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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Straw Dogs (2011) in Movies

Aug 7, 2019

Straw Dogs (2011)

2011 | Mystery

4.5

(2 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Successful actress Amy Sumner (Kate Bosworth) is returning from her big city life to her southern hometown of Blackwater. Along with Amy is her well-educated and wealthy husband, David Sumner (James Marsdon). David quickly finds this vacation is filled with tension, particularly when it comes to Amy’s ex-boyfriend, Charlie (Alexander Skarsgård), who is not ready to be out of her life. So it is up to the weakling Harvard hero to protect his relationship, home, and way of life in a town he doesn’t quite understand.

A remake of the 1971 thriller classic of the same name, “Straw Dogs” has lost a lot of its appeal and logic with time. It still has gory moments and the plot is very similar to the original but many of the base thrills have been lost in the move to a present day setting.

This film asks the viewers to suspend disbelief, ignore a number of unfinished back-stories, and stand behind characters who are not engaging or believable. Details, both big and small miss the mark. James Marsdon is incorrectly suited as the shy bumbling academic. The house is a seeming fortress for no apparent reason. The side stories, interesting detractions from the overly built tension between the two leading males, are left unresolved.

Additionally, the themes are awkward and incomplete. There are literary throwbacks and some blatant social commentary but all of the film’s depth is lost on an audience who has no reason to care. Viewers will be preoccupied wondering what the point of the film is.

Sure, the story is engrossing and it does force self-analysis, but the modern adaptation would have benefitted from serious editorial cuts. Had the film been completed in a quarter of the time it might have actually managed to be thrilling!

Unbalanced, vapid, and pointless as a thriller “Straw Dogs” falls prey to the unnecessary remake trap. For a real psychological thrill it would be better to opt for the original.

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Red Riding Hood (2011) in Movies

Aug 7, 2019

Red Riding Hood (2011)

2011 | Horror, Romance

5.5

(11 Ratings)

Movie Rating

In a small village a wolf has been killing villagers who wander out alone. Yet for rule-breaking Valerie the desire to venture out and spend time with her true love overpowers all logic. However, drama sets in when Valerie finds she has been betrothed to a wealthy villager around the same time that that the big bad wolf returns.

Amanda Seyfried stars as Valerie in Red Riding Hood a reworking of the classic fairytale of the same name. The film also stars Shiloh Fernandez as Peter, Valerie’s childhood best friend turned love interest, and Max Irons as Henry, the wealthy suitor who has been selected to wed Valerie. The supporting cast includes some additional familiar faces such as Michael Hogan (The Reeve) best known for his work as Colonel Tigh in the Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica and Michael Shanks, known for his work on the hit television series Stargate SG-1 , who plays Adrien Lazer.

The concept of building more depth into the Red Riding Hood story is a good idea however the execution in this bland who-done-it comes a crossed as scattered. The film lacks cohesion and fails to build interest in the storyline focusing instead on sweeping landscapes and overly intense one-on-one character interactions.

The wardrobe is impressive with clothing that aptly represents both village life and fairytale ideals. However, much like the rest of the film, the wardrobe seems to be taking cues directly from other movies. Among the numerous familiar scenes is an ending that could have been plucked from The Lord of the Rings.

The film is not missing any major components but the lack of originality is a fatal flaw that impacts the entire tale. The scary moments are not scary. The intrigue lacks potency. And the romantic triangle fails to generate the intended drama.
Moviegoers will see far worse films this spring but Red Riding Hood does not deliver on what could have been a brilliant adaptation.