THE MOVIE: CRITIC'S TAKE
When I first saw the trailer I thought I was going to watch a horror movie. Then I saw who co wrote the film, Joss Whedon. I love this guy. He is able to take things with a serious tone and make it funny. I knew then that this film will be witty, funny, sometimes scary, and a thrill ride. After the movie I felt satisfied with what I saw. Others did not. I understand why though, since the trailer does deceive you but how else could you market this movie? You can't so they lied. It's still a fun film though.
STORY
A group of five friends are spending a weekend at a friends cousin's cabin deep in the woods. Dana, played by Kristen Connolly, is joining her best friend Jules, played by Anna Hutchison, and her boyfriend Curt, played by Chris Hemsworth, for a weekend get away. They are hooking her up with a cute friend of Curt's. They are hoping this will help her to get over her passed relationship with her professor. Marty, played by Fran Kranz, tags along to supply the weed and fun. As they leave we learn they are being monitored by an organization that is prepping them for something big.
This company specializes in kissing the ancient gods' asses. They need to perform rituals all over the world so the ancient gods don't return and make everyone suffer. It's quite simple as long as the victims unknowingly play their part. Once everyone is acquainted the party begins. They let open the cellar door so the victims can choose their fate. There's a bunch of old stuff down there that if played with or opened can release a certain demon or monster. Lucky for them Dana read from a book that awakened a zombie family. A family that has a 100 percent clearance rate. In other words, they're fucked!
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| Funny and Campy |
When I first saw the trailer I thought I was going to watch a horror movie. Then I saw who co wrote the film, Joss Whedon. I love this guy. He is able to take things with a serious tone and make it funny. I knew then that this film will be witty, funny, sometimes scary, and a thrill ride. After the movie I felt satisfied with what I saw. Others did not. I understand why though, since the trailer does deceive you but how else could you market this movie? You can't so they lied. It's still a fun film though.
STORY
A group of five friends are spending a weekend at a friends cousin's cabin deep in the woods. Dana, played by Kristen Connolly, is joining her best friend Jules, played by Anna Hutchison, and her boyfriend Curt, played by Chris Hemsworth, for a weekend get away. They are hooking her up with a cute friend of Curt's. They are hoping this will help her to get over her passed relationship with her professor. Marty, played by Fran Kranz, tags along to supply the weed and fun. As they leave we learn they are being monitored by an organization that is prepping them for something big.
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| Assholes with a hottie! |
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| Like her! |
They weren't the only ones that was fucked though. The company itself is having a bad night. It seems that all the other rituals has failed and it's up to the Americans to pull it off. While one side is trying to get the friends killed, the friends themselves are fighting for their lives. It's a struggle that both sides won't give up. The ending was a breath of fresh air and gives you something to think about. The film itself was just plain fun.
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| See... monster fun! |
ACTING
The acting seemed pretty good for a film like this. I preferred the scientists more than I did the actual college students. They showed more personality and were fun to watch on screen. The chemistry for the most part wasn't sparking but I did enjoy Fran's role. He brought humor and some pretty good one liners to the mix. It's the people behind the scenes that you're probably like the most. They had chemistry. The others were still looking for theirs'.
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| I should have stayed my ass home. |
SPECIAL EFFECTS
The overall effects were good. It didn't look like a low budget film until the CGI came in. I feel as though they could have done without all the silly monsters. When they were attacking I couldn't help but laugh and cringe. The gore is there when needed and it doesn't go too over the top.
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| Well almost everything |
WRITING AND DIRECTING
The film was written but Joss Whedon and Drew Goodard. They put together a neat story with multidimensional characters. They managed to juggle multiple story lines without it getting too messy. The dialog is a bit cheesy but it can be forgiven. Drew also directed the movie. It has a dark feel to it but he was able to mix it up with laughter and sarcasm. The environments are intriguing and everything is in full view. A great job by a great team.
THE END
It's a must see, just not at the theaters. You should wait for DVD and watch it around Halloween. You'll enjoy it more. This movie is not a complete horror film. It actually makes fun of the genre while giving nods to fan favorites. It's a film that I think most of you will enjoy if you know what you're getting yourself into.
OVERALL
STORY 7 out of 10
ACTING 7 out of 10
SPECIAL EFFECTS 6 out of 10
WRITING 6 out of 10
DIRECTING 7 out of 10
OVERALL 7 out of 10 (WAIT FOR DVD)
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