Dreamcatcher (Widescreen)

 

 

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We've all seen Hollywood ruin some of Stephen King's most engrossing novels, but we can't blame Hollywood too much for this cinematic disaster. Dreamcatcher is just a lousy story; it pains me to say it, as no one loves and respects Stephen King more than I do, but this has to be the worst story idea that ever came out of his usually brilliant mind. I'm ashamed to say I have yet to read the actual novel, but it seems pretty clear to me that -- assuming the novel actually tells a coherent story with King's usually impressive characterization -- it would be extremely difficult if not impossible to transform it into a good movie. The metaphors this film attempts to emulate die horrible deaths when removed from King's original pages, tempting the viewer to actually laugh at the way they are portrayed onscreen. If you thought Herman's Head was silly (hey -- I actually liked Herman's Head), wait until you how this film handles that whole mindspeak thing. The harsh, regrettable truth is that Dreamcatcher is just a thoroughly ridiculous movie.

We start out with four thirty-something, clearly weird buddies. Each possesses some kind of gift, such as the ability to read others' minds. I got the impression they were all some sort of test subjects in a black ops project during their youth. I was quite wrong about that, as they actually owe their uncommon abilities to their friendship long ago with a mentally challenged young man named Duddits. The guys all head out to a mountain cabin every winter to think about their good friend, yet none of them has apparently bothered to see or even speak to him in twenty years ' uh, OK. Back in the cabin, the guys have barely begun comparing their individual oddities and exchanging movie trivia when the snow starts to hit the fan. It begins with a couple of stranded individuals turning up with a nasty rash, and then, before you can say "I Duddits," our main characters find themselves smack dab in the middle of a mysterious military quarantine. Soon, they're fighting for their lives against nasty, slimy worms with more teeth than they can possibly need. The worms are actually aliens executing a master plan to take over the world, and -- wouldn't you know it -- Duddits seemingly tried to warn them about this twenty years ago. When Mr. Gray shows up about an hour into the film, you can consider the shark thoroughly jumped; from there on out, the whole story is just laughable.

Like others before me, I have to wonder why Morgan Freeman (the world's greatest living actor) signed on to this project. It's not like he had never had a chance to play a sort-of bad guy before, so I can only assume that he didn't read the script before signing the contract. Freeman is still good, of course (despite the odd fact that his eyebrows are huge for no apparent reason), as are his fellow actors, and I have no complaints about the special effects whatsoever (well, just one -- while it's snowing pretty good out there in the woods, there's never any falling snow to be seen in aerial shots of helicopters flying overhead). All of the wormy aliens look quite real, and there's a fair share of gore to be enjoyed on several occasions. Dreamcatcher's overwhelming problem is its story. For one thing, it never really tells us enough about that whole Duddits business -- or about the aliens, who have apparently been visiting Earth for at least a quarter of a century. And that thing with the toothpick? Well, you'll know what I'm talking about if you see the movie. And who drew up such a cumbersome alien invasion plan in the first place? Any sentient being could have gotten the job done in about five minutes -- with five tentacles tied behind his back, no less. And, just to repeat myself, what is up with these guys never taking a couple of hours to visit Duddits after they grew up? This is only the person who gave each of them extraordinary abilities, and they all go on and on about how much they love the guy, yet they'd rather drive up to a cabin in the woods every year and think about him than actually trouble themselves to visit or call.

Here's the bottom line: Dreamcatcher is just a painfully ridiculous movie.

This is one of the most insane unbalanced big budget b-movies ive ever seen.
Forget the premise and plot this is Stand By Me meets The TommyKnockers with a dash of the Dead Zone thrown in for good measure.
I saw this twice in the same day and laughed my way through it both times.
A near twin to the book the film never strays too far from the source material.
Great fun!!

BORING!!! This movie had a wonderful concept, and managed to scare audiences every scene, but there wasn't any action or scares in the first hour. For this Stephen King novel's adaptation, they had to have the best actors, best stuntpeople and the best writers. It's very thrilling and scary, but, I'm saying as a piece of educated advice: Don't Waste your time.

**1/2 out of 4

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5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
This is a good movie i dont care what anyone says. this is my favorite movie ever. I DUDDITS!

Published on Jun 28 2004 by KoRn

3.0 out of 5 stars Really pretty good
I just saw this movie last night, and I don't get why there are so many negative reviews up here. I thought it was well-filmed and well-acted, with the possible exception of... Read more

Published on Jun 22 2004 by Not telling

1.0 out of 5 stars What were they thinking?
I won't be the first to write on the schizophrenic mess this film is, but having squirmed my way through this film I need to 'exorcise' the ill feeling it gave me. Read more

Published on Jun 21 2004 by Mark C. Cuadrado

3.0 out of 5 stars Finally, Stephen King represented
Alright first of all I have to admit, I am a huge Stephen King fan, I absolutely love the way the man writes, he just seems to draw me in like no other author can do. Read more

Published on Jun 20 2004 by joostusa

2.0 out of 5 stars Cliche', cliche', cliche.......
Starts good, but fall on it's face past half of the movie. Definitely another Stephen King film. Never again.

Published on Jun 9 2004 by Luigi

1.0 out of 5 stars there's awful and then there's awful, this is both
Well, if you've seen the trailer, you expected a decent horror/sci-fi movie. However, this movie belongs in the 'horrible movie' genre. Read more

Published on Jun 5 2004 by J. Zuech

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a great film, but pretty decent and with cool f/x
At least the alien creatures are interestingly conceptualized, designed, and sufficiently fierce.

This movie takes more than a few narrative liberties with the source novel, but... Read more

Published on May 15 2004 by John S. Harris

1.0 out of 5 stars A movie imploding on itself - starts great and then crumbles
WOW. This movie is amazingly awful but at the sametime, a fascinating study of how a movie with all the right ingredients -- A-List cast, crew and big budget -- can go so very... Read more

Published on May 11 2004 by A. Tsurukame

1.0 out of 5 stars Ouch. And not in a good way
I just couldn't let this one go without giving it the praise it richly deserves. I don't know whether to give "Dreamcatcher" one star or five stars. Read more

Published on May 6 2004 by C. Gardner

1.0 out of 5 stars ........
Please, if you have a brain do NOT buy this or rent this movie.
Save yourself $25 if you're gunna buy it or Save yourself $3 if you're gunna rent it.... Read more

Published on May 6 2004

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