REVIEW BY AVID GAMER

Alone In The Dark is not a perfect film

Uwe Boll is ahead of the curve. ALONE IN THE DARK's director is reinventing Hollywood on his own terms and he's not taking any prisoners. Don't take my word for it; read the interview with LucasArts President, Jim Ward, in the March issue of Game Informer. Ward and LucasArts are emulating Uwe's strategy. Uwe understands that when a contemporary video game franchise sells thirty-five million copies the marketing inertia for a cinematic tie-in is enormous. Revenue potential eclipses the current Hollywood trend to revive nostalgic comic book superheroes of the baby-boom generation.

Of course, to be successful the movie must be entertaining and ALONE IN THE DARK is! Protagonist Edward Carnby, played by Christian Slater, must unravel the mystery of an evil parallel universe sealed by an ancient Indian tribe. Along the way he discovers the secrets of the orphanage he was raised in as he deciphers the clues that lead him to his true identity. Christian's performance is superb. His subdued, laid back demeanor is a canvas for the melodramatic chaos that engulfs him. Edward's love interest, a museum caretaker played by Tara Reid, is his constant companion, providing a steady supply of eye candy for the male audience. Tara treats us to a competent performance without overacting. The two stars complement each other with a believable chemistry that comes to a head during a sexual encounter that is at once intimate and sensual. I hope this relationship will continue to develop in a future sequel. Nothing is sexier than Tara in jeans blowing away the evil dominions!

ALONE IN THE DARK is not a perfect film. The special effects are top tier while the gore factor is over the top. I understand this is a subjective evaluation and that too much for some may not be enough for others. In my opinion less is more. Repetition diminishes the shock value of outrageous violence. When a head is split in half the emotional impact is unnerving. When the same head is shown a few minutes later it feels like the filmmaker wants props for doing such a good job. Some scenes are overloaded with stroboscopic lighting that diminishes the perception of high production values, while running the risk of inducing headaches.

As I watched ALONE IN THE DARK I paid attention to audience reactions. I was sitting near some teenage girls who were gasping, shrieking, and taking turns hiding their eyes as girlfriends encouraged each other to look. At the same time a group of boys that had entered the theater together and were sitting directly behind me were laughing spontaneously. Diametrically opposed reactions with a common denominator: Everyone was having fun!

Uwe Boll has his detractors, as every artist who pushes the envelope does. However, I don't know of any films any of them have made. I do know that some of the best actors and actresses in the business (including an Oscar winner) are clamoring to be involved in an Uwe Boll project. Uwe's got big balls and he's not afraid to tell it like it is. He's going to make a lot of money and entertain a lot of people along the way. I expect big things from this filmmaker and I anticipate he will deliver and, am looking forward to BLOODRAYNE, HUNTER THE RECKONING, FAR CRY, the list goes on ...