Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Cast: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Taylor, Katheryn Winnick, Claudia Kim, Fran Kranz
Rating: 12A
Running Time: 95mins
Release Date: 18/08/2017
For those who are fans of Stephen King and his books, The Dark Tower is probably this summer’s film you were looking forward to seeing the most with high expectations. For those unfamiliar with his work, THE DARK TOWER is a series of eight books by King that are a genre cross over between science fiction, cosmic fantasy and the western.
For those unfamiliar with the stories and have no idea on the synopsis, the plot is very easy to follow regardless. THE DARK TOWER tells the story of a young boy (Tom Taylor) who is transported to another world where he, along with a mysterious man named the Gunslinger (Idris Elba), must fight an evil sorcerer (Matthew McConaughey) intent on destroying the universe.
Nikolaj Arcel was the man in the director’s chair for this one, who has tried to cram quite a lot into the 95-minute running time for this movie – and despite there being so much content to contend with, Arcel has done a reasonable job. It is difficult to understand why Walter’s henchman have skin that does not stay in place and how the gunslinger’s legacy came about, but given the tight time frame, they have ended up being overlooked.
Idris Elba delivers the brooding, troubled and haunted Roland with ease and he is without a doubt, the best thing about the film. He is so natural at playing the hero of the piece and he makes his character extremely likeable.
His chemistry onscreen is good with Tom Taylor, who plays the other hero of the movie. His wide eyed surprise is convincing in moments of shock and terror, making him someone the audience will want to succeed in his quest.
Matthew McConaughey was slightly harder to watch on screen, as he strutted around with black, spiky hair giving commands like “stop breathing” and unfortunately it was hard to see him as a real villain; his presence didn’t feel like it was going to pose a threat.
The film has the character relationship elements not dissimilar to HARRY POTTER, as the young wizard forms a bond with Gandalf. Same with LORD OF THE RINGS as Aragorn takes Frodo under his wing; a teacher-pupil relationship that develops into a friendship as with Jake and Roland.
Overall, it is a film that will most likely do well at the box office after a floundering summer of movies that have failed to bring in the audience. Despite a lacklustre script, Idris Elba is fantastic in the movie and he makes it worth the watch.
