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Review of The Mist
Darabont hasn't the foggiest...Massive trees are blown through windows, onto cars, and boathouses when a huge storm hits one night. The next day people are a little on edge, and stocking up on supplies at the local supermarket just in case there's a hurricaine on the horizon. A man runs in screaming with a nosebleed, followed by a huge mist which seemingly has overtaken the city. He yells about how there's something in the mist. Something that took his friend. Nobody knows what he's talking about, and think he must be crazy. Once the mist evelopes the supermarket though, shaking the entire building, crashing light fixtures off of the ceiling, and scaring the bejesus out of everyone, the supermarket customer realize that something IS happening, and that there just might actually be something in the mist. Based on a novella by Stephen King, adapted and directed by Frank Darabont, and starring Thomas Jane, THE MIST had the potential to be a solid horror flic, but it never gets there. There are nearly a dozen main characters in this ensemble piece, and unfortunately they're all clichés. Darabont doesn't seem to understand this, and treats the mistless sections of the movie with so much reverence that when it comes time for the fun stuff to happen, I kind of resented the film for expecting me to feel for these weak cardboard community. Especially since he's clearly trying to take a page or two out of THE THING's book, and not even coming close. The effects sequences ARE well done, though maybe a bit too clearly computer generated (the contents of the mist, not the mist itself). A fair amount of blood and guts are on display, but because you don't care about anyone, and the scenes are done in a way that hopes you do, it's really hard to not be bored and yern for a more original and exhuberant horror film. Arguably the two main stars of the film are Thomas Jane and Marcia Gay Harden. Harden, who I love in MILLER'S CROSSING, plays an irritating woman who believes she's a vessel of God, who won't shut up about the apocalypse, and Thomas Jane, who's a good actor, plays a man with a young son who steps up to be an unconvincing hero, and at the end will leave you laughing when you shouldn't be. THE MIST is like the poor kid who was in your class during jr. high that studied all night, trying his best, but when it came to the day of the test, didn't pass anyway. Darabont's proved himself an excellent filmmaker with THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, but THE MIST doesn't make the grade. Maybe one day he'll make a great horror film, but today's not that day. -Jeff. Posted on 03/10/08 by: Jeff. Post a Comment
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