When the movie Roar debuted in 1981, it was deemed by Variety as the “most disaster-plagued film in the history of Hollywood.”
Roar was also a financial disaster.
Fortunately, the passage of time affords us the perspective to view the movie Roar for what it truly is: the most epic and amazing animal thriller ever made.
It plays out like a fever-dream Disney movie. The lighthearted slapstick of the surface masks one of the most intense, white-knuckle, nail-biting thrillers ever seen.
The cast is in constant mortal danger as dozens of adult lions “improvise” around them.
At numerous times Marshall drips blood as he fends off ferocious advances from jaguars and tigers alike. Melanie Griffith’s real-life mauling is on display in the final cut.
A jaguar licking honey off Tippi Hedren’s face was an untested idea that could have easily ended very, very badly. Knowing the backstory of the production, you can see perpetual terror in the eyes of the cast as an army of lethal predators close in around them.
The movie Roar cost over $17 million to make and took in less than $2 million at the movie box office when it was released in 1981.
The movie Roar roars back into theaters in 2015, newly restored.
