It’s been a while since Bigfoot lurched across my screen. In fact, the last film that I’d seen involving a killer Sasquatch was the very fun Abominable, and that was back in 2006. Yes, I’m aware that Willow Creek came out a few years back, but I just never had the chance to see it. Leave it to the Aussies to rectify this lack of Bigfoot in my life with their version of Bigfoot in Travis Bain’s Throwback. According to Bain’s Facebook page, Throwback has endured an eight-year journey to get to the big screen, so what’s the result?

Jack (Shawn Brack) and his buddy Kent (Anthony Ring) are out in the remote jungles of Far North Queensland, Australia, searching for the lost gold of legendary bushranger “Thunderclap Newman”. Unfortunately for Jack, once the duo find the treasure, Kent decides to go the “no honour among thieves” route and attempts to off Jack. But before Kent can finish the job, the two find themselves lost in the bush. Each man meets up with others who are also roaming the bush: a park ranger named Rhiannon (Melanie Serafin) and a Detective McNab (Vernon Wells), the latter of whom is investigating some missing hikers. Making matters worse is each of them being caught in the path of the Yowie, the Australian Bigfoot, looking to stomp them into the ground.

Given that Throwback is another shoestringer, Bain wisely uses the gorgeous environment to his advantage. Firstly, the isolation allows the characters to develop as they interact and exchange banter between one another, as well as allow the actors a chance to show off their chops. Secondly (and just as important), the remoteness gives the tension free reign to develop as there’s always the danger of that Yowie showing up. Speaking of which, Bain smartly chooses to keep the creature relegated to glimpses and partially-hidden moments. Let’s be honest with ourselves: it’s a guy in a suit on a low budget film, and if we were shown it in full, the suspension of disbelief goes out the window. So to keep the tension, Bain employs the classic methods like just showing creature’s arm in frame grabbing at a trapped character, or having part of the creature’s body in one corner of the frame. Again, smart move.

Speaking of the acting, the cast does an amicable job, though since this whole film is meant to be a throwback (hint, hint) to the classic B-movie adventure fare, it has hints of cheese. The film basically centers on Brack, Ring and Serafin, who are generally on point, but admittedly are pushed to the background when Wells shows up and chews the scenery. The Mad Max 2 and Commando vet’s contributions honestly amount to nothing more than a cameo, but the lunacy that the character brings is a fun distraction midway through the film.

The film’s shortcomings, however, aren’t easy to overlook. While Throwback does have it’s aim set on being a send-up to the classics of the genre, the technical limitations keep it from truly being great. While I applaud Bain for attempting to compensate the Yowie’s less-than-stellar appearance, you still do get the sense that it’s still a guy in a bad costume. Compounding things is the loose editing that not only undermines these quick glimpses of the creature, but also has the film feeling a bit “off” when it comes to timing. Some shots (like the demise of one character that’s meant to be a jump scare or the film’s explosive finale) just linger a little too long. Apart from Wells, the cast do have a few unconvincing lines that are made more obvious by their hit-or-miss delivery. No matter what she did, I couldn’t buy Serafin’s tough dialogue. Lastly, there are a couple of questionable moments, such as Jack and Kent using a zippo to light an obviously well-lit cave or Kent’s drastic decision to free himself from handcuffs after such a short time.

I hate to say it, but I was let down with Throwback. I completely understood what Bain was trying to do with this film, but heart can only go so far when the other elements are lacking. The film had all the ideas for a great adventure-horror film, but the execution just missed the mark. It’s a crying shame, because Bain definitely has some talent behind the camera, and displayed some smart moves with Throwback. I hope that he keeps going, and I’m interested in seeing just what he’s able to come up with for his next film. As for Throwback, if you can let the flaws slide, this is a nice tribute that B-movie fans will appreciate.