|
|
Directed by Written by Based on the novella by Starring Presented by 89 minutes |
|
||
 |
||||
|
DR.
JEKYLL & MR. HYDE (2008) Review
For fans of horror, the tale of Robert Louis Stevenson’s tragic doctor has embraced us for over a hundred years when first published in 1886, but its roots in cinema has existed since the dawn of film, as the first filmed adaptation was in 1908. A century later comes a new version made for television that not only brings the tale to today’s time, but reimagines the story in an interesting new way. Physican Dr. Henry Jekyll (Dougray Scott) is a mild mannered man of his craft, well regarded by peers. He spends his nights in his lab researching and studying a rare Amazonian flower believed to split the soul in two, conveying both good and evil traits. Jekyll soon experiences memory loss at a time when a serial killer starts his rampage in the city, killing prostitutes. Believing this to be due to the potency of the flower, he locks himself in his lab but even that can’t stop him from becoming the embodiment of pure evil, named Mister Edward Hyde. With both personalities clashing, Henry is forced to deal with this with the help of criminal attorney Claire (Krista Bridges from LAND OF THE DEAD) and friend/mentor Gabe (Tom Skerritt of ALIEN), while insisting that he be punished for the crimes he committed as Hyde. THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MISTER HYDE was one of my favorite stories as a youth and upon hearing of this version when available for review, I was skeptical because there have been so many versions of the tale, do we need another? Not really, but it is an interesting take with a good lead performance by Dougray Scott in the lead. Using no makeup as Hyde and only going with menacing eyes and an icy stare, Scott was able to convincingly portray both sides very well. There is a great scene where Jekyll recalls turning into Hyde for the first time, and the pure glee in Hyde coming out to wreck havoc provides some more scares than showing blood. It’s a showy role for Scott and he succeeds on most levels. Krista Bridges is good as Jekyll’s attorney who investigates his claims of murder, not believing him at first but then slowly begins to believe he is telling the truth. Like Scott, Bridges is called upon to carry key moments of the film and she succeeds. Tom Skerritt is primarily wasted as Jekyll’s art dealing friend who treated his late wife but he does bring a certain charm to the film. The characters of Jekyll and Hyde are all you will recognize from the original story as everything else is new, with a screenplay written well by Paul Margolis. The film itself, while showing in its Made for TV intentions, refreshingly go for substance over violence and portray the moments of Hyde’s murders with some genuinely intense moments. Even though the film is not rated, it is easily a PG-13 as only the subject matter is dark. The film is shot well despite its low budget by cinematographer Pierre Jourdin, with some excellent use of lighting in scenes at night where Hyde goes on his rampages. The second half does deteriorate somewhat into courtroom drama territory with Claire taking much of the screen time as it almost turns into THE EXORCISM OF DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE as Claire tries a strategy to convince people that the two are purely different people. The DVD is bare bones, with its only extra being an interview with star Dougray Scott, who talks about the challenges and complexities in playing the role. It would’ve been nice to see more, such as an interview with Bridges, who shares as much time as Scott in the film, and a behind the scenes video. However, the interview with Scott is good and informative. In all, DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE is an interesting spin on the age old classic, done to modern storytelling that is good for one viewing, and not more. It is a classy production that treats the original highly and will provide a fresh alternative for those looking for a decent horror/thriller to watch while not wanting to watch a movie with gore. DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE: 6 Out Of 10 Maggots
|
HOME
BLOGS
|
|||
