The Dark Tower (2017)

[Bridgeburner]

The Dark Tower (2017) Review (as written by a Tower junkie)

Interesting review. I'm heading out to see this tonight. Can't help myself.

 

[Mondo Jay]

Interesting review. I'm heading out to see this tonight. Can't help myself.

How was it?

The bad reviews are stacking up.

 

[Bridgeburner]

How was it?

The bad reviews are stacking up.

I don't think there are any spoilers here but read at your own risk.

I don't really understand the bad reviews to be honest. I don't really know what they are trying to do, overall, with the story, but it was a good movie. Elba and McConaughey were fantastic. My issues are as a book reader, not a movie-goer. And I'm not upset about the movie from a book-reader standpoint, I'm just not sure what they are doing. As in, where the story is, where it's going. What it feels like is that it took some of the characters from the books and the overall plot and mashed it into a 90 minute movie. From what I can tell, everything that happened in the books is now over and we're in new territory if they do sequels or a TV series. But what happened in the movie is not at all what happened in the books. At virtually any point.

 

[Bridgeburner]

AND... it's my understanding that the TV series is moving forward despite the negative reviews and luke-warm profits. AND it will be Wizard and the Glass with Elba playing Roland telling the story and appearing only in the beginning and end of the film and a different actor playing the younger Roland.

 

[Niner Outlaw]

I don't think there are any spoilers here but read at your own risk.

I don't really understand the bad reviews to be honest. I don't really know what they are trying to do, overall, with the story, but it was a good movie. Elba and McConaughey were fantastic. My issues are as a book reader, not a movie-goer. And I'm not upset about the movie from a book-reader standpoint, I'm just not sure what they are doing. As in, where the story is, where it's going. What it feels like is that it took some of the characters from the books and the overall plot and mashed it into a 90 minute movie. From what I can tell, everything that happened in the books is now over and we're in new territory if they do sequels or a TV series. But what happened in the movie is not at all what happened in the books. At virtually any point.

I just saw it last night. It wasn't great, but it wasn't anywhere close to as bad as the reviews make it sound. Elba played a great Roland. I was stunned at how well McConaughey played Walter b/c I didn't think his voice/accent fit the character.

I think the bad reviews may be coming from people expecting to see the books played out in the movie. They basically took the gunslinger, Jake, tower, and man in black concepts and then almost completely rewrote the story.

I would've much rather seen a movie more closely based on the book(s), but the movie wasn't bad at all.

 

[Clayton]

Movie doesn't sound bad but it doesnt sound like it needs to exist.

Did they dumb it down for international money or to capture the young adult dystopian crowd?

 

[chf]

Movie doesn't sound bad but it doesnt sound like it needs to exist.

Did they dumb it down for international money or to capture the young adult dystopian crowd?

Haven't seen it yet, but I suspect the biggest 'dumbing down' would be for the 90 minute factor.

 

[SDGuy73]

The Dark Tower

Domestic Total as of Aug. 7, 2017:$21,216,457
Distributor: Sony / Columbia Release Date: August 4, 2017
Genre: Fantasy Runtime: 1 hrs. 35 min.
MPAA Rating: PG-13 Production Budget: $60 million

 

[SDGuy73]

Haven't seen it yet, but I suspect the biggest 'dumbing down' would be for the 90 minute factor.

That is always a huge No for me. 2 hours or go fuck yourself! It's a rental.

 

[Bridgeburner]

I just saw it last night. It wasn't great, but it wasn't anywhere close to as bad as the reviews make it sound. Elba played a great Roland. I was stunned at how well McConaughey played Walter b/c I didn't think his voice/accent fit the character.

I think the bad reviews may be coming from people expecting to see the books played out in the movie. They basically took the gunslinger, Jake, tower, and man in black concepts and then almost completely rewrote the story.

I would've much rather seen a movie more closely based on the book(s), but the movie wasn't bad at all.

Agreed 110% man. That's exactly where I'm at.

I am pretty interested in the TV show they are planning. Wizard and the Glass was my favorite DT book. That might make a really great 1-of season of TV. The only downside is a reduced role for Elba.

 

[Cowboyinexile]

How was it?

The bad reviews are stacking up.

I saw it tonight. I'm not a King fan, so this is coming from someone who thought the trailer was cool and knows very little about the source material to form an opinion.

I was disappointed. I had built up the Man in Black as this evil badass in my mind but honestly McConaughey was more creepy than evil badass. His abilities were pretty cool but honestly it felt like he was mailing it in. Elba was great, and the kid playing Jake was solid. The movie kinda dragged in the first half and I felt like the time they spent in Keystone Earth kept swinging between fan service and product placement, which for a casual viewer was distracting.

The third act was better. The big fight scene was badass and the final battle delivered.

All in all, it was ok but this was the first time in years I've been able to watch a movie in the theatre alone so finally getting this type experience again was a letdown. The last movie I watched alone before I got married was Priest which was terrible so it could have been worse. But if you haven't seen it yet, I wouldn't fault you for taking a pass and catching it next year when it's on Amazon or Netflix.

 

[Bridgeburner]

A great thing about seeing it in a good theater is the sound of the guns. Coolest thing about the movie. I swear you felt the concussion hit you in the chest when Roland loosed a round.

 

[calsnowskier]

I finally saw it.

If they took the Tower name off of it and changed the characters names, I would have thought it was loosely influenced by the Dark Tower, but a completely new story.

As it was, it had some slight elements from Drawing of the Three (book 2), The Dark Tower (book 7 - I think... the parts about using the powered people to attack the Tower, I forget which book that was), Wolves of the Calla (book 5) and Black House (book 2 of the Talisman series).

By putting the Dark Tower name on it, though, I have to dock it some pretty serious rate points...

3/10 (maybe a 6 or 7 if they put a different name on posters)

 

[calsnowskier]

Looks like TV series is still a go, with Elba still attached, but it will be a complete reboot. The movie never happened.

Dark Tower TV series is now a "complete reboot"