Review - The Dark Tower (2017)

         Hey guys, Chuck here. HallowScream is just around the corner, and that means a lot of fantastic reviews of fun movies to watch for the Halloween season. However, this year's HallowScream is themed around vampire movies, and that unfortunately means that I won't be reviewing a Stephen King movie for HallowScream . But, because I want to get a Stephen King review out there this year, I decided to take a look at a Stephen King movie that isn't necessarily one that needs to be watched around Halloween. So, this is my review of the 2017 Stephen King movie The Dark Tower, based on the book series by Stephen King, directed by Nikolaj Marcel, and starring Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Jackie Earle Haley, Tom Taylor, Claudia Kim, Katheryn Winnick, Abbey Lee, and Dennis Haysbert. 

        So in the universe of The Dark Tower, our world is a dimension called "Keystone Earth," and is one of many dimensions in the universe protected by a mystical barrier created by the Dark Tower. Outside of the barrier are all manner of nasties that seek to do all sorts of harm to the universe. Another dimension, Mid-World, is a pseudo medieval meets wild west type of world, which is protected by the Gunslingers. One such Gunslinger is Roland Deschain, who is in a seemingly never-ending battle with a sorcerer named Walter Padick also known as the Man in Black. A conflict which saw the death of Roland's father.

        On Keystone Earth, we meet Jake Chambers, who is one of many children who Walter and his minions are targeting. Why? Because these children all have the Shining, and Jake has the strongest Shine of them all. And when Walter's minions attempt to take Jake, tricking his mother and stepfather into thinking they're taking the boy to a special facility for children with psychiatric issues, Jake runs and finds an abandoned house from his dreams, leading to a portal to Mid-World. 

        Arriving on Mid-World, Jake meets Roland, who agrees to keep him safe from Walter and his minions. The two traverse the harsh wastelands of Midworld, which only became as such due to the various attacks by Walter and his followers. Roland and Jake eventually arrive at one of the few remaining towns in Midworld, and they agree to help Jake get back home to Keystone Earth, and Roland goes with him. Fending off an attack by Walter's minions, the gate to Keystone Earth is opened, and Roland and Jake make it through. After discovering the dead remains of his mother and stepfather, Jake is upset, but learns the way of the Gunslingers from Roland.

        Jake, unfortunately, is eventually captured by Walter, who takes him to his facility back in Mid-World, as Jake's Shine is the key to powering a machine that can destroy the Dark Tower itself, thus plunging the universe into chaos and darkness. Roland, luckily, is able to stop him, and the Tower stands, meaning the universe is safe. The movie ends with Roland and Jake deciding to return to Mid-World together, as Jake has no one left on Keystone Earth. 

        Now, even though this was the first Stephen King movie I saw in a movie theater, it isn't all that great. Don't get me wrong, it's got some really decent performances from Idris Elba as Roland and Matthew McConaughey as Walter. Tom Taylor was okay as Jake, but not particularly memorable as far as kid actors in Stephen King movies go. The rest of the cast, like Claudia Kim and Jackie Earle Haley were all okay, but clearly overshadowed by both Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. 

        But, here's the thing. The movie's problem is its story. You see, The Dark Tower series is meant to be Stephen King's ultimate epic. It's a book series that's a mix of Lord of the Rings, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and Arthurian lore. This movie just felt generic, cliched, and dull. Seriously, the overall look of Mid-World is pretty standard for a post-apocalyptic world. But, it almost takes a backseat to sequences set in New York City. Top that off with attempting to cram several books into a single movie, which means a lot of things are either glossed over or omitted entirely. However, the action in this movie is a strong point, as is the music by Tom Holkenborg, who always does great music for action movies.

       Honestly, as much as I love Stephen King projects, this is one movie that I really can't recommend. Honestly, as much as I wanted to enjoy the movie and what director Nikolaj Marcel attempted to do with it, I have honestly lost all interest in this movie since it's release six years ago. So, I'm giving The Dark Tower a rating of 3.35/5. And, if I'm being honest, I'm glad that It came out the same year as this movie, because at l we got ONE good Stephen King movie in 2017. 

        This is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys next time when I take a look at the new Netflix series One Piece.