothel and Fronsac's love life becomes increasingly complicated when he meets the mysterious Sylvia (Monica Bellucci: 'The Matrix Reloaded', 'Under Suspicion').

As time passes and winter arrives with more killings, an increasingly impatient King dispatches his own lieutenant to the region. Under the order of the King, Fronsac is forced to leave the region.

Disobeying the King's mandate not to return to Gevaudan, Fronsac pledges to organise one last hunt, this time lead by Mani using ancient shaman techniques. Nothing however can prepare them for what they discover...with a wonderful twist to the tale the action and the suspense continues to the end.

The film is dubbed from the original French and if you choose DVD you can of course watch and listen in the original French with English subtitles.

Well worth watching.

Release Date: 23 September 2002
Running Time: 2 hours 10 mins approx

Certificate: 15