New on DVD
A new version of an old classic and a new story from a veteran action hero star are among the DVD releases this week.
“It”; 2.5 stars: Those who have not read the Stephen King book or seen the miniseries will find “It” to be a creepy fear factory running on the energy of Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise. Without the work of Tim Curry as a comparison, Skarsgard’s performance stands out because of the brilliant blend of comedy, horror and psychological manipulation that makes this clown as memorable as the first encounter with Jason or Freddie.
Without any background from the book, there’s no anticipation of the story becoming a psychological study of how scarred young people can be when the stuff of their most terrifying nightmares come to life. Focusing on the youngsters filters out all of the deeper meaning in the way Pennywise terrorizes the group and reduces the film to a rather generic horror movie. It’s a very good generic horror film as long as there are no comparisons between the book and the movie.
When it comes to the new adaptation of “It,” the amount of enjoyment will depend on familiarity with the source material. Being unaware makes it easier to enjoy this wall made standard horror story given a more goosebumps causing edge by the strong cast. Knowing what the story could have been and wasn’t is the stuff of which complaints with past King adaptations have been based.
“The Tiger Hunter”; 2 stars: What writer Sameer Asad Gardezi and director/co-writer Lena Khan have written is the story of Sami Malik (Danny Pudi), a young engineering student from India, who decides to leave his home, family and the girl he secretly loves (Karen David) to find success in America. Part of his decision to leave is he feels like he can no longer live in the shadow of his father, a man heralded for his prowess at tracking and killing tigers.
It falls to Pudi to pull the elements together. He’s a decent actor, whether it be as a supporting player in a TV series like “Powerless” or as a voice talent for a Smurf. Those are fine qualities for a TV actor, but he just doesn’t fill out the big screen demands of being a stranger in a strange land, a charming suitor, the straight man for all of his fellow actors or as a son looking for respect. This role called for someone with a lot more energy.
“The Foreigner”; 3 stars: Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan star in the action thriller from Martin Campbell, the director of “Casino Royale.” The film tells the story of London businessman Quan (Chan), whose past erupts in a revenge-fuelled vendetta when the only person he loves is taken from him in a senseless act of politically-motivated terrorism. In his relentless search for the identity of the terrorists, Quan wages war with a British government official (Brosnan), whose own past may hold clues to the identities of the elusive killers.
The film works because Campbell knows how to get the most out of the 63-year-old Chan. He mixes in enough action to let Chan do what he does best while also giving Chan a rare opportunity. He gets to act more in this offering than the majority of his past work.