The Ghost and the Darkness

This one was recommended to me recently, and the plot sounded so interesting that it immediately jumped to the top of my watch-list.

Released in 1996, The Ghost and the Darkness is about the construction of a railway bridge in East Africa that is being delayed by two man-eating lions that have been picking off the workers. After several failed attempts by the construction engineer (played by Val Kilmer) to kill the lions, a world-renowned big-game hunter (played by Michael Douglas) is brought in to help. It's not long before it is revealed that these lions aren't so much hunting for food, but rather for sport. Perfect for any one that enjoys a good 'the hunter becomes the hunted' type of story.

The film has some really tense build ups with good payoffs, it's paced very well, and it's overall a very interesting story. However, it isn't perfect. Kilmer's acting is a bit uneven, and there are a few scenes that probably could've either been reworked to add to the tension or cut out entirely. Also, the Sir Robert Beaumont (played by Tom Wilkinson), who sends Kilmer's character to Africa in the first place, is a really one-dimensional character. He's essentially just there to be a jerk and tell Kilmer that the bridge needs to get done.

 

I'm tempted to give this one some bonus points because I really like the cast and I'm a big fan of late 19th century/early 20th century period-pieces, but I try to make these reviews as objective as possible and you can find faults in this one if you're looking for them.

Overall, while it isn't perfect, I did really enjoy it and recommend checking it out.

3.5 out of 5.

Have a suggestion for a review?

Leave a comment below.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009)

 

If you've never seen 2009's Beyond a Reasonable Doubt then you're not alone. The film was a massive failure both critically and commercially, and it was a one that I only recently picked out of a bargain bin out of curiosity. The film is a remake of the 1956 Fritz Lang film of the same name and it is about a man who frames himself for murder in order to prove that the District Attorney has been planting evidence to secure convictions. 

The cast is bit of a mixed bag with Jesse Metcalfe playing a investigative journalist, Joel Moore as his friend and colleague, Amber Tamblyn as the love interest/Assistant DA, and Michael Douglas as the District Attorney. The plot is clunky and extremely predictable (even if you've never seen the original). I love suspense films so I do appreciate the effort, it just doesn't work in this one.

Overall, this isn't unwatchable by any means, it just feels like a subpar, paint by numbers crime-thriller. The last line in the movie is actually a closeup of Amber Tamblyn looking at the camera and saying "F*** You." I know that this is directed at Jesse Metcalfe's character, but I like to imagine that line was for the audience. 

I give this one a 2 out of 5.

Have a suggestion for a review?

Leave a comment below.

Today's Movie: Don't Say A Word

Don’t Say a Word is a 2001 thriller with a halfway decent premise and a pretty solid cast. It’s apparently based on a novel of the same name, but I’ve never read it so I won’t be making any comparisons to the book. 

A gang of thieves pull off a heist and steal a $10million gem but, two of the gang members double-cross their leader, Patrick Koster (played by Sean Bean) and take off with the gem. Some years later, a psychiatrist named Dr. Nathan Conrad (played Michael Douglas), is invited by his former colleague to examine a disturbed young woman named Elisabeth Burrows (played by Brittany Murphy) who is in an asylum. After he is released from prison, Patrick kidnaps the psychiatrist's daughter with the hope that he can force the doctor to acquire a 6-digit number from Elisabeth's memory. Elisabeth’s father was one of the gang members who double-crossed Patrick and the number is, of course, the key to finding out where hidden the gem is hidden. So, Dr. Conrad has to earn Elisabeth’s trust, get the numbers from her, and rescue his daughter.

This is one of those movies that seems like it should pretty good, but for whatever reason kinda falls flat. Maybe it’s just too predictable to be a really great thriller, or maybe they just couldn’t get what worked for the novel to translate well in a 2hr film. It’s definitely not horrible, just underwhelming. 

I give this one a 2.5 out of 5.

Have a suggestion for a review?

Leave it in the comments below.

 ...and don't forget to check out my review of Disney's newest film Moana by clicking here.