Invisible Raptor (2025)
Take a velociraptor, and make it invisible. Bonus to the invisibility gene, tack on the ability to open doors and armed with voracious carnal appetite. Then set it loose in a town whose survival depends on two cops, a bitter ex-paleontologist, and his lonely amusement park mascot co-worker. The town is Jurassic-ally doomed.
Sean Astin as Willie, a Scientist
Invisible Raptor begins with a pair of scientists. These scientists of dubious degrees are monitoring…something. In a concerningly small cage with bars wide enough for a cat to squeeze through, an unseen creature chortles about. Within seconds, we know that not only is this “something” an invisible raptor, but it’s a very clever one too. For it manages to snag the cage keys, pluck out eyeballs to deceive the retinal scanners, and mosey on out. Those scientists must not have been feeding the poor raptor because it then proceeds to feast upon everything in sight. It’s just a smooth buffet. No one knows an invisible raptor is there, happily snatching up humans and chomping on them. That is until the copious amount of blood begins to cause some alarm. Luckily for this town, the local dinosaur-themed amusement has paleontologist who has immediately recognized the work of a raptor.
Mike Capps - not only plays Dr. Grant but he also the Co-Writer and Producers; He has performed with the Upright Citizens Brigade and has a YouTube comedy series: The Hacks of Life. He has also written the graphic novel: Don’t F with Karen.
This is a completely silly story. No less silly than a story of a rich man who uses his money to create a park full of actual dinosaurs. It’s just that “Invisible Raptor” just takes it to that sweet level of campy goofiness. It’s really not so much a movie about a dinosaur. It’s really a movie how to tell a story of an invisible creature while also testing how much blood can be used for all of the exploding human bits.
The blood and the explosive bits elevated “Invisible Raptor” beyond just a silly parody of a beloved Spielberg franchise. These were practical effects that reflected the time and thought process to execute and to deliver the right comedic punch.. It’s no wonder that the effects were delivered with a bit of horror and dark humas as it was Steve Johnson was the Special Effects artist. Steve Johnson is most known for Slimer but he’s also known for so much more:
For anyone who has watched and enjoyed Spielburg’s Jurassic Park film franchise, the the humor and the easter eggs hit right away once the Hawaiian shirt is seen. Invisible Raptor has a humorous take of not only Jurassic Park but also to other Spielberg works as well. There are nods to the movies such as the Goonies, E.T., Jaws, and more. Very similar to the visual styles of “Not Another Teen Movie”, the referential jokes are also sprinkled in the background and side dialogue. The most obvious gem of the easter eggs is with the casting of Sean Astin as his characters name is Willy who loses their eye (As in “One Eyed Willy” from Goonies?! Stay tuned for an end credit for another Goonies reference).
David Shackelford as Deniel “Denny” Denielson
The whole movie isn’t all silliness and flailing bodies. Then there are the quietly disturbing moments with Denny. Deniel “Denny” Denielson (played by David Shackelford) is Dr. Grant’s mascot wearing co-worker. Denny is the one who delivers many of the lines making obvious references to 80’s movies. He has an unwavering energy to support and help. The kind of sidekick a hero would want by their side. Except that there is an ongoing awkwardness of Denny’s insistence of also being Dr. Grants best friend. With the extra bonus of Denny’s childhood trauma of being mocked. It’s most likely just squeezing in some dark humor to break up the movie pacing. It’s that there is one scene that seems most jarring of all as the movie seems to switch to a very depressing moment. During the pursuit of the raptor, Denny is drinking and mourning his father. It may have been an attempt for audiences to sympathize but really left a heavy dose of secondhand embarrassment. There is satisfying outcome to all of that but it’s still just weird.
Invisible Raptor is an absurd and silly movie and completely awkward to recommend to friends. You will sound crazy as eyebrows are raised but this movie was just so refreshingly entertaining. Some of the scenes were so ridiculous, its hard to imagine the cast not having fun doing some of these scenes. It’s a serious story of following the bloodshed of a rampaging dinosaur but that’s it. Everything else in the movie is just clear shenanigans. From darting the raptor with a balloon to trying to lift up an invisible creature onto the top of the car. The blooper reel must be it’s own feature length film.
Caitlin McHugh Stamos (who played Amber) and Mike Capps (as Dr. Grant) “listening” to the raptor.
It’s an absolutely fun, campy movie with B-grade style complete with a synthesized soundtrack. Eat dinner first, and enjoy the craziness with some flavored popcorn. Just be mindful if those dropped kernels on the floor begin to disappear one by one. Or if the neighborhood pets have suddenly gone quiet. It might just be too late for you- INVISIBLE CHOMP!
The Director’s statement sums up the movie beautifully:
“Making THE INVISIBLE RAPTOR was one of the most fun and collaborative experiences I’ve ever had. From day one, everyone brought their own ideas and energy to the project. The concept of an invisible dinosaur was so out there that it gave us endless opportunities for creativity and
humor. We set out to make a creature feature with no creature! We knew that what you don’t see can be even scarier, but instead of focusing only on suspense, we leaned into the absurdity. Watching the cast and crew figure out how to bring an invisible raptor to life in their own ways was an
absolute blast.
This film is all about not taking yourself too seriously, and that spirit carried us through the entire process. Whether it was a last-minute gag or an on-the-fly change in how we portrayed the
raptor’s presence, the process kept evolving. We didn’t follow any strict rules, and that freedom allowed us to experiment, play, and have fun with every scene.
In the end, we made the kind of movie we’d all want to see—a ridiculous, suspenseful, and heartfelt ride. I hope the joy we had making THE INVISIBLE RAPTOR shines through onscreen, and
that audiences have as much fun watching it as we did creating it.”
Invisible Raptor is now out on Blu-Ray/DVD and various streaming sites. For more information, go to: https://wellgousa.com/films/invisible-raptor
