Martin Cruz Smith's best-selling novel is given big-studio treatment as Native policeman Nick Mancuso has to team-up with "bat hunter" David Warner to take on a whole gaggle of blood-thirsty vampire bats when his reservation is threatened by the flying beasts.

As with a lot of 70's films Native Americans play a big part in the plot and all horror elements seem thrown on the backburner for a socially conscious script attempt that focuses on ancient Native themes and a sideplot that involves the mining of reservation land.

Completely so-so this is with Warner giving an above average hammy performance to try and make us forget that there's not nearly enough bat attacks and when they do show up they have weak effects and suspense.

The first full-scale bat attack (on the tourists Mancuso's girlfriend Kathryn Harrold is camping with) is totally silly apart from the cool "speed bump" moment; but then so is the moment that seems cribbed from Jaws where the main characters fence themselves in from bat attack.

Directed By: Arthur Hiller.
Written By: Steven Shagan, Bud Shrake, Martin Cruz Smith.

Starring: Nick Mancuso, David Warner, Kathryn Harrold, Stephen Macht.