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Grades: A----94.0-100.0 B----85.0-93.9 C----75.0-83.9 D----65.0-73.9 F----64.9 and under
100 points split equally in five easy pieces: Acting, Writing, Directing, Tech, and Entertainment.
ACTING: 16.2 (out of 20). Denzel Washington is adequate in the lead as John Hobbs, but he almost has too sunny of a demeanor to bring across the feel of a detective worn down by years of being witness to gruesome deaths. John Goodman shifts between looking bored (first 115 minutes) to overacting (last 5), proving the adage of the 1990s: Do NOT put Roseanne actors in your horror film (Laurie Metcalf (Scream 2), Johnny Galecki (I Know What You Did Last Summer), Roseanne (Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5), and Sara Gilbert (Poison Ivy)). And the kid doesn't even seem plussed by the fact that his dad is dead.
WRITING: 14.7. Only one element is needed to derail this script, which would barely pass muster on Millennium. Denzel Washington's character comes in with often irritating voice-overs. Then there's the final twist... Which makes all of the voice-overs a lie, voice-overs that SHOULDN'T HAVE EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE! The ending also leaves the possibility of a "Fallen 2"...unoriginal. Shocker did the passing spirit gimmick better, and more originally.
DIRECTING: 16.8. Gregory Hoblit's use of having Azazel go into another person as a spirit is occasionally confusing and non-believable, but otherwise he does adequately, as he did with Primal Fear.
TECH: 18.1. The high point of Fallen. There are a couple of well executed chase scenes, and the lens used to convey Azazel's point of view is pretty cool.
ENTERTAINMENT: 17.8. There are some moments where the suspense runs high, and there are a couple of surprises pulled...but there is a slight sense of being cheated at the end. However, the cheat isn't as bad as The Game.
OVERALL GRADE: 83.6 (C+)
For reviews of 1997's films, be sure to check out the Hard Rain forum. It's one of the first posted, so it'll take a minute to scroll down. It's the first response to "Delirious Schyster shall now be known as...". And I don't feel like typing it again.
Until next time, in the tank,
Lobster Puppet
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