Peter R. Hunt (1925–2002)

This made-for-TV effort follows the disaster movie template rather than the typical revenge of nature / animal attack template. The plot is simple: a pair of ignorant boozed-up hunters hassle a frazzled, pill-popping trucker on the highway, forcing him to crash into and tear down the fence of a wildlife reserve. Multiple animals, including lions, tigers, elephants, bears and ostriches escape and spread across the city. Dr. Claire McCauley (Carol Lynley), a vet at the reserve, tries to sort out the situation, in between trying to sort out her own domestic arrangements. “The Beasts are on the Streets” is silly but entertaining. Director Peter R. Hunt juggles a large cast and tries his best to make the more ludicrous elements acceptable. There are any number of incidents with various animals attacking cars, others animals and humans, but not in any bloody and gory manner. Similarly the beasts are all rounded up without any real trauma. There are some great nonsense moments the best of which is a cute lion cub loose in a hospital and hunkering down for a sleep in the corner of the operating theatre as an operation is underway. The cast pales into insignificance against the animals, with Billy Green Bush, possibly the stand out as a psycho hunter. Overall “The Beasts are on the Streets” is a fun, if bloodless little film that has some good animal action and any number of enjoyably dumb moments.… (mer)