The Mist (2007)

Acting:		Partying:		Girls:
Blood:		Language:		Gore:
Violence:		Humor:		Sexuality:
Torture:		Predictability:		Overall:

Fear does change everything.

I had no idea as my husband and I sat down to watch Stephen King's "The Mist" in a nearly abandoned movie theater that we were about to watch a clever didactic expounding on the power of fear in the breakdown of society. And yet...

"The Mist" begins innocently enough; there's (duh!) a mist that rolls in after a large storm, cutting off communications and power, and unfortunately also unleashing giant ... things. Our hero (Thomas Jane, who does a fantastic job with this role) is picking up storm repair supplies with his young son and his prickly neighbor (Andre Braugher) at the local store when said "things" start to converge on the store's parking lot, and wackiness ensures. Like most giant bug movies, the Army is involved in some nefarious, yet vague way, and it's probably for the best that it's unclear (pats audience on the shoulder reassuringly). The real crescent wrench in this bolt-the-doors-and-wait-to-be-saved situation is...are you ready? Marcia Gay Harding's Crazy Church Lady (incidentally, have you noticed how many crazy church ladies there are in Stephen King stories). In a relatively short period of time, she's got the crowd convinced that this is the apocalypse, and she's the one who will show them the way to the One True (but bloody) Path...

But "The Mist" isn't really about God, giant bugs, or the havoc each creates inside our heads ("Game over, man, game over!"), but rather how quickly the fear we let into our lives can destroy our belief systems and our core values. In exchange, we give up the things we cherish most. It may sound goofy and preachy, but it's very timely (*cough*terrorist*cough*) and highly effective--if a bit talky ...

continue reading...