Bats Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

Mad scientist messes with bats, bats get angry and bite back, Lou Diamond Phillips tries to shoot them all while looking confused.

🍿 Bats: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Initial Attacks and Investigation

The film opens with a series of mysterious deaths near Gallup, Texas. Sheriff Emmett Kimsey and bat expert Dr. Sheila Casper are called in to investigate after a young couple is brutally attacked. Their investigation quickly reveals the presence of unusually aggressive and intelligent bats.

Identifying the Threat: Genetically Modified Bats

Dr. Casper discovers that the bats are not behaving naturally and suspects genetic manipulation. Further investigation reveals that Dr. Alexander McCabe, a government scientist, has been experimenting with bat DNA to enhance their intelligence and aggression. These experiments have gone awry, resulting in the deadly creatures now terrorizing the town. McCabe’s motivation, as he states, is simply that “we are scientists, that’s what we do.”

Town Under Siege

As the truth about the bats becomes clear, Gallup falls under siege. The bats attack the town, causing widespread panic and casualties. A series of frantic scenes show townspeople desperately trying to defend themselves as cars crash and burst into flames. Despite warnings, chaos ensues as residents ignore instructions to remain indoors, resulting in mass panic.

Military Intervention and Final Stand

The military arrives to evacuate the town and provides Dr. Casper and Sheriff Kimsey with a limited time frame to eliminate the bat threat before they resort to more drastic measures. The team establishes a base at the local school and plans a strategy to locate and neutralize the bats’ roost using specialized equipment and satellite surveillance.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Sheriff Emmett Kimsey (Lou Diamond Phillips): The local sheriff who teams up with a bat expert to protect his town from genetically modified bats.
• Dr. Sheila Casper (Dina Meyer): A bat specialist called in to stop the genetically altered bats before they spread across the country.
• Dr. Alexander McCabe (Bob Gunton): The unethical government scientist responsible for creating the intelligent and deadly bats.
• Jimmy Sands (Leon): Dr. Casper’s assistant, who provides scientific support and comic relief during the bat crisis.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Jimmy Sands: “Clip their wings? Man, could you just shoot their damn heads off? And don’t miss.” – Expresses his desire for a direct and lethal solution to the bat problem.
• Dr. Alexander McCabe: “Because we’re scientists. That’s what we do.” – McCabe’s flippant response when questioned about his motives for creating the mutated bats.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $5,250,000
• Domestic Gross: $10,155,690
• Worldwide Gross: $10,155,690

💥 Bats Reviews

Personal Review

Okay, so ‘Bats’ isn’t winning any awards, but I secretly enjoyed it! It’s pure B-movie fun. I remember watching it late at night and being genuinely creeped out by the bat attack scenes, even though the effects are super cheesy now. Lou Diamond Phillips trying to be a tough sheriff is pretty hilarious. It’s one of those movies I can’t help but watch whenever it’s on TV – guilty pleasure for sure! The scene in the school when the students are cornered is strangely suspenseful.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of B-movies”
  • “Viewers who like creature features”
  • “Fans of Lou Diamond Phillips and Dina Meyer”
  • “Those seeking a less serious horror film”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Violence”
  • “Animal attacks”
  • “Brief gore”
  • “Some scary scenes”

Professional Reviews

• Rotten Tomatoes: “Despite a decent cast and some practical effects, “Bats” fails to deliver genuine scares, relying on tired clichés and blurry action sequences to create a forgettable creature feature experience. The plot is predictable, and the CGI bats look laughably unconvincing.
• AllMovie: “AllMovie praises the film’s brisk pace and energetic execution of the standard killer-animal formula, but notes that the special effects and overall originality leave something to be desired. This B-movie is still considered a passable genre entry.
• Entertainment Weekly: “Entertainment Weekly’s review notes that Bats is not original, even for a B-movie. They call Lou Diamond Philips ‘miscast’ and note that the CGI is sub-par. Only a few scenes have any spark.

Audience Reactions

Some viewers found the cheesy special effects and predictable plot unintentionally funny and entertaining.: Campy fun for those who enjoy B-movies and creature features.

Fans of Dina Meyer and Lou Diamond Phillips appreciated their performances, despite the film’s overall shortcomings.: The cast did their best with the material, making the movie somewhat watchable.

Overall Consensus: A low-budget creature feature with subpar effects and a predictable plot, “Bats” is considered a guilty pleasure by some, while others find it simply uninspired and forgettable.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “The bats in the film were a combination of Animatronics, CGI, and 2 live bats.”
• “The 2 original bats in the film were brought over from Indonesia.”
• “The film was produced in just over five months, making it one of the fastest produced 35mm feature films to receive a wide release.”

🖥️ How to Watch Bats?

Currently, ‘Bats’ is available for purchase or rental on various digital platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play Movies. Check your local listings for cable on-demand options. Physical copies on DVD and Blu-ray may also be available from online retailers.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Bats, you might like these similar films:

• Nightwing (1979): Deals with the terror caused by bats, sharing a similar theme of bat-related horror.
• Anaconda (1997): Like ‘Bats,’ it features a dangerous creature terrorizing humans, relying on suspense and creature effects.
• Eight Legged Freaks (2002): A more comedic take on the creature-feature genre, but still involves a town under siege by mutated animals, offering a lighter alternative.

🛒 Bats Related Products

• Lou Diamond Phillips Autographed Photo – ‘Young Guns’: A signed photo of Lou Diamond Phillips. Perfect for fans of his earlier work and a cool addition to any movie memorabilia collection.
• Bat Costume: Halloween bat costume for an Adult or child. Dress up as a bat and add some excitement to your next Halloween party!
• Dina Meyer – Starship Troopers – Autographed 8×10 Photo: A autographed photo of Dina Meyer when she was in Starship Troopers. A must have for Sci-Fi movie fans.
• Bat House – Cedar Wood: Attract bats to your yard to get rid of bugs. This cedar wood bat house provides a safe and natural habitat for bats. Eco-friendly pest control!

🎧 Soundtrack

Bats features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “If Love Is A Red Dress (Hang Me In Rags)” – performed by Maria McKee
• “Bats score excerpt” – performed by Graeme Revell

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

How Vampire Bats Suck Human Blood 😨

Ever wondered how vampire bats actually suck blood? This short video breaks it down with some fascinating (and slightly gross) details. It’s surprisingly interesting and makes the movie’s premise seem a little more believable… or maybe even scarier!

✨ Rate