|
Mary
is a slightly dysfunctional highschool student who is plagued
by bad dreams and repetitive sleepwalking. She has a need
to be scared, and films and the Internet no longer satisfy
her craving. Understandably, her parents are upset and angry
when she decides to see a popular horror film with her friends.
Falling ill halfway through The
Wisher,
she fails to see the conclusion. This information proves essential
when she is stalked by a figure resembling the perpetrator
in the film. Although she initially fails to make the connection,
Mary's wishes are being granted in the most gristly fashion...
Firstly, let me send you in completely the wrong direction
by stating this has every cliché in the book. The key
character is a 'plain Jane', nobody believes what she sees,
the boy admired from afar is thought to be the villain, there's
a bitchy rival who makes fun of her, and a geeky male friend.
Several scenes appear to blatantly stolen from other well-known
movies. The now-you-see-me-now-you-don't moments from Halloween.
Running frantically around locking the doors, and the good-bad-good
boyfriend, both from Scream. The attack in a darkened
pool room, from several teen flicks. Then there's the wishing
scenario.
The
Wishmaster franchise has unbelievably run to several movies
now without ever justifying its return. This idea of demons
and the seduction of wishes extends back into fable and folklore,
and has formed the crux of many modern jokes not to be repeated
here. The Wisher himself utilises gloves containing
blades of glass as weaponry; I defy you not to think of this
as a variation on Freddy Krueger and Edward Scissorhands.
Have
I completely convinced you this movie is clichéd, mindless
pap? I hope not, because for some indefinable reason it works.
The performances are solid, if not award-winning, the figure
of the Wisher is seen only fleetingly until right at the end.
You never know for the length of the movie if the character
is human or supernatural (rather like Jeepers Creepers,
although not in the same class), but plenty of suspects are
put forward. Rather than a good script badly realised, this
is an average story well told. Yes, it's easy to pull apart,
but it's extremely watchable as a whole. The idea of subliminal
images in the film the characters go to see isn't exploited
enough, though. Is this the real reason for what is happening?
And if so, who is responsible?
So
long as you disengage your logic circuits prior to viewing,
and avoid the cringeworthy and totally superfluous epilogue
which hints at the reoccurrence of events, this film will
be enjoyed with the company of a six-pack.
Ty
Power
|
