| |
March 21, 2003
By Veronica Mixon
Director Lawrence
Kasden has brought Stephen King's Dreamcatcher
to the screen in breathtaking beauty.
I can't remember the last time the snowy,
frozen wilderness has looked so good.
The story was written after a car struck
King while walking near his home is
a combination of horror, adolescence
prankishness and a heart-warming dream
of childhood friendship. The problem
for the film is that Kasden couldn't
decide exactly what kind of movie he
wanted to make. Therefore, Dreamcatcher
is at times scary and fascinating, and
at other times stupid, gross and confusing.
The
story centers on the reunion of four
friends at a remote cabin in Maine.
Henry (Thomas Jane) is a shrink; Beaver
(Jason Lee) is a carpenter, Pete (Timothy
Olyphant), a car salesman unlucky at
love and Jonesy (Damian Lewis), a teacher
who is recovering from a hit-and-run
accident. They all pay homage to their
childhood friend, Duddits, who gave
them each telepathic powers after he
was rescued by the group from some nasty
bullies. Jonesy reveals that Duddits
came to him shortly before his accident
and after arriving in the cabin, suddenly
strange things start to happen. When
a lost hunter stumbles upon their door,
the poor man deposits a slimy alien
with sharp teeth in the bathroom. Since
the military has arrived, the alien
takes possession of Jonesy's body so
that he can pass out of the quarantined
area and spawn more invading aliens.
True
the aliens are terrifying but the film
is laced with adolescent humor since
the slimy creatures exit the human body
through the anus and there is a lot
of farting before it's delivered. The
flashbacks of the four men as boys is
charming, warm and heartfelt because
of the compassion that these kids show
toward Duddits, who is played as an
adult by a nearly unrecognizably Donnie
Walhberg. It's reminiscent of Stand
By Me. However, when the story
switches back to the present, the icy
cold Maine setting is jolting. The military
occupation is routine in horror movies
and Morgan Freeman is good as an alien
hunter who has gone mad. But, his and
Tom Sizemore's roles true ridiculous
especially during the scenes at the
end of the film.
I
think Stephen King meant the story to
be inspirational in light of the unexpected
pain that surfaces in adult life - like
his own accident - and the book filled
library that exists in Jonesy head is
a neat trick. However, as a movie Dreamcatcher
may confuse many. Is this a horror film
or a drama with deeper meaning? Newcomer
Damian Lewis is good and Thomas Jane
(The Deep Blue) as the unlikely
hero is well suited as the average Joe
turn alien hunter. I just wished Dreamcatcher
which alludes to a Native American totem
was more cohesive as a story.
A
14-minute animated short, The
Animatrix: Final Flight of the Osiris
presides "Dreamcatcher." It
is a preview for the upcoming release
of the two "Matrix" releases.
The actual short is extremely realistic
and action-packed is a mini sequel to
"The Matrix" and it will definitely
whet the appetite of moviegoers!
to
TOP
|
