The Dark Tower (2017 Film) Review
The cast for The Dark Tower is fairly small. It mainly features Idris Elba as a gunslinger named Roland, Matthew McConaughey as the Man In Black, Walter, and Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers.
If you are a parent and your child is wanting to see The Dark Tower, check out the Kids-In-Mind article for details on the film's level of violence, profanity, or nudity. There isn't any of the latter and the profanity is kept at a minimum. Violence and scariness is the only real thing to worry about with this film. The violence is bloody at times and while I wasn't afraid of the monsters in the film, I imagine children under ten, at the very least, could get scared.
Before I get into nitty-gritty details of my review, I want to point out that I have not read any of the books The Dark Tower film is based on. This may change my opinion of the film from others that have read the books and called it disappointing or otherwise, crap. In my case, I found it pretty good. There were some things I didn't like and I'll mention those issues later in my review. Perhaps this is another Percy Jackson situation.
Back in 2010, I saw the first Percy Jackson film before I read the book. I thought the film was decent, but after reading the book, and it's four sequels, I decided that the film adaptation was bad and didn't follow the book at all. Although, when has a film adaptation of a book ever followed it's source material completely? So it's likely expected that The Dark Tower film was not as good as the books.
Low Expectations
I think low expectations certainly had an affect on how my movie experience played out. In all the reviews I read, watched, or listened to, they all thought that the film was bad. I was lucky to find any critic that said that the film was good or even decent. The main problems I heard about the film was its short runtime of an hour and thirty-five minutes, crappy effects, and the fact that it tried combining all eight books into this one film. I don't know for sure if that last problem is true, it's just something that I've heard in a few reviews.
With the short runtime, it didn't bother me like I was expecting. I thought the film would go really quick and you wouldn't have time to process what you just saw. That wasn't the case for me. When watching the movie, I felt that the film took its time to let you know what was going on in terms of story, not so much with its characters, who I'll get to in a little bit. Its pacing wasn't going at a breakneck speed. In fact, there were some scenes where I felt that it was almost on the verge of slowing down completely. Luckily, the movie kept on going just as I was about to think that the movie was slowing down entirely.
Jake Chambers
As I said in my Transformers: The Last Knight review, having child actors in a film is a huge risk. Often times, it doesn't work out and the child can be a dead weight on the film like that girl was in that film. Tom Taylor is a very different story. I feel like all three main actors, Tom Taylor, Idris Elba, and Matthew McConaughey all had great performances here. They are the highlight of this film. Surprisingly, Tom Taylor is able to stand out amongst the two big names in the film.
For some reason, people criticize the fact that Idris Elba's Roland played second fiddle to Tom Taylor and that he should've been the main character of this film. I think not. For me, the main character should be the person that the audience follows around throughout the film and the one who shares the audience's sense of wonder and horror at being in such unfamiliar circumstances. While Idris Elba did good, the story is written through Jake Chambers's point of view. He is the main character in this film. He's the one that you're supposed to identify with the most and he completely works as the main character. I found him completely engaging, his line delivery wasn't wooden, and his friendship with Roland brought some necessary heart to the film.
There was one downside to this character and that is that because this film had reshoots, the actor's voice was uneven. Sometimes it'd be deep, other times, it'd be lighter. That's was due to sloppy editing more than anything else. Tom Taylor was older when he did those reshoots so his was deeper and his facial features changed a bit. I wish the filmmakers would've done more to disguise that change, but for some reason, they didn't, and it was a bad blow for a character that was good to begin with.
There was one downside to this character and that is that because this film had reshoots, the actor's voice was uneven. Sometimes it'd be deep, other times, it'd be lighter. That's was due to sloppy editing more than anything else. Tom Taylor was older when he did those reshoots so his was deeper and his facial features changed a bit. I wish the filmmakers would've done more to disguise that change, but for some reason, they didn't, and it was a bad blow for a character that was good to begin with.
Roland the Gunslinger
While he wasn't the main character of the film, Idris Elba was a big highlight of it. He was a little light when it came to character development, but his character arch that changes throughout the film, served the character well even if I could've used more of a personality from him. That's due to the script though. It doesn't give Idris Elba a lot to work with and he does the best he can with what the script gives him. It wasn't a very meaty or complex role for Idris Elba to do. The arch for Roland is a little on the simplistic side, but Idris Elba's acting makes it more of an impactful element. So even though the arch is a little underwritten, Idris Elba's acting is able to carry this character through the length of the film.
Other than Idris Elba, it's Roland's shooting skills that was the most impressive characteristic about him. When seeing him gun down various baddies, I was in awe of the skill that was displayed. The film does make sure it explains the history of the two guns he carries with him so as not to make them seem like a deus ex machina. At first, I wondered why he didn't get modern guns when he came to New York City, but after learning the gun's history as well as its skill, I wouldn't trade those guns for any other model. Because of the way he says it, Idris Elba makes the Gunslinger Oath one of the best quotes of all time.
It was great to see how Roland reacts to our society and while it gave way to some funny scenes, I could've done without the Coca-Cola product placement as well as the Hot Dog joke. They did cover up the label of the can, but I fail to see the need to point it out calling it sugar. If you're gonna include the product, you might as well call it by its name. As for the Hot Dog joke, we've seen that joke so many times in movies. Someone thinks it's an actual dog and they freak out or, in Roland's case, ask what kind of breed it is. It wasn't funny and it's been done many times before.
You're probably wondering, those of you that haven't read the novels, why I revealed the Man In Black's name. I don't usually give away spoilers, but I gave this away, because you find this out very early on in the movie and it's not played for dramatic reveal.
With more and more films that I see with Matthew McConaughey, the more I like him. It began with his role as Cooper in Interstellar and since then, he's becoming an entertaining actor to watch.
His role as the Walter Padick, otherwise known as the Man In Black, serves as another great performance from the actor. Maybe it's his voice, but there's something about Matthew McConaughey that makes me think that he was born to play a villain such as this. He's definitely menacing and he's often over the top with his performance. It didn't bother me because he always found a way to keep it contained, yet there were times where he'd be that way and I loved it. It suited the film in a positive. Even though his character burns people to a crisp, Matthew McConaughey finds a way for the character to not be too dark and too edgy. Very often throughout the film, I found myself chuckle because of what Walter would say in some scenes. Whether that's a plus or minus for you, depends on what you were wanting.
Like the two previous characters, there were things that kept me from enjoying Matthew McConaughey too much. Two, in particular. Like Roland, Walter's light on history. Roland and Walter call each other "old friend," but I'm wondering how they were friends in the first place. While I was fine with the ninety-five minute runtime, I could've used a few minutes to explain their history.
My other problem with how Matthew McConaughey's performance as Walter was that whenever he would will a person to do whatever he says, he'd say it and not put in any effort to make me feel the consequences of his actions. He went about it very casually and didn't give anything else to it. Whenever Walter would do it, I always felt that something was missing from the scene.
Other than Idris Elba, it's Roland's shooting skills that was the most impressive characteristic about him. When seeing him gun down various baddies, I was in awe of the skill that was displayed. The film does make sure it explains the history of the two guns he carries with him so as not to make them seem like a deus ex machina. At first, I wondered why he didn't get modern guns when he came to New York City, but after learning the gun's history as well as its skill, I wouldn't trade those guns for any other model. Because of the way he says it, Idris Elba makes the Gunslinger Oath one of the best quotes of all time.
It was great to see how Roland reacts to our society and while it gave way to some funny scenes, I could've done without the Coca-Cola product placement as well as the Hot Dog joke. They did cover up the label of the can, but I fail to see the need to point it out calling it sugar. If you're gonna include the product, you might as well call it by its name. As for the Hot Dog joke, we've seen that joke so many times in movies. Someone thinks it's an actual dog and they freak out or, in Roland's case, ask what kind of breed it is. It wasn't funny and it's been done many times before.
Walter Padick/Man In Black
You're probably wondering, those of you that haven't read the novels, why I revealed the Man In Black's name. I don't usually give away spoilers, but I gave this away, because you find this out very early on in the movie and it's not played for dramatic reveal.
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| That scene's not in the movie by the way. |
With more and more films that I see with Matthew McConaughey, the more I like him. It began with his role as Cooper in Interstellar and since then, he's becoming an entertaining actor to watch.
His role as the Walter Padick, otherwise known as the Man In Black, serves as another great performance from the actor. Maybe it's his voice, but there's something about Matthew McConaughey that makes me think that he was born to play a villain such as this. He's definitely menacing and he's often over the top with his performance. It didn't bother me because he always found a way to keep it contained, yet there were times where he'd be that way and I loved it. It suited the film in a positive. Even though his character burns people to a crisp, Matthew McConaughey finds a way for the character to not be too dark and too edgy. Very often throughout the film, I found myself chuckle because of what Walter would say in some scenes. Whether that's a plus or minus for you, depends on what you were wanting.
Like the two previous characters, there were things that kept me from enjoying Matthew McConaughey too much. Two, in particular. Like Roland, Walter's light on history. Roland and Walter call each other "old friend," but I'm wondering how they were friends in the first place. While I was fine with the ninety-five minute runtime, I could've used a few minutes to explain their history.
My other problem with how Matthew McConaughey's performance as Walter was that whenever he would will a person to do whatever he says, he'd say it and not put in any effort to make me feel the consequences of his actions. He went about it very casually and didn't give anything else to it. Whenever Walter would do it, I always felt that something was missing from the scene.
Action, Effects, and Music
As I already said with Roland, his skill was impressive and the action in this film never failed to entertain me. Seeing Roland constantly reload and shoot his pistols made for some of the best parts of this film. Overall, the action was great. They were in few though. I counted about only two of them, but being few in number made them special and one teased the other of what was to come. When it came to the magic Walter would preform, it was more obvious that CGI was being used, which leads me to the effects.
With a budget of sixty million, I was expecting effects that were not as good as the bigger blockbusters of the summer. Having that in mind made the fact go down smoother. The film did have a few great effects shots, but for a majority of the film, it was clear that the actor(s) were in front of a green screen or blue screen. Especially when it came to the concluding action sequence. It also lessened the fear factor of the monsters our protagonists encounter throughout the film. Some of them were hard to make out, while others didn't look like they were finished rendering. Saying that there was anything groundbreaking about the CGI would be an outright lie. It's not awful and serves the film where it needs it the most, but having a bigger budget would've allowed the visual effects teams to create settings and creatures that were worthy of a wow. None of that was there with these special effects.
Other than the three actors, a definitive win for this film is its score. The score for The Dark Tower is composed by Tom Holkenberg, better known as Junkie XL, which is his stage name. He's no stranger to scoring big blockbusters. His work recently has been scores for films like Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
It may not be made present throughout the entire film, but when it is, it's implies everything that's happening on screen. In fact, it was so good that I decided to stay for the initial credits to hear the score and because that's something I normally don't do, that's saying a lot. It's the opposite of generic and dull, the score has a lot going for it. I found the score to hit all the beats that a good score is supposed to do. I even found myself tapping my feat for the end credits track.
Other than the three actors, a definitive win for this film is its score. The score for The Dark Tower is composed by Tom Holkenberg, better known as Junkie XL, which is his stage name. He's no stranger to scoring big blockbusters. His work recently has been scores for films like Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.It may not be made present throughout the entire film, but when it is, it's implies everything that's happening on screen. In fact, it was so good that I decided to stay for the initial credits to hear the score and because that's something I normally don't do, that's saying a lot. It's the opposite of generic and dull, the score has a lot going for it. I found the score to hit all the beats that a good score is supposed to do. I even found myself tapping my feat for the end credits track.
Grade: C+
I feel that a C+ is the right grade for The Dark Tower. The two big blows that brought it down for me was the lack of a backstory for Roland and Walter and the small budget which hindered the quality of action sequences and CGI. On the bright side, this is probably a higher score than what most critics are giving it because they have read the novels. I may go read the books because I liked this film.
I would recommend seeing this film, but not in theaters. There's nothing about this film that requires that you see it in theaters. If you're gonna see this film in theaters, see it as a matinee. I don't think it's worth it. You should wait till it's available on i-Tunes or DVD to see it.
So that's my review of The Dark Tower, what did you think. Have you read the books? If you have, did you like this film? If you haven't read the books, did you like this film? Let me know those thoughts in the comments section below, share this with your friends, and let me know what film you'd like me to review next. Thanks for reading, I'm the Film Fanatic, bye-bye.
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