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Dreamcatcher
(2003)
Starring:
Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, Damian Lewis
Director:
Lawrence Kasdan
Rating: R
Studio:
Warner Bros.
Review
Posted: 3.28.03
Spoilers:
Minor
By Craig Younkin.
"This
Dreamcatcher Grabs You and Doesn’t Let Go"
Dreamcatcher
is the coolest and most fascinating film adapted from a Stephen
King novel to date. How anyone could dismiss it as anything less
than that is a total understatement.
The film
begins in the woods of Maine where four friends named Henry
(Thomas Jane), Jonesy (Damian Lewis), Beaver (Jason Lee) and
Pete (Timothy Olymphant) convene on a hunting trip. The four of
them each share a unique power of telepathy, which was given to
them many years ago as youths when they saved a young boy named
Duddits from a group of bullies. Only over the years, their
power has grown to feel more like a curse; the four guys are
thought of as weirdoes and so share a life of great depression;
one even contemplates suicide. But together, the four are
indestructible (sort of like superheroes). The guys have been
given other powers as well; Pete, for instance, has the power to
send some kind of laser through his fingertip; Jonesy is somehow
able to literally go back into his own mind. But why were these
powers given to them?
The answer comes on the hunting trip; a military blue unit (or
an alien hunting team) led by Colonel Abraham Kurtz (Morgan
Freeman) suddenly surrounds the area. Alien slugs have landed in
the area and it doesn't take long for Kurtz to quarantine the
entire area. Kurtz has been chasing these aliens for years and
knows that they can infect human beings, and that the only way
to stop the alien plague from spreading is if he kills the
humans in the area. Only Kurtz is not operating with a full deck
of cards; years of chasing aliens has driven him insane, and
basically it's up to the four guys to stop the alien menace and
Kurtz before it's too late.
Dreamcatcher is the first movie of the year that really
grabs you and doesn't let go. It alternates between laughs,
jolts, and suspense, but always keeps us entertained. The
script, by William Goldman and director Lawrence Kasdan, is
pretty odd and there are plenty of holes to be found. But what
looks like a weakness is actually a major strength. This film
encourages people to think about the symbolism of the
dreamcatcher and to try to fill in the rest of the movie’s holes
as it goes a long. Kasdan and Goldman have made one of the most
satisfying versions of a King book in a long time, and that
isn't very easy to do.
Kasdan has also assembled a really talented cast including
Morgan Freeman, Jason Lee, Thomas Jane, the insanely creepy
Damian Lewis, and especially Mark Wahlberg's much more talented
brother, Donnie Wahlberg. Finally, if the rest of the movie
weren't so much fun to watch, the alien creatures would have
stolen the show. I'm not quite sure if Dreamcatcher is a
great film yet, but it is one of the most unique and creative
film experiences I've ever witnessed.
Rating: 3.5 out of 4 / Grade:
B+
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