Social Bookmarking
[My Soul To Take]
Plot:In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the night he was left for dead? Only one of the kids knows the answer.
Adam "Bug" Heller (Max Thierot) was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad's terrifying crimes, he has been plagued by nightmares since he was a baby. But if Bug hopes to save his friends from the monster that's returned, he must face an evil that won't rest until it finishes the job it began the day he was born.
Cast:Max Thieriot,
Denzel Whitaker,
Shareeka Epps,
Emily Meade,
Nick Lashaway,
John Magaro,
Paulina Olszynski.
My Thoughts:Good return to horror for Wes Craven.
Review:"My Soul To Take" is Wes Craven's return to horror in quite some time. The film follows a teenager named Adam Heller, nicknamed "Bug". 16 years ago, his father...aka..."The Riverton Ripper"...went on a killing spree, which ended with Adam's mother. Adam back then, was nothing more than a baby in his mother's womb, and was born right after his dad was taken down by police officers.
Along with six other Riverton kids. Now...they're all 16 years old, and The Ripper has returned. Right around the time of the anniversary of his death all those years ago. He's returned to claim the six kids who were born on the night he died, which includes Adam...the seventh. "My Soul To Take" is a good slasher movie, period. And that's really what people should view it as. A slasher movie. Trying to dissect it as something else would be a futile exercise.
Some people have said it's a supernatural horror film, others a serious drama-horror, but in reality...it's a slasher. A genre which Wes is very familiar with, and has a good track record with. "Scream" and "A Nightmare On Elm Street" for example. And "My Soul To Take"...is a lot more like "Elm Street" than "Scream". It's yet another story of an evil killer who's legend and carnage...manage to extend beyond the grave. The cast, led by Max Thieriot...does an excellent job in their roles as Adam's friends and in some cases, enemies. Wes really created some interesting characters, including a Christian red-head girl named Penelope, and a broodish girl named Fang.
Fang by the way has an important tie to Adam, which I won't give away here. But these characters are more than your average one-dimensional teenage slasher movie teenagers. And they're for the most part likeable, and tolerable. Which is always a plus. Granted, Wes does toss in a few cliche characters like the blonde that Thieriot's character pines over, and the sort-of-edgy black-haired best friend, as well as the jock who likes to beat up on the sort-of-edgy best friend and his friend, but there are also some intriguing characters blended into the mix as well. And for once, a rareity...the cops in the movie aren't bungling idiots who manage to annoy the hell out of the audience in every scene that they're in.
I wouldn't say this film is taught in many ways, but it does follow a few of the normal slasher movie patterns. But it makes sure to also carve out a few new ones of it's own. Thus keeping things interesting and intriguing along the way. The movie never gets boring, which is always a plus. It's close to an hour and 50 minutes, but seems shorter because it's a fun viewing experience, and even though I saw it in 3D...even without 3D, I imagine it would still be a great piece of genre film. As for the killer, the Riverton Ripper, he's not a very intimidating villain, but he's cool in his own way.
Of course so many killers sport the A-typical black trench coat and butcher knife in slasher movies, so Wes tries to give the killer a different vibe by having him sport a large, rusted coat, a curved blade, and some creepy dreads. As well as a pale skull-like face. The Ripper isn't a killer tailor-made to go over-the-top, or perform any sort of super moves. He's kept as a basic slasher, who's vicious in his killing, foul-mouthed in his language, and very skilled with his stalking, catching, and slashing skills. The one thing this movie is missing however is some great chase scenes.
We only get one in this movie, and I think it could've used a few more. But despite the lack of serious, heavy chase sequences, the film still manages to be effective in 98% of what it tries. The scoring is pretty decent also, with some creepy chimes here and there. Not much humor here though. Usually a Wes Craven movie would go for the dark or inappropriate humor. This film keeps things more serious, with a few try-to-be-funny moments here and there.
If there were any blemishes I'd mention on this otherwise perfect horror movie, it would be the CGI blood, that makes an appearance in some of the death sequences. And also, the ending...which was decent enough, and had to be chaotic and spotty to connect with the twist of the movie. I thought the ending felt somewhat rushed, and too repetitive, in some of the tricks it tried. But...when I think of how "My Soul To Take" could've ended...I am actually quite satisfied with the overall finale of the movie. "My Soul To Take" is definitely worth seeing. It's a new kind of slasher movie, that tries some new things, and succeeds in most of it.
Positives:Good story, good performances, decently-conceived characters, nice directing which nicely captures a lot of the nigh-time scenes. Cool kills, and a pretty effective killer. A nice blend of cliche characters and moments, with some new and fresh characters and moments. The Penelope character was very likeable.
Negatives:The ending tries too hard in some instances. It could've had a few nicks banged out of it before going to screen. The cgi blood is never a good thing.
Overall:Three and a half stars out of four.
(
Talk about it in the Forums!)
(
Back to the main page)
