Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Saw this movie on a rented VHS in the early 90s. Revisited it recently. Shakma was a good b horror fun for its time. The film is about an enraged primate who goes on the killing spree. The primate was actually frightening n fast paced but the storyline, acting n editing was lame. Found it to b dull now.

A wild baboon attacks medical students who are playing a game, trapped in a large tower.Why did this movie attract my attention? The great cast. We have Roddy McDowell with a bow tie, Playgirl model Christopher Atkins ("Blue Lagoon") and Amanda Wyss ("A Nightmare on Elm Street"). A solid cast right there, despite this being a film that few people have probably ever heard of. Granted, these were 1980s stars on their way down at that point, but still decent.Ari Meyers, who may be less well-known, is also present, dressed as though she was prepared to audition for a role on "Full House". The breakout character was actually Bradley, the homosexual nerd, played by unknown actor Tre Laughlin, who apparently never acted in anything else.The problem with this film is that it runs a bit too long, especially towards the last act, and that earns it a five. A six would have happened if it was trimmed down -- the monkey is not on screen too much or too little and we spent a fair amount of time watching these people play a game. Important in some ways, but the game has little to do with them getting attacked -- they could have been doing anything. (Although it is interesting to see how little is revealed to the audience -- if you figure out the rules of the game just by watching, well done).This also is the sort of movie where the audience might point out the dozen or so bad decisions made by each character. Despite a lack of phone or fire alarms, surely they must have some way to get in and out of the building... but it never seems to occur to anyone, with their best thought being to throw silverware out a vent to see if someone notices. (And if they do notice, why will it make them call the police?)Not bad as a hidden gem, but not something to go out of your way for, either. Could make a nice double feature set with "Link".

Where is the love for Shakma? This is an entertaining, mindless cheesy Horror flick that came in the decline of a genre.The movie is about a killer baboon. How could someone not like it? It's cheesy as hell and unintentionally funny but still it delivers expectations. I'm glad I rented this on VHS because I had a great moment. I laughed, cringed, and applauded for Shakma! The lead characters had great chemistry between each other. Wyss on her hottest form, Atkins, and the always fantastic Roddy McDowall were great on their roles. But keep in mind that Shakma is the real star of the movie. Our killer baboon made the entire movie watchable.Rent this not so bad piece of 80's Horror trash and have a good time. Remember to keep your brain out of this. You won't need it.

Shakma rules! Okay, you might be wondering why on earth I would give this movie a 10. Years ago my best friend and I watched this ever so classic movie Shakma. It was the Channel 7 Late Late movie in New York one Friday night. Oh my goodness, we never laughed so hard in our lives. 1. First of all the movie is about a serial killer baboon; let me repeat that, A Serial Killer Baboon, Classic!2. The overacting in death scenes, Classic!3. The fact that Shakma ran faster than a cougar, Classic!4. The obvious fake blood, Classic!5. When one of the actresses hides in the bathroom and Shakma gets her as she's climbing out of the window, Doubly Classic!Yes, yes I know it's supposed to be a horror flick but it turned out to be straight comedy. My best friend and I still talk about Shakma to this day. It's a must see.