Rating: 
Summary: LION EYES
Review: THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS is a well made movie, with sweeping vistas of the African landscape; glorious sunsets and night scenes; a wonderful score by the ever talented Jerry Goldsmith. Unfortunately, the actors and script don't match this type of excellence. William Goldman's story never really lets us know what makes Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas tick. Kilmer is saddled with an Irish accent that he can't maintain for the whole film, and Douglas attempts to be Crocodile Hunter Jim Irwin. Only John Kani as Samuel, Bernard Hill as the doctor, and Tom Wilkinson as the despicably hateable Beaumont emerge with fine performances.
Admittedly, some of the scenes with the lion attacks were effectively frightening and there is one in a dream sequence that is actually breathtaking.
Ultimately, I found myself apathetic to the fate of our heroes, and in fact, one of them is cheated out of a good scene (no plot spoiling, though).
All in all, an entertaining, if empty thriller.
Rating:
Summary: At times, hard to watch for those who know the true story
Review: While the jacket and intro says this is a "true" story, those who have read Patterson's account, or later retellings like Capstick's know there is a lot of fiction in this Hollywood version (surprise!). Tree-climbing lions with manes, a rouge American hunter who arrives to save the day, the stereotypical British cad who sends Patterson, Masai tribesmen, and numerous other digressions from the truth made this a bit uncomfortable for me. Kilmer isn't a very convincing Irish engineer, either. The scenery and cinematography are superb, however.
Rating: 
Summary: Contrary to criticism, this is an excellent film.
Review: Lt. Col. John Patterson (Val Kilmer) is sent to Tsavo, Africa to build a bridge across a river, thus allowing the British railroad to enter deeper into Africa, bringing civilization and advancement into the Dark Continent. Once Patterson arrives, he is greeted by a situation in which a man-eating lion is harassing the workers and delaying the construction of the bridge. He goes out one night and kills the lion with one shot, winning the confidence of the workers and, therefore, pushing the project ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, two more man-eating lions begin to make daily harassments on the work camp, killing over 30 men, and eventually halting the construction, in spite of all that Patterson can do. Enter Charles Remington (Michael Douglas), famous and professional wildlife hunter. The rest of the drama unfolds as we see how Remington and Patterson deal with the crisis as the death toll reaches over a hundred. Contrary to many previous reviews on the movie, The Ghost and the Darkness is an excellent film. Brilliant cinematography, breathtaking scenery, and beautiful and robust music are only a part of this great adventure yarn (which is based, stronger than you might think, on the true story). The acting of all the actors, once again contrary to popular criticism, is very good; not "over-the-top" at all. The film has a robust and powerful feel that accurately echoes the ruggedness and strength of Africa and the great men who tried to tame her. The authenticity of the film's props (costumes, weapons, tools, vehicles, etc.) is also impressive. The special effects are perfectly convincing and the lions are real. The film has a good length (an hour and forty minutes) and never loses its pace or sense of direction. The film is straightforward and, at many moments, downright powerful. The tension is strong and, yes, this film is better than "Jaws" in every way, not to mention more mature than the sharkie movie. And, "The Ghost and the Darkness" is much more than a mere thriller. It is also a historical drama of high caliber. Warning: If you are a feminist, you will find this movie too "macho". But if you admire the indomitable spirit of the Victorian era's adventurers, you will appreciate the film's strong (and realistically imperfect) characters. And sorry, there are no sugar-cutie boys who run to Angelina Jolie for help and no Super-Chicks who come to save the day (thank goodness). Well, if you have not seen the movie, rent it and watch it. I would buy it but purchasing it is up to you. I highly, highly, recommend this film.
Rating:
Summary: Terrifying and Amazing True Story
Review: The Ghost and the Darkness is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is on my top five list. The Ghost and the Darkness is such an unusual name for a movie, but the title is perfect because it sets the stage for this strange event, and never lets you go.
Val Kilmer and Michael Douglass give superb performances. Val Kilmer plays an ordinary engineer and bridge-builder who is plucked from his desk job in Ireland, and faced with the starkest terror of his life. At the bridge site, a man-eating lion is picking off the construction workers. The lion drags them from their hospital beds or picks them off in broad daylight. This behaviour is highly unusual for the African lion. The natives soon believe that this is not a lion but the devil - the ghost and the darkness. Douglass plays a brave hunter brought in to bring the lions down.
The blend of African and Irish music is hypnotizing. This is a very violent and powerful film. You can see the real Maneaters of Tsavo on display at the Chicago Field Museum.
Rating: 
Summary: Jaws of Africa!
Review: This is an underrated classic though I am happy to see here on the amazon that it is rated rather high by this netshops' reviewers. Well earned stars!
You've probably already heard the essential of the story, but let me just add that this movie is perhaps the best Beast-above-water-movies ever made (compared of course to Jaws, Brotherhood of the Wolf and similar movies about beasts out of animals that do exist, unlike Kong and Godzilla and the dinosaurs of Jurrasic Park -yes, well, you get my meaning...).
More than once during The Ghost and The Darkness you'll hold your breath, and sit paralyzed to your chair, because it is so impressive filmed, edited and (of course) directed and acted. Kilmer and Douglas are a great theme! And the movie has quite a lot remembarable scenes, and the story (though perhaps not as true as it claims to be..?) is solid, and well worth making a movie of.
And the film-makers here did well!
The lions look real!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting story ,but a bit gory for young children..
Review: I was interested in seeing this movie because I had heard that it was based on a true story. The story is about Col. John Henry Patterson who is played by Val Kilmer in the film. Patterson was the chief engineer who was tasked with building a railway bridge through Tsavo, Africa. During the course of the construction, over 140 workers were killed by 2 male lions over a 9 month period. Patterson must kill the lions and complete construction or he will lose his job. Michael Douglas makes an appearance in this film as a hunter who helps Patterson with killing the lions. The lions are on exhibit in a Chicago museum to this day. I would not recommed that any children under the age of 12 see this movie because it is a bit gory. There is a fair amount of blood and a heck of a lot of screaming - not to mention chopped up animal parts. Worthwile watching on a rainy day -- supervised of course!
Rating:
Summary: Good drama on two 19th-century Herculeses
Review: Lions are maurauding a community. Your task is to catch the lions and bring him back to the community. And so Hercules went for his first labor in slaughtering the Lion of Nemea. And so do these two modern-day Herculeses in chasing down and capturing several lions. The scenes are full of ingenious devices that go wrong in practice, and in gripping drama as the lions threaten the heroes, played by Michael Douglas, who with long hair actually resembles Hercules, and Val Kilmer as LTC John Patterson. The scenery is spectacular, although I would have liked to have seen more animals, and the history behind the plot is interesting, with colonial powers chased by other colonial powers trying to get native workers to erect bridges for the colonialists. I would have liked to have seen more development of the curse of the ancestors theme, but if you are after good lion-chasing drama, this film is it.
Rating:
Summary: VERY funny movie!
Review: Even though I love The Incredible Mr. Limpet, I think this one is my favorite movie starring Don Knotts.
Amazon made a mistake though. It's not called The Ghost And The Darkness. It's called The Ghost And Mr. Chicken.
Rating:
Summary: Science vs. Superstition
Review: William Goldman's script adapted from Lt. Col. John Patterson's tale of a pair of man-eating lions wreaking havoc on a railroad construction camp in 19th-century colonial Africa. A pleasant action film which, although somewhat uneven, presents a good adventure story to the likes of a Rudyard Kipling (author of The Man Who Would Be King; The Jungle Book) short story.
Patterson (Val Kilmer) is given a deadline to build trestle bridge but is impeded from doing so by the lions. Construction comes to a near halt after Indian and African laborers ascribe supernatural powers to the lions. Determined to challenge the credulity of the workers and complete his project, Patterson decides to hunt them down. The lions are elusive however and he obtains help from an American expatriate lion hunter (Michael Douglas)to take care of the pesky felines. The lions are eventually dispatched but not before tragedy befalls the characters.
The film is well paced with a decent plot line. One theme conveyed in the film is the battle between credulance and empirical thought. Patterson, the engineer, is the voice of science and reason which treats the lions as nothing more than a wild nuisance that can be easily disposed with. The laborers reflect credulence and superstition: people who would prefer to accept nature as a divine force that no one can master. As he hunts the lions, Patterson himself abandons his empirical methodologies and adopts a more spiritual side in order to understand the bestial forces of nature. This theme works well in depicting the socio-cultural contrasts prevalent in colonial times during the 19th century. The acting was decent although Val Kilmer, despite his amazing acting talents, doesn't come off as an Irishman very well. The film has beautiful cinematography and a good soundtrack.
This is a good adventure film that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Rating:
Summary: LION EYES
Review: THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS is a well made movie, with sweeping vistas of the African landscape; glorious sunsets and night scenes; a wonderful score by the ever talented Jerry Goldsmith. Unfortunately, the actors and script don't match this type of excellence. William Goldman's story never really lets us know what makes Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas tick. Kilmer is saddled with an Irish accent that he can't maintain for the whole film, and Douglas attempts to be Crocodile Hunter Jim Irwin. Only John Kani as Samuel, Bernard Hill as the doctor, and Tom Wilkinson as the despicably hateable Beaumont emerge with fine performances.
Admittedly, some of the scenes with the lion attacks were effectively frightening and there is one in a dream sequence that is actually breathtaking.
Ultimately, I found myself apathetic to the fate of our heroes, and in fact, one of them is cheated out of a good scene (no plot spoiling, though).
All in all, an entertaining, if empty thriller.
|
