Cujo

Starring: Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Christopher Stone, Ed Lauter, Billy Jayne
Directed by: Lewis Teague
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Thriller
1983

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A St. Bernard named Cujo contracts rabies and terrorizes a mother (Dee Wallace) and her young son (Danny Pintauro).

Review:

Tim: While Cujo may have lost some of its effectiveness in the 30 years since its release, it is still a very compelling, intense horror thriller. I loved the unconventionality of it. If you told me a movie about a dog with rabies would be frightening, nerve-racking, and memorable, I would have been skeptical. And yet, it certainly is. While the film is definitely not perfect and has its flaws, as a whole, it's a worthwhile film.

I do appreciate how much time is spent on character development. We really get to know this family, their successes and their struggles. While the Trenton family isn't always the most engaging, we do develop some feelings for Tad and his struggle with monsters, as well as his parents, who are trying to hold their marriage together. While some scenes of the family went on far too long, for the most part, the early scenes are important to help us identify with the characters. We did spend a lot of time with Vic, although the payoff there was minimal. It's really Tad and Donna we need to know so that we care when they finally run into Cujo. Now, while I appreciate the character development, a little too much of the film was spent on the setup. I wish we had slightly less time on the front end and more time with Cujo in full rabies mode.

I didn't care a whole lot for the cast. Danny Pintauro was certainly cute as a button, but the kid wasn't a great actor. I never fully cared about his character. Yes, I wanted him to live and felt some trepidation when he was in harm's way, but that has more to do with seeing a child in distress than anything Pintauro did. Dee Wallace was okay as Donna. She has some great moments, but she also has some moments where I just did not believe her acting at all. She came across as a little too dull for my taste. Daniel Hugh Kelly had some great moments, especially with Pintauro. He isn't exactly a great actor, but he delivers a solid performance. Ed Lauter was good as an unlikeable character. As a whole, the cast was fine, but it certainly wouldn't rank as one of the film's strengths.

What the film does well is portray the murderous Cujo in a frightening light. This could have been completely ridiculous because the rational part of our brain realizes that this is just a dog and everything he does on screen is just him (or them) playing. Even still, the film does a great job of at least giving the impression that this is a deadly dog. A whole host of tricks had to be pulled out of the bag, but there were moments when I got caught up in the story and started to believe. That is an achievement for the film.

This is a film that works because it's from the 1980s. When Donna and Tad get stranded in their car, unable to escape because of the circling Cujo, you feel their sense of isolation and fear. Today, Tad and Donna would both pull out their cell phones and the story would end. In the early 80s, though, you really were on your own. I love how a car in a parking lot suddenly felt like the most isolated place in the world. The film did a great job of showing how trapped they were.

While the film has its flaws, Cujo does enough for me to consider this a worthwhile thriller. I enjoyed the viewing experience for the most part. This is a memorable movie that I'd be excited to watch again.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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