REVIEW: THE FRIGHTENERS (1996)
THE FRIGHTENERS
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.0
Alternative Scale: **1/2 out of ****
United States/New Zealand, 1996
U.S. Release Date: 7/19/96 (wide)
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: R (Violence, mild gore, profanity)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, Jeffrey Combs,
Dee Wallace-Stone, Jake Busey, Jim Fyfe, Chi McBride, John Astin
Director: Peter Jackson
Producers: Jamie Selkirk and Peter Jackson
Screenplay: Peter Jackson and Frances Walsh
Cinematography: Alun Bollinger and John Blick
Music: Danny Elfman
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
THE FRIGHTENERS isn't a bad film, but it is a disappointment.
Following director Peter Jackson's powerful, true-life matricide tale,
HEAVENLY CREATURES, THE FRIGHTENERS falls short of expectations by being
just one of many in the long line of 1996 summer movies. It's driven by
some pretty nifty special effects, but the characters are fairly
lifeless, and the plot, when it makes sense, is silly and needlessly
convoluted. As horror-comedies go, this one doesn't offer much that's
original or daring. Jackson's past efforts, such as BRAINDEAD and MEET
THE FEEBLES, have taken more chances, and THE FRIGHTENERS doesn't match
the audacity of Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD movies or even this year's
CEMETERY MAN.
It's not hard to pinpoint what's wrong with THE FRIGHTENERS. The
storyline is extremely confused, and there's no big payoff. The
proceedings meander along, throwing jokes, dripping ectoplasm,
unnecessary characters, and pointless action sequences at the audience,
until they rather suddenly come to an end. There's no big buildup to a
final confrontation, nor is there any real sense of anticipation
regarding the climax. The script is unpolished, and often feels more
like a draft than a finished product.
THE FRIGHTENERS opens with a solid premise. Frank Bannister
(Michael J. Fox) is a paranormal investigator operating in the small
town of Fairweather, California. Bannister is a con artist, but his
accomplices are unusual -- a trio of ghoulish spirits named Stuart (Jim
Fyfe), Cyrus (Chi McBride), and the Judge (John Astin). Because, even
though Bannister is a fraud, he really can see, communicate, and
interact with the dead. Bannister has a simple arrangement with his
associates. Stuart, Cyrus, and the Judge haunt a house, then Bannister
shows up to do an exorcism -- for a fee, of course.
But, when a local doctor, Lucy Lynsky (Trini Alvarado, from LITTLE
WOMEN), loses her husband, both the dead and the living of Fairweather
have cause to be worried. Victims all over town are dying of sudden
heart attacks, and only Bannister knows the cause. Cloaked and armed
with a scythe, the Grim Reaper (a.k.a. the "Soul Catcher") has arrived,
connected somehow to the spirit of an executed serial killer. When
Bannister sets out to end the massacre, he finds that the living are
impotent against Death. Lucy believes in him, but, when he's arrested
on suspicion of murder and she is marked as the Soul Catcher's next
target, there's not much she can do to save Bannister or herself.
THE FRIGHTENERS includes some enjoyable, and potentially
interesting, elements, none of which are given enough exposure to do
them justice. Bannister's interaction with his ghostly con partners
could have made for an enjoyable film on its own; here, it's part of the
setup. Then there's the idea that the protagonist might have to kill
himself to do battle with the Soul Collector on its own turf. Again,
the possibility is only toyed with, not fully realized. At times, it's
frustrating to watch THE FRIGHTENERS, because the seeds of a good story
are there, struggling to get out.
That said, the movie held my attention for its one-hundred ten
minute running time. It's lighthearted and paced like a runaway train,
and some of the gore-and-humor mix works. The special effects, which
were done exclusively by a New Zealand company, are as impressive as
anything produced by ILM. THE FRIGHTENERS isn't as eye popping as
TWISTER or INDEPENDENCE DAY, but it functions as a nice piece of visual
candy. Michael J. Fox does a better-than-adequate job in the lead role,
and he and Trini Alvarado display a nice rapport, even if their romantic
relationship remains underdeveloped.
THE FRIGHTENERS is about as mixed a bag as you can get. The
muddled story is a serious drawback, as are the host of unnecessary
characters and subplots. A nutcase FBI goon (Jeffrey Combs) and a loony
agoraphobic woman (Dee Wallace Stone) irritated me; every time they
appeared, I wanted them to go away. The former, although supposedly on
hand for comic relief, was a little too creepy to be funny, and the
latter was critical only to an unnecessary plot twist. Essentially,
neither was needed, and THE FRIGHTENERS would have been better without
them.
If there's one obvious aspect of this movie that recalls HEAVENLY
CREATURES, it's that Jackson once again plumbs the depths of his
imagination. Next time out (possibly for his rumored re-make of KING
KONG), if he can wed that creativity with a substantive, less convoluted
story, he should be able to regain the form that catapulted him to
international acclaim last year.
- James Berardinelli
e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net
ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin