Decent nature amok horror thriller that sees a giant mutated bear on the rampage in the forests of Maine. Turns out that a dastardly logging company has been treating timber with mercury and letting the effluent enter the local water system resulting in all kinds of mutations and deformities. Inner-city doctor Rob (Robert Foxworth) and his newly pregnant wife Maggie (Talia Shire) are sent to investigate and are soon caught in a life-or-death struggle between the local Indians led by John (Armand Assante), the logging company and the giant, mutated bear. Directed by John Frankenheimer, which on the face of it would seem a departure from his normal political thriller fare, but on closer inspection the film contains plenty of political themes with rapacious capitalism, exploitation of the environment, native people's struggle to protect their land and overt racism and bigotry all featuring heavily within the narrative. Some elements of the film work better than other: the cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr. captures the expanse of the forest settings to great effect; Frankenheimer builds the tension nicely and the beast attacks are well-handled. Not so good, however, are the rough-and-ready creature effects, some of the dodgy dialogue and the relationships between the characters. The relationship between the leads appears particularly odd with Maggie apparently terrified to share with her husband the fact that she's pregnant. Is this hinting at something darker within their relationship or is it simply bad writing? All that said, "Prophecy" is an enjoyable animal attack / man against nature horror thriller that has some pretty solid elements and a decent message about our acquisitive abuse of nature. ( )