Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...Each and every one of us out there, hold a story in our hearts that we would love to see find its way onto the big screen. Some of us have had that silent goal achieved, especially comic book fans since those movies are just about everywhere you turn these days. But for some, there are still other adventures in print waiting to be adapted into a screenplay and turned into the all-important ‘major motion picture.’ For me, that particular story in question has always been Stephen King’s magnum opus; The Dark Tower. Because it is a story that captivated my imagination at a young age when I first picked up The Gunslinger in a used bookstore in 1985. So, in many ways…I’ve waited a lifetime to see this story find its way to the silver screen and this past weekend, that long-awaited moment finally arrived for me. However, rather than head into the theater with my head held high, content in the knowledge that this would be a viewing experience for the ages…there was a touch of trepidation in the back of my mind. After all, it’s almost impossible to miss snippets of reviews and feedback on social media and I’d seen plenty of puns and blurbs discussing how people simply did not enjoy this film in the slightest. So really, let’s get down to the big questions on everyone’s mind, is The Dark Tower the perfect dream telling of this tale that fans of the book everywhere have been waiting for? Or is this a gigantic turkey to be completely and utterly avoided. Well…technically the answer to both of those questions is a big fat no. Because this film is in fact a dynamic and entertaining motion picture that just so happens to provide a wonderfully fresh take on this incredibly epic tale. Now let’s discuss that ‘fresh take’ first, because I feel as though that’s what has put off a lot of the fans over the past few days because truth be told, those walking into this film who have read the books and are expecting a tit for tat adaptation of The Gunslinger, are indeed going to be disappointed because little of that is to be found in this motion picture. This is at its core, a sequel to the original book series and an awesome one at that because by having this take place after the final novel, it frees the story from having to be tightly linked to the original and that’s also what makes this film so dynamic and entertaining. Because in many ways when you watch this film it feels as though anything and everything can and will happen and that adds a sense of danger and adventure to this story, and that…is what makes this movie in my opinion, tie in perfectly to the novels. The books were always about an incredible adventure that took you by surprise and the twists and turns in this story hold true to the spirit of the books, and that is further enhanced by the top-notch casting in this motion picture. Matthew McConaughey is deliciously evil as the Man in Black and Idris Elba turns in a wonderful performance as our reluctant hero, Roland Deschain. However, despite all my gushing up to this point, do bear in my mind that this is by no means a flawless film. Unfortunately, it is light on backstory and details when it comes to the rich world that Roland inhabits in the novels. Giving those that have read the books quite the advantage when going in to this one since they know all the ins and out of both Keystone Earth and Mid-World. Which means that the uninitiated will certainly have questions once the film has come to an end, and that’s a problem that could have been easily fixed by extending the movie’s brisk running time with a few more scenes that fill in those gaps. Yet, oddly enough, the film’s greatest weakness is also its greatest strength since the lack of detail will no doubt motivate audience members to find the answers they seek in the pages of the novels and really when all is said and done, I appreciate the fact that by not creating a three hour story the film does serve as an anti-Lord of the Rings if you will, focusing instead on providing the audience with a good time and really, the secret to enjoying this one is to head into it with an open mind. Either way, I absolutely adored this motion picture, and I certainly hope that the story doesn’t end here, for Roland’s quest is one that deserves a quality visual interpretation…and a proper ending for that matter as well.
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