Paul Magne Haakonsen
When I stumbled upon "The Monkey's Paw", I didn't know what it was about, who starred in it or who directed it. I am familiar with the myth of the magical powers of the monkey's paw, and that was sufficient enough to make me pick up the movie and give it a go.I was pleasantly surprised to see that Stephen Lang was in this movie, because he usually performs quite well in the stuff that he participates in, and it turned out that the 2013 "The Monkey's Paw" was also one such feat. And he was joined by C.J. Thomason whom also performed quite well.Now, the storyline was pretty much straight forward and simple to follow. Actually, it was so straightforward that it was actually a bit too predictable. But it was alright, because the movie was entertaining enough to sustain the predictability without suffering under it.To quickly summarize the storyline, then it is about Jake Tilton (played by C.J. Thomason) whom is given a monkey's paw and the three wishes that come with it. But when one wish turns his friend Tony Cobb (played by Stephen Lang) into a soulless husk of his former self, things turn foul and bad things start to happen.The atmosphere that director Brett Simmons managed to set up during the course of the movie was quite good, because it was quite becoming for the storyline and the movie as a whole.This isn't a horror movie that relies heavily on special effects, so don't get all worked up and hope for a grand CGI and practical effects show, because it just ain't there. Sure, there were special effects in the movie, and the effects that were there were to the point and functioning very well."The Monkey's Paw" is the type of horror movie that is driven by a good and entertaining storyline and have some well-rounded characters in the character gallery to help bring the story to life on the screen. While this is not the type of horror movie that will make you cringe and jump at the edge of the seat, it is the type of horror movie that broods and stays with you.
couchfrenchfry
Remains true to the original story, which is truly horrific. It's an old idea, you get three wishes but the granting of those wishes makes you wish you were dead. The victim usually ends up wishing that his first two wishes be reversed. This film has a different twist at the end. What's also good about this version is the very realistic slice of life of some factory workers living somewhere near New Orleans. You feel that these are real people. To me this is better than a lot of special effects and some hard to believe monster. There is a nicely creepy aura to that part of the world. Anyway, this film keeps you going with action and surprise twists. In a word, it will haunt you.
Maleplatypus
This is a good old-fashioned "horror" movie. Well, not much of a horror, though. Reminds me of Stephen King's works (storytelling) and Wes Craven's earlier movies (Chiller). There's even some E.A. Poe here. It is well directed, correctly acted, edited and shot almost perfectly (compliments to the camera-man). Much better than many of so-called horror movies nowadays (with few notable exceptions, of course). It's even funny occasionally. The basic concept is very well known "careful what you wish for..." and if you disregard obvious basic nonsense of "three wishes granting" (actually one is perfectly enough: make all my wishes come true), the rest is a nice little movie in which the atmosphere itself is scary, not the actual "slashes" and stuff. So, I like it. Of course there is a cliffhanger! "If the movie is a success, let's make some sequels and squeeze money out of it." On the other hand, it is a whole in itself and any sequels could ruin the whole idea. I recommend it to the people familiar with the genre (who could see the references and acknowledgments and appreciate good work)and anybody who wishes (be careful, though!) to see a good one. This movie deserves to be watched.
Jesse Boland
There is a feeling that resonates immediately that the cast, and crew of this movie were in sync, and it also shows in the effort of the cast on the screen, and all of the solid lighting, and camera work. This must have been a great production to work on, at least that is how they make it feel. The cast as I mentioned all delivered solid performances, and the story was right. This is a proper telling of the story, and you get all of the points that you expect from it save the one nagging at the back of your mind for half the film. (Wish for the do-over dummy) This was no blockbuster, but there is a lot to be Enjoyed. I found what I wanted in watching this movie, and so I would recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of fantasy mixed in with your psycho killer, slasher thriller.
AD
