Phantoms

Starring: Rose McGowan, Peter O'Toole, Ben Affleck, Liev Schreiber, Joanna Going, Nicky Katt, Clifton Powell, Rick Otto
Directed by: Joe Chappelle
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Horror, Science Fiction
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two sisters (Joanna Going, Rose McGowan) arrive in a small Colorado town to discover all the residents are either dead or vanished. They soon discover a terrifying force is behind it all.

Review:

Tim: I was actually surprised that Phantoms wasn't a bad movie. Even though it was based on a Dean Koontz novel, it just looked a bit cheap and rushed to me. However, the film is fairly suspenseful, occasionally scary, and fairly interesting. That's not to say I particularly liked the movie- it's too often a cliched, recycled horror movie. In the end, the movie is decent, but it could have been worse.

I like films that start off with a few survivors isolated from everything else. It creates a creepy atmosphere and lots of potential. In this case, the isolated location is a sleepy Colorado mountain town. I've lived in Colorado before, and I can relate to the isolated feeling you get when you're thousands of feet above sea level and nestled into the mountains. This was a perfect setting for the film.

The first 45 minutes of the movie are pretty scary because we have absolutely no idea what's going on. There are clearly supernatural forces at work, but the exact nature of the menace is unclear. That creates an extra layer of uncertainty that leads to some pretty nerveracking moments. As the movie goes on, we find out more and more about what is really happening. The explanation is startlingly unique, confusing, and also a bit silly. I love that Koontz created a certainly different antagonist, but I won't say that I loved it, either.

The cast is decent. Joanna Going isn't exactly leading lady material. I was a bit surprised she was cast in this role. I wanted to see a better, more accomplished actress in this part. It would have greatly increased the movie's quality. Rose McGowan is fairly good as Going's sister, although she didn't have a great deal to do. She does have a few strong moments, though. Peter O'Toole was a nice addition because of his pedigree and his ability. However, his role was a bit silly. He makes the movie better, but not as much as you would expect him to. Liev Schreiber always makes me happy, but his role here was just too odd and over-the-top to be very good. It was funny to see Ben Affleck in this role. I actually thought he did a good job in the role. He wasn't great, but was a good addition to the cast. Overall, I liked the actors here, but no one really impressed or did anything particularly outstanding.

While the first 45 minutes to 1 hour is very effective, the movie eventually decreases in quality. When the true nature of the monster is known, the movie takes the poor turn into creature feature territory. The movie ultimately becomes one of a small band of people fighting against some crazy, special-effects generated monster. We've seen this time and time again, and I was disappointed that Phantoms took this unfortunate turn. The movie seems to be setting us up for something original and unique. I thought the movie might be heading into special territory. Unfortunately, the movie ends in such a way that feels like we've seen this all before. I was impressed with Phantoms. There were certainly moments of brilliance here. Unfortunately, they are buried pretty deep among run-of-the-mill, been-there-done-that space. Director Joe Chappelle has talent, but I don't believe he is a great director. This movie could have been better than it was. I thought the film was decent- I enjoyed certain aspects and overall, it was a fairly entertaining experience. I wanted so much more from it though, and I fear in the end, it's a bit too forgettable.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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