Okay first things first. Frank Darabont’s “The Mist” is fucking terrifying! This movie is what Cloverfield (see review) should have been!
The film is an adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name and the 3rd movie based in King’s source material that Darabont has directed. Perhaps you’ve heard of the other two: The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. As in his previous two endeavors, Darabont does not disappoint here.
The basics of the plot are simple. In the wake of a particularly violent storm a mysterious mist appears and engulfs a small New England community. Certain residents find themselves trapped in a supermarket due to “something” in the mist which kills anyone who travels more than a few feet outside the store. Inside the store we are introduced to what appears to be the normal hodge-podge of stereotypical characters that frequently inhabit movies of the horror genre. However while some of these characters do indeed behave in the typical wooden and predictable manner you would expect, the ones that matter actually manage to bring a surprising degree of complexity and humanity to the roles.
Speaking of roles I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen Thomas Jane better! I think I can honestly say his performance here eclipsed those he turned in for Deep Blue Sea, The Punisher, and even 61*. His character, David Drayton, is the closest thing to a hero in the film however Jane plays it low key and subtle and through this we see that this is a just man trying to survive. In fact at times some of the choices and decisions he makes are startlingly selfish and go directly against what a “hero” in such a film would do.
As for the monsters themselves they are where the build up comes in to play. At first we see a tentacle here or hear a loud bang or rattle there. Soon we see all manner of creatures out in the fringes of the mist and there is a particular scene I would advise anyone with a fear of spiders to cover their eyes during.
If the movie has a downside it’s the blatant usage of some of the characters as nothing more than a plot device. Andre Braugher’s role as, Brent Norton, the out of town, New York, asshole lawyer is a perfect example. It’s a shame too because I normally like Braugher. Not this time around however.
Overall I found the film to be enjoyable and riveting. Without giving anything away I will warn you, however, that the ending of this movie is pretty hardcore. Not so much from a blood and guts standpoint but more from a psychological perspective. Still I encourage everyone to check it out. Definitely rent worthy and if you’re a horror movie buff it’s a buy for sure!
Arousal Scale – Redscape for “The Mist” – Stone Cold Rock Hard
March 31st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Man! You beat me to it! I was going to do a review on this film. However, upon watching it, I decided it wouldn’t be worth my time. I thought the movie sucked asshole. The first couple of minutes after we see him paint that RIDICULOUSLY BAD piece of Clint Eastwood artwork, the acting was absolutely horrible from the lead character. Absolutely painful to watch. “I don’t know, mist?” Come on!
“Something’s in the mist!” screams the overly-used actor from all Stephen King movies. “Something’s in the mist!” What a way to blatantly say, right off the bat, that something BAD is in the mist cloud. Poor execution, IMO.
Indeed, I will say that the spider scene is pretty damn creepy, with some digusting things mixed in there to boot. Violence is more gory than anything.
However, the computer animation was nasty bad! Redscape, I am completely surprised you have failed to notice the poor craftsmanship and overall BAD “actor-to-CG monster” relationships on screen. It looked like a made for TV movie!
And the ending…oh, the ending. Completely worthless. Completely fucking worthless.
March 31st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
To each his own breh. Incidentally the paintings from the beginning would make much more sense if you are a fan of Stephen King’s work. Those paintings are covers from his various books. Kind of a homage to King.
As for the CG, yeah not the best but I’ve seen worse. In my opinion it’s not the monsters that shine anyways it’s the characters. There could have been any number of things in that mist and the results would have been the same I think.
And I’ll respectfully disagree on the ending. Shit was rough but a good way to end things.
March 31st, 2008 at 5:28 pm
“ass-to-monster”
This moving sounded cool, but from the previews it looks like a bug movie. “Creepy bugs in the mist!” As I’m one to steer away from monster films (yet oddly gravitate to shitty ass kung fu movies, which I think I’ll do a piece of some of my favs) I’ll have to take your review for face value.
Nice write up, though! Keep ‘em coming!
April 5th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Hey Redscape, did you hear the Wilhelm Scream when the Mark Twain looking dude got his ass “spidered” near the end? It’s when all the lead characters left the safety of the store to try to get to their vehicles. Listen closely, it’s in there mixed with his own yelps of pain. 100% Wilhelm!