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Overall Rating : 8/10
Directed By : Frank Darabont
Thomas Jane (The Punisher (2004) )
Marcia Gay Harden (Into the Wild)
Laurie Holden (Silent Hill)
Andre Braugher (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer)
Supplied By : Dimension Films
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : March. 19, 2008
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| PLOT David Drayton and his young son are among a large group of terrified townspeople trapped in a local grocery store by a strange, otherworldly mist. David is the first to realize that there are things lurking in the mist, creatures not of this world, that force David and the hostages to band together in a fight for survival. However he begins to wonder what terrifies him more: the monsters in the mist or the ones inside the store, the human kind, the people that until now have been his friends and neighbors? |
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| THE REVIEW In THE MIST, it is the day after a vicious storm that sent a tree through artist David Drayton's window. The situation sends David and his young son, Billy to the supermarket to get some supplies - but little did they know that they'd be staying in the said supermarket for far longer than they thought. Soon after they arrive, David and everyone inside notices that a strange mist is lingering toward the small town Maine supermarket, and it wouldn't be long before they find that there is something well hidden within it - and yes it is a threat. When one of the store's employees is suddenly killed by a tentacled being when trying to check a generator, the threat makes itself known. The store's occupants find themselves under attack by some kind of otherworldly monsters that hide themselves within the strange mist, which prompts them to barricade themselves inside the store. David tries to bring together everyone to form a plan of survival, while terrified of what may happen next As time goes by, for some, paranoia sets in, and so do their tempers, causing them to turn their backs on others. With tension rising within the store(mostly involving an over zealous religious woman named Mrs. Carmody, who believes that the attack is God's way of ending the world), David and a few others begin to wonder if some of the people inside the store could be just as dangerous as the mysterious monsters that lurk on the outside. Stephen King, one of the most prolific Horror Authors of our time, over the years has had many of his novels and short stories brought to life on the big and small screen. More times than not, however, we'd get a decent film out of them that wasn't 100% accurate, and other times we just get movies that have been just plain bad. Writer/Director Frank Darabont has previously directed two successful King adaptations in THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and THE GREEN MILE, with THE MIST, which is more Horror oriented, Darabont returns once more, and once again he succeeds. Frank Darabont seems to be on the same level as Stephen King, as he accomplishes once again in bringing King authenticity, in both feel and in visuals. I'll be honest with you, when the previews for THE MIST first began to air, they did nothing for the film, other than make it look like just another version of John Carpenter's THE FOG. Now, after finally seeing THE MIST, I can safely say that besides the obvious similarities, there are really no other comparisons. Sure, the original FOG is classic, and has even spawned a remake(that was pretty bad mind you), and I like it, but I have to say that I enjoyed THE MIST far much more. You could easily take a look at the premise and prematurely assume that a film which for the majority, takes place is a supermarket would be boring, but this is a film that you definitely shouldn't judge before seeing it. Frank Darabont, does a great job at directing the action within the supermarket, and before long, the supermarket becomes one big atmospheric set piece, with the help of some decent effects, fantastic acting by all, and an overall claustrophobic feeling. THE MIST is truly rare in that within it, we have the B-Movie, creature feature set up, but at the same them we have well above average acting by a rather big cast, the type of acting you'd probably never get in a B-Movie. As fan of many types of films, especially B-Movies, I found this to be a great mix in this case. In the film, we have a bunch of folks fighting off creatures in which they cannot see, and unlike other times, when an actor often looks like a "fish out of water" so to speak, and making their performance unbelievable, the cast here actually make a believable job out of it. Speaking of the film's creatures(which are a variety of things), we obviously know they're not really there and not real, but the execution of the effects as well as the acting by their counterparts, quickly make us forget that - it is just fun to watch all the way through, as we just don't know what will happen from one minute to the next. The characters in THE MIST are just like in any other Stephen King story, they are all different and diverse in their own way. Having them all trapped in shelter at a supermarket, truly was a brilliant way to explore how their many differing personalities would interact with one another - and amongst them all is the religious person, which seems to be the one type of person that King always has in his stories. As I have mentioned already several times, I have to give credit to the whole cast for giving excellent performances. Thomas Jane does an awesome job here as David, it is perhaps one of the most strongest performances he has given so far. His character is meant to be the hero, and Jane's performance really has you believing that he is one, although this film shows, that heroes can't always be the strongest. Also Marcia Gay Harden delivers her character in a very believable way, so much so that after awhile, she kind of annoys you, and you just want to slap her. This is actually a good thing, because the character is intentional written as so, and indeed, Marcia Gay Harden, succeeds in her performances. But to single anyone from the cast out, would be entirely unfair as everyone, no matter how big their role is, contributed in a good way to the film somehow or another. Overall, THE MIST, has to be one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever brought to film. I enjoyed it entirely from start to finish, it is both suspenseful and funny, as yes it has the expected frights we expect from King, but it also has the right amount of witty and humorous dialogue to have us laughing on occasion as well. |
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| GORE
METER 4.5/10 We have impalements, blood splatter, a bloody stabbing, bugs nesting in one's body, and other instances. Not really all that gory, but enough to be effective, it is stylish and well done. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 5/10 A blend of tunes that all moody, atmospheric and suspenseful, it fit the film really well. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM I loved THE MIST, and honestly it is one of the best overall horror films I have seen in a while. Unlike a lot of films these days, THE MIST isn't just another film following the latest trend, I actually thought of this film as a throwback to when Horror films were simple but effective....I highly recommend. This DVD will be released on March 25, 2008 |
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