The Wildman of Kentucky: The Mystery of Panther Rock (2008)
"Join the Reality Team of special investigators on their incredible journey into the Frazier Land."
Not Rated / Color / 117 Minutes

WARNING: THIS CAPSULE REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!

I always enjoy a good documentary, especially when it is about Bigfoot, or the Loch Ness Monster, or some other mysterious creature that cryptozoologists yearn to discover and study. But a documentary is a hard thing to pull off successfully and can either get way off topic or become painfully dull.

At a hefty length of two hours, The Wildman of Kentucky somehow manages to not be terribly boring, but in the end, it is only turns out to be half of a good (i.e. interesting) documentary.

"The Wildman of Kentucky: The true story of an Indian brave who escaped Hell to battle the hairy man-beast of legend!"

The first fourteen minutes or so of Wildman was the toughest part of the film for me to get through. A narrator delivers us the goods on Bigfoot as we watch computer-generated "recreations" of the mythical creature strolling through the woods and... the Hell?

Am I really seeing a stereotypical Native American dancing amidst a sea of flames?! (:: Vault Master scratches head ::) Anyway, during all of this CGI weirdness, our ears are assaulted by the music of Freakhouse. (Kind of a strange musical choice for a documentary, don't you think?)

Once we clear the hurdle of insanity, Reality Films' Bigfoot doc gets much better as the "Reality Team," made up of Philip Spencer and... umm..... three other guys, travels to Kentucky in search of the elusive Sasquatch. (Kind of nitpicking here, but isn't always customary to introduce the entire "cast" of the documentary before you hop right into things?)

Along the way they interview some locals, and spend a night out in the deep dark woods of the Frazier Lands. This section of the documentary creates a bit of tension; you feel like you're watching a horror film and just expect something to burst out of the darkness and tackle Phil or one of his teammates.

Philip Spencer... master of the far-away visionary look.

Naturally nothing like that happens, and although the team is freaked out about the (alleged) shadowy movement and strange sounds all around them, their Ghosthunters antics get old pretty quick. Fortunately for us, this melodramatic segment of Wildman doesn't go on for too long, and the following day, the team heads off to the mysterious Panther Rock.

They make a few detours on their quest to interview some locals about the general weirdness of the Frazier Lands, and they also visit Daniel Boone's gravesite, where they spin a yarn about the famous American frontiersman's encounter with a Yahoo (a.k.a. Yeahoh, a.k.a. Sasquatch).

Eventually they make it to Panther Rock, named so because an Indian Chief that had terrorized nearby settlers in the 1800s was killed by a panther at said location. Phil Spencer and friends film the cave and surrounding area, then wait for the night with obvious anticipation. However, nothing really happens during this campout, and the team of Bigfoot seekers comes up empty-handed.

As the documentary comes to a close, Phil Spencer urges viewers to be more open-minded and vows to return to the Frazier Lands again someday in order to further investigate the local phenomena. (You may have won this time Bigfoot, but he'll be back in "Wildman of Kentucky II: The Quickening!")

"This week on Ghosthunters, we seek out the spirit of Daniel Boone."

As I said at the start of this review, Wildman of Kentucky: The Mystery of Panther Rock is half of a good documentary. The first forty-five minutes or so, drag by slowly, but once these guys get out in the woods, the film becomes a lot more interesting to watch.

The inclusion of interviews with local farmers and a fellow paranormal investigator gives the proceedings a much needed boost, especially when Philip Spencer interviews a man named Lynn Hutton.

While Lynn's story isn't all that exciting, his sheer sincerity and total belief in what he saw packs a punch, and proves to be the most powerful moment in the entire film. (Which is why it is wisely used during Wildman's final moments.)

Overall this is a admirable attempt at a Bigfoot documentary, but it is bogged down by several things, particularly the two-hour running time. In my opinion, excising a full half hour to forty-five minutes of footage from The Wildman would have been beneficial, because there is a lot of padding here.

And what is up with those crazy CGI animations that show up time and again during the documentary? Admittedly, some of them look very cool, but I would have gladly traded them all for a few recreated Bigfoot encounters that involve some old school man-in-suit action. Heck, I would've even preferred a few more interviews with people who have had run-ins with the mighty Sasquatch. It surely would have made more sense visually than a dancing CGI Indian.

For dry, red, Sasquatch eyes, get Clear Eyes.

Another thing that didn't work in this film's favor was the severely out-of-place rock music that plays throughout the movie. I've seen my fair share of documentaries and I have to say that hard rock music does not belong in a Bigfoot documentary.

Had The Wildman of Kentucky been about a legendary Southern pro-wrestler, then the music would have been perfect. But as it stands, the rocking tunes of Freakhouse don't really lend themselves well to the investigation of strange Bigfoot-related phenomena.

While it's a far cry from the classic Bigfoot documentaries that I grew up (sigh... oh how I miss "In Search Of..."), The Wildman of Kentucky is still a noble attempt at investigating one of America's greatest mysteries. For their bravery in exploring the backwoods of Kentucky in search of the elusive Bigfoot, I award Phil Spencer and his team's documentary:


- TWO AND-A-HALF 'RADS' -



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