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4.0 out of 5 stars
Mostly a comedy, but definitely not a horror., April 5 2004
I think it is odd that people view this movie as a horror and then get upset by it. The movie cannot be completely categorized in any one genre since each story attempts to create a different mood. The only pervasive style, however, is dark comedy.The first segment is nothing but humor, with a slight touch of morbid moments. A good example of the type of humor that's in this story is when James Woods' character has tried to quit smoking and he goes to a party. The room is completely smoke-filled and everybody offers him a cigarette every three seconds. Soon, he starts to hallucinate--and sees a giant pack of cigarettes walking around and taunting him. Obviously, this isn't horror. The second segment is the most serious of all three. It is supposed to be a suspense story, and it is mostly successful. I've always enjoyed it, but given that it is surrounded by much campier material, it seems out of place here. The third segment is an adventure story. It could, because of the presence of the troll, be considered a horror by some viewers, but it is incredibly silly. It's the story of a cat fighting out a duel with a little monster, replete with Howie-Mandel-esque voice-overs. It alternates quickly between humor and adventure, but it is not scary unless you are a small child. The movie suffers only for two reasons: one is that some special effects shots have suffered greatly (although quite a few are still amazing). The other is that whenever the movie does try to be serious, it never works as well as it should. It's like watching a clown do a routine with seltzer water, and then trying to recite a soliloquy from "Hamlet" without changing his make-up. By the time the movie does reach its more serious moments, you'll already be in a laughing mood.
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