Tuesday 27 December 2011

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark


Is Guillermo del Toro's latest scary movie worth a watch?


Synopsis 
A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.

Who's In It 
Guy Pierce - A poor performance from the greatness of Memento. It's not starting well is it?
Katie Holmes! Mrs Tom Cruise
Bailee Madison - The daughter who is terrorised in the movie. Keep an eye on this one!



What I thought 
I was a bit disappointed with this movie. From the trailer I was expecting a really scary movie but as soon as the creatures come out and are visible, which is quite early in the movie, it looses any of the scare value it had.

The creatures themselves are well animated and very creepy, especially in close ups. And the voices they use from the shadows are suitably eery but once again, this is lost as soon as you see them. A presence that can't be seen and is imagined is far worse than one that can. Hence, the scary scenes are for the most clichéd - a bath with a shower curtain, come on! For another example, see the trailer below.

The chemistry is non-existent between Holmes and Pierce. They are just not a believable couple. The relationship between father and daughter is not great either. At one point the daughter runs away and when they find her, there's no emotion on his part, he simply instructs her to get in the car without a hug or any comforting. The daughter though, Madison, gives a truly believable performance throughout.

The movie itself is well shot and the ending is quite shocking when it comes, and there is an additional twist just before the final credits.

I was expecting big things from Guillermo del Toro on this one but I think you're better off watching his other films Pan's Labyrinth or The Orphanage if you're looking for a similar thrill.

Memorable Quotes
None, pretty poor really, there was honestly just nothing worth quoting.

The one thing I did like however was the runic script above the basement grate where the creatures emerge that says "Be afraid". Any fans of Lord of the Rings will immediately spot the runes.

Rating
2/5 - You can find better scares elsewhere

Trailer
Want to see one of the cliché scary bits? Watch the end of the trailer below

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...