on August 04th 2017
Genres: action, adventure, fantasy
The 411 Junkie Rundown:
Dark forces took over another dimensional world and want to expand their power, which includes Earth, by knocking down the Dark Tower, a barrier that separates multiple dimensions. The Gunslinger, from another dimension, and Jake, from Earth's dimension, team up to stop that from happening.
Screenplay by: Nikolaj Arcel, Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinker, and Anders Thomas Jensen
Rated: PG-13
The Hook
- The fantastical elements and storyline piqued my interest.
- A Stephen King film I could actually watch.
- Plus, Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in the starring cast? Couldn’t hurt.
The Good
- The acting. I mentioned in my expectations, I like Alba and McConaughey in the roles they play and they didn’t disappoint in this one. They held their characters well and made them related (not necessarily likable, as a character, but relatable). Tom Taylor was the actor who played Jake. I haven’t seen him act before and thought he did a good job portraying his character and I’m interested to see where his career will lead.
- The cinematography. I liked the feel the imagery portrayed. It did a good job in reminding us that we were in a different world. The effects did not distract from the storyline and I like how they used it. Not overdone and not poorly used.
- The characters. I think the characters in the story were interesting. The Gunslinger, the Man in Black, and Jake were the main characters and they story did not dwell too much on the supporting characters in the story e.g. the Man in Black’s minions or the ones who help out the Gunslinger so I can’t really say much about them but they did not distract the story and I think in subtle ways they helped the plot move forward.
The Bad
- The characters. Yes, there were both good points and bad. What I didn’t like about the characters was how little of them we learned through the film. Why was the Man in Black the Man in Black? Why was the Gunslinger a Gunslinger? What was their purpose, their roles aside from one bad and one good? And what about Jake? As mentioned, the characters were interesting and it kept me interested, but I was always hoping to learn more, to understand more, and I never got it.
- The story. I liked the concept. Big baddies from another dimension want to take over all dimensions and there is a barrier between worlds that stop this. But it was a little more disappointing because I felt it lacked an overall context. I felt this was a movie about an isolated incident and that’s it. It was never placed in a greater context. I never understood why the bad guys wanted to take over all dimensions, what was their endgame? It was never explained what a Gunslinger’s purpose was and the need for a Gunslinger. And I never understood why Jake was so important. This is hard to explain without giving away plot points so I won’t go into detail with it. Overall, the movie did not have substance. Does that make sense?
Random Thoughts
I haven’t read the book and I’m on the fence as to whether I will. It seems like a really good storyline and maybe the book explored more of it than the movie did. I’d like to see if it does and if my questions are answered in the book. Aside from substance, and those pesky questions my mind kept asking, I did enjoy the movie, for what it covered. There was a beginning, a middle, and an end and the story had enough tensions between the good and the bad to make you want to see what happens. I would watch it again (and maybe a second or even a third watch will clear up some questions).