Before I begin, I must admit that the only reason I halfway enjoyed my movie evening was because I went with two female friends. Their screams and wanting to leave early made me want to stay.
That being said lets move on to the review. "Exorcist: The Beginning" details Father Lankester Merrin's (the priest from the first "Exorcist") first foray into exorcism and ultimate clash with the Devil himself.
The story unfolds as a church has been found in Africa in 1949 and Merrin, portrayed fairly well by Stellan Skarsgard, goes to assist on the archaeological dig. The audience quickly learns this is no ordinary church, as the local tribesmen profess that it is cursed as Merrin finds upside down crucifixes and the like inside.
We are then taken on an up and down ride of CGI-devil hyenas tearing children apart, evil stirring in the darkness, mass death and Father Merrin finally coming face to face with Lucifer himself -- in some form.
I do not mean to sound bland, but that is a detailed retelling of this film. What this movie lacks is any hint, smell or trace of reality, which made the first movie so great. I had an extremely hard time trying to take in the story or even slightly care for the characters.
Skarsgard's rendering of a younger Merrin is promising, though. He does add depth and insight to the character, as flashbacks to his WWII encounters as a priest give glimpses to why he lost his faith. In due time, and after dealing with temptations through the movie, he regains his confidence and conviction to do battle with the Devil.
Dr. Sarah Novack, played by Izabella Scorupco, is essentially one of Father Merrin's temptations through the movie. Her being a concentration camp survivor also allows for her and Lankester to share a unique connection that grows throughout the film.
Beside these two actors, there are really no other attention grabbing performances. Probably not because of casting, but by script work, as no one does anything to distinguish themselves as integral and interesting people.
Nevertheless, the movie does have a good look about it. The main setting, the dig and surrounding camp of the church, is dark and intimidating. Inside the church, disturbing images abound and show that this really is the Devil's church. The computer effects, especially the hyenas from Hell, are a crowd pleaser, but yet again, take away from any reality in the film.
The camera work and directing also deserve credit. The way the lens wraps around corners and focuses, adds as much tension as it can to the movie. Director Renny Harlin, probably noting that he did not have much of a script to work with, decided to dedicate the movie to the art of scaring.
"Exorcist" does get points for having some pretty chilling moments. This is reinforced by my two companions jumping and hiding their faces at several surprising moments. I did find my heart rate quicken a little bit during a sequence when the power is cut off to the camp and Dr. Novack goes parading around in a towel. Why she does this, I'm not sure, but what ensues does test the stomach.
There are also tribal uprisings, sacrifice attempts, maggots, nauseating faces, eyes rolling backwards and several other phenomena associated with the area or person being touched by the Devil. They all try to reap the quick thrill or chill. While most are hit or miss, you have to give credit to the production crew for trying to squeeze out every possible opportunity to instill fear and disgust in the audience.
It might have worked, as the ladies were a little uneasy walking back to the car late at night and noticing every little detail that could shadow their impending doom.
All in all, "Exorcist: The Beginning" is a run of the mill horror/suspense movie. It tries really hard to frighten and succeeds, more so by trial and error then by actual scariness. It comes nowhere near the original's dramatic and ground-breaking suspense.
No way was it worth the $8 I paid to see it.
If you are looking for a good date movie, however, this might be the ticket to get your date to cozy up next to you and hide his or her face in your shoulder. Otherwise, the wait for the rental DVD will definitely not kill you.
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