Skip to main content

The Raven - reviewed.


The Raven is a poor man’s Sherlock Holmes.

Instead of being highly entertained, wishing there was a sequel, and considering buying a DVD copy of my own, I found myself grateful that I Redboxed this one.

It wasn’t a ‘bad movie,’ but it was almost more disappointing than one because I was hoping for something good.

If you break it down, all the elements were in place for what should have been an awesome movie.


Set in Edgar Allen Poe's last days, The Raven is a murder mystery with interesting costuming and a few cool action sequences.


In addition to that, Edgar Allen Poe is a historical character with a bit of a fan base already built in.

John Cusack (who plays Edgar Allen Poe) was cast very well. In fact, I was really impressed with Cusack. I can't think of a better Poe.


After seeing this film, I think he would have made a good Sherlock Holmes.



He probably wouldn't have been as comedic as Robert Downey Jr. is as Sherlock, but I think Cusack would have done well with the role.

His acting in The Raven probably wasn’t Oscar-worthy, but he did his job and he did it well. The rest of the cast was believable too.

The substance wasn’t there though.

The character of the detective seemed to serve very little purpose. It was like he was a tag-along throughout the entire film -- not in the way Robin is to Batman or Watson is to Holmes, but in a, 'Why are you even here?' sort of way.


In this film, it was the writing that was lacking. There wasn’t enough levity to make it a comedy like Sherlock Holmes. At the same time, it definitely wasn’t an all-out drama.

The dialogue was fine, but the plot itself wasn’t riveting. Instead, it was slow and boring. There were a couple of twists that I wasn’t expecting, but when the surprises were revealed, I found that I didn’t really care that much.

I wasn’t invested into this movie or the characters. I wanted to be. I wanted to watch The Raven and be anxiously waiting to see what happens next. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t.


Related Content:
Planet of the Apes - reviewed.
Prometheus - reviewed.
The Big Bang Theory (seasons 1 - 4) - reviewed.





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Celebrity (look-a-like) sightings - part 3

Part 1 and Part 2 were good, but I think there's some definite look-a-likes this time around. I'll get right to the comparisons, but let me know what you think? Am I spot on or what? I saved the very best (and closest comparison) for last this time, so make sure to scroll to the bottom of the page. On the left: Edge On the right: Jamie Campbell Bower May as well start with a wrestling-related one. It seems those pro wrestlers have doppelgängers all over. I'd mentioned before that Wilson Bethel resembles Edge . I still stand by that statement. However, I think Jamie Campbell Bower looks even more like Edge. Jamie Bower, for those who are unaware like I was, is an actor who has quite an impressive resume already. I just watched The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (review to come later) and that's the first time I saw him...or so I thought. Jamie was in the final three Twilight movies, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts 1 and 2 , and t...

Choosing a side on DVD menu's -- what's the point?

Most DVDs go to a menu screen after you’re done hearing about ‘the cloud,’ how cigarettes can kill you and seeing a preview for the latest animated film. Some, however, give you an option. ‘Pick a side,’ they say. I’ve run into this twice recently – with the G.I. Joe DVD and The Break-Up DVD . At first I thought it was a cool concept. Maybe, if you pick Cobra’s side, there’s an alternate ending? Or maybe some special features --- like an in-depth look at Storm Shadow’s sword training. If you pick the side of the Joe’s, maybe there’s a look at their stunt training. No, no, and no. I went with Cobra and it takes you to the exact same screen, with the exact same features, as it does when you pick G.I. Joe. Same thing with The Break-Up .

R.I.P. to the Apple Grande

I got some sad news recently: Taco John's discontinued their deliciously underrated treat: the apple grande. For me, this is worse than the Twinkie ordeal earlier this year. I grew up eating these whenever my family went to Taco John's. You didn't even need to get a taco. A Pepsi, potato oles and an apple grande was a delicious meal by itself. The apple grande was not one of those treats that you'd often hear people talking about. There are probably quite a few people out there who never even got to experience the taste bud happiness that the apple grande provided. It was an amazing, crispy flour tortilla that was coated in cinnamon and sugar and topped with warm apple filling, cheddar cheese and crushed cinnamon candy. I was told by one of the Taco John's locations that they no longer served the apple grande and that it was a nationwide change. I don't know if that's the case or not. The item is still listed on the Taco John's website...