| Overall Grade: |
C |
|
| Story: |
B- |
|
|
| Acting: |
B- |
|
|
| Direction: |
C |
|
|
| Visuals: |
C- |
|
|
This is what happens when the Trailer is the movie
by Chris (movies profile)
Dec 27, 2006
242
of
317 people found this review helpful
Owing more to the non-sensical sequels and countless ripoffs than to "The Exorcist" itself, this unwanted prequel starts out promisingly enough, hits a few snags early on, throttles toward a steep decline of silliness, and finishes up with one of the stupidest finales of the past several years. It's obvious to me why filmmakers would try to ape the Profitability of the original film; but why not actually try to copy the Quality?
The WB exec who green-lit this third sequel should absolutely have his head examined. And the guy who green-lit the SECOND version after Paul Schrader's was deemed 'not scary enough'...should seek professional help. Seriously. It's not like Exorcist 2: The Heretic or Exorcist 3: Legion did any great business, pleased any of the critics, or made many fans. So now a full 31 years after William Friedkin's The Exorcist became a bona-fide blockbuster...now comes limping along this exhausted and inane little latecomer.
Why?
The production history is a sprawling and fascinating one, a tale that will undoubtedly become one juicy book someday. First it was the late, great John Frankenheimer who was to direct the thing. Sadly, he died. Then the celebrated filmmaker Paul Schrader was hired. Cue a boatload of re-writes. Off go Schrader and company to make the movie, but when they got back...the bossmen at Morgan Creek were none too happy with the final product.
So they started from scratch! In comes Renny Harlin, he films a completely NEW film, and after all that rigamarole, guess what? Exorcist: The Beginning, well, it pretty much stinks.
Following a fairly intriguing Act I, in which Stellan Skarsgard's (ex) Father Merrin is enlisted to steal a creepy doo-dad from a recently unearthed church, the movie crumbles to pieces with each successive scene. When we're not treated to endless dialogues about this subterranean chapel or that legendary demon, we're witness to scene after scene of "hallway walking". You know how that works: characters walk down loooong dark hallways for extended periods of time, usually while they're carrying a lantern or a candle - before something that proves to be silly (a bird, a lamp, a shovel) somehow makes a loud noise and scares the whole audience. This approach is easier than creating actual tension, plus it helps to pad out the running time.
As a visual storyteller, Renny Harlin has a bit more talent than his reputation might suggest, but the poor guy is saddled with a truly atrocious collection of CGI effects and background matte paintings that might have passed muster back in 1979. Some of the late-movie FX are so shoddy they're borderline hilarious. But obviously this particular version of Exorcist: The Beginning had to hit screens in a big hurry. And it shows.
The positive assets are few and far between, though the always-excellent Mr. Skarsgard brings a gravity to the proceedings...although it's one that vanishes as soon as another character speaks or a ridiculous swarm of CGI flies enters the room. The supporting performances range from pretty limp (the lovely Izabella Scorupco sure is, well, pretty) to completely hilarious; James D'Arcy as a wimpy young priest delivers his arcane dialogue as if he's ordering Chinese takeout. Even the truly colorful Alan Ford is rendered toothess by his garish and under-written role of Sleazy Letch.
What's most annoying about Exorcist: The Beginning is that it's a transparent little leech of a movie. WB owns the rights to the name, so every decade they try to squeeze a few more nickels out of the word "Exorcist" - just because they know we all love the original movie so damn much. To say that this third sequel is a slap-in-the-face affront to Friedkin's film may be putting it a bit too harshly, but it's still quite accurate. Frankly it's time to put this series to bed already. It's not that a quality sequel to The Exorcist is impossible to make; it's that these guys aren't even trying.
Expect lots of familiar sound effects, fake scares, horrid FX, confused dream sequences and tacky flashbacks. There's just enough in this movie to cull a solid trailer from, and nowadays that's all you need. |
My Public Profile 
