The Raven - Review

The director of V For Vendetta is back in a decidedly less provocative way with the new Edgar Allen Poe-inspired suspense thriller The Raven. The movie is adequate for what it sets out to achieve, even if the ending kind of sputters out the momentum.

Basically, the whole idea of this thriller is that Edgar Allen Poe has inspired a crazed killer who is bringing all his demented horror tales to life. The detectives are baffled, so they go to Poe himself for assistance. What follows is a slightly predictable whodunnit that leads to an unsuspenseful conclusion and a rather bland final couple minutes.

Part of the blame, I think, is the rather iffy representation of author Edgar Allen Poe. John Cusack does an okay job, but there are undoubtedly moments where he delves deeply into Nicolas Cage territory. I have always been a big Cusack fan, especially in films like Identity and 1408, where he is really able to stretch his acting a bit. I could see Cage in this role in some spots, which is a testament to how spotty and off the writing in the movie is. There wasn’t a moment where I believed that Cusack had captured the essence of Poe in the slightest, which is to say that I didn’t hate him, but I didn’t love him either. With the script the way it was, Cusack is probably the best Poe this movie could have had.

My main issue with The Raven isn’t the cast or the acting, but primarily the script. I wasn’t bored during the duration of the movie; rather, I was quite entertained. Much of this is thanks to the stellar cinematography and immersive costumes, which are the best thing about The Raven. The script on the other hand continuously pulls you out of the finely crafted setting and delivers some pretty icky lines. The movie’s ending was quite predictable, and in that sense I think The Raven kind of failed. I wanted an explosive finale with a good twist, but what is delivered is just a bit too cookie-cutter.

I did appreciate the kill scenes in this flick. That’s one thing that is done splendidly well, and even though there is a similar pendulum scene in Saw V, what is shown here is just a bit more tasteful. Each kill is unique in its own way, and they all service the plot beautifully, being inspired by works of Poe.

I actually think that there is a rather clever film here, masked with some dull dialogue, but I honestly can say I enjoyed it. Truly, every second doesn’t keep you on the edge of your seat or anything. Proper thrillers should capture you every step of the way, but the final act of The Raven left me feeling like a prune left to dry in the sun. From the director of V For Vendetta, I was anticipating something of a horror classic. Still, there are some really cool things going on in the movie and it is kind of a harmless and fun fictional account. I’d say if you really want to check it out, just wait for the DVD. One watch-through should be more than sufficient. / Rating - C+