'The Dark Tower' Review

In The Dark Tower, opening text informs the viewer that a Dark Tower exists at the center of our universe, holding everything together and shielding all worlds from persisting, external dark forces. The viewer is also told that it's believed the mind of child is powerful enough to bring the tower down. Walter O' Dim, the Man in Black, seeks to destroy the tower and unleash evil upon the universe, while the Gunslingers, an order of warriors brandishing .45 revolvers, are pledged to defend the tower with their dying breaths. Unfortunately the Gunslingers are mostly gone, so the lone surviving Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, remains locked in an eternal struggle with the Man in Black in hopes he can prevent Walter from demolishing the Dark Tower.

All the while, the Man in Black has been kidnapping children to power a super-weapon he hopes can topple the Dark Tower, but none of the children's minds are powerful enough. However, Jake Chambers begins seeing glimpses of the Tower, the Gunslinger, and the Man in Black in his dreams, so the Man in Black sends his cronies after Jake in hopes he could be the one to decimate the Dark Tower. Jake, intent on learning the truth behind his visions, journeys to Roland's world and the two team up to take down the Man in Black once and for all.

That may be the longest plot synopsis I've ever devised, because the mythology and world-building Stephen King's novel simply can't be condensed. Unfortunately, the director and team of screenwriters behind this movie never got that memo. For those who didn't know, The Dark Tower adapts a series Stephen King's novels. Yes, I said SERIES. The Dark Tower draws inspiration from not one, but EIGHT different books. While I have not had the pleasure of reading any of these, the friend who I brought to the screening had at least read The Gunslinger and he said the movie was VERY different from the book. Therefore, I feel this film will be quite divisive and receive plenty of hatred from fans of the source material, and you only have to look at the Rotten Tomatoes score for an indication of it (currently at 18%).

However, I'll come to this movie's aid and say I didn't think The Dark Tower was THAT bad (yet another example of the unjust implications of the Tomato-meter). Director Nikolaj Arcel and his stunt coordinators were at least able to put together some entertaining action sequences showcasing the Gunslinger's impeccable accuracy, and while the visual effects aren't the greatest, they're forgivable when you see the meager budget the filmmakers had at their disposal. Even though the Dark Tower supposedly holds the universe together, the film itself doesn't have a solid foundation.

There's some serious pacing problems as it took awhile to get things going and the script was rather weak. Arcel had a hand in the screenplay alongside Akiva Goldsoman, Jeff Pinkner, and Anders Thomas Jensen, but the story concocted can't help but feel underdeveloped. The worlds in The Dark Tower are supposed to feel epic and expansive, but the lacking explanation will leave non-readers a bit confused. We understand who's good, who's bad, and their basic motivations, but beyond that the audience never gets to really know any of the characters. The points that are actually established end up biting the bullet, because they're comfortably conventional.

It's also worth noting that The Dark Tower is yet another attempt to get a franchise off the ground. Just yesterday, news surfaced that The Dark Tower television series had set Glenn Mazzara as the series showrunner and the film's advertising has also relied heavily on teasing the possibilities of a shared Stephen King cinematic universe. I'm not necessarily against these ideas, but am simply curious if Sony's invested the time in properly planning it all out before seemingly jumping headfirst into the franchise field. Studios no longer wait to judge a movie's critical reception before investing heavily in them. Instead, they go ahead and announce all the inevitable details. There's rarely much thought put into franchise filmmaking these days and I personally find that a tad disheartening.

Despite The Dark Tower's story shortcomings, the lead actors consistently managed to elevate the proceedings. Tom Taylor proved to be a perfectly adequate child actor, considering he displays an exceptional emotional range. Taylor's not exactly in the league of the young talent to emerge of late, but he's never overshadowed by his experienced costars either. Idris Elba, on the other hand, can really do no wrong as he deftly wields western weaponry with the aim of John Wick. Elba carries the attitude of an outlaw haunted by the horrors of his past, trudging through the thick of everything. Once Jake and Roland return to New York, there's a fish-out-of-water element that gets some mileage from their onscreen chemistry.

On the flip side, Matthew McConaughey summons enough gusto to grant the Man in Black a dastardly demeanor. McConaughey's calm, collected speech comes across as really creepy in the manner utilized and he confidently comes across as the intimidating, unstoppable force the movie's trying to sell you on. I can guarantee those Lincoln commercials won't come to mind while he graces the screen. Sadly, the other actors don't leave much of an impression since they mostly embody stock characters that are given much to say-or-do.

While I'd love to say The Dark Tower stood strong amidst adversity, I can't quite offer that vote of confidence. The foundation's sloppy and it's only help up by the terrific trio of leads and a some select, rousing action scenes. The Dark Tower would be an adequate experience at the theater, but it doesn't demand to be seen in theaters. There are so many better alternatives still out there such as Baby Driver, The Big Sick, Spider-Man: Homecoming, War for the Planet of the Apes, and Dunkirk. If you're really gung-ho on seeing The Dark Tower, go ahead and check it out at a matinee showing. Otherwise, I'd wait it out to rent or catch on cable.