Like locusts descending on a small bayou town, the nation’s film critics are swarming to attack The Reaping, Hilary Swank’s long-delayed Biblical horror flick that arrived in theaters yesterday with terrible buzz and a less-than-thrilling trailer. But if any of you are worried that there’s not enough haterade to go around, fret not — reviewers found plenty of suspects to share the blame for the film’s failure.
Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune takes a swing at the film’s composer: "Thanks only partly to composer John Frizzell, who never met a metallic kunnggg he couldn’t use at the most obvious juncture, The Reaping proves that you reap what you sow, and what these particular screenwriters have sown is just another word for manure."
Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe, meanwhile, has a bone to pick with two other departments: "The lighting is often too dark to see what’s happening, and the editing makes a mess of even the most tolerable scenes (the locust attack, for example). Like most of these movies, the film is cut like a trailer for a horror flick instead of being a horror flick proper."
Christy Lemire of the Associated Press piles some scorn on the folks in special effects: "Peter Levy provides some striking cinematography — all that blood-red river water contrasting sharply with the lush greenery surrounding it — while other effects, including the climactic killing of the firstborns, look just plain cheesy. The fifth plague, dead livestock, also offers some unintentional hilarity."
The movie’s Oscar-winning star isn’t getting off the hook, either, thanks to Desson Thomson of the Washington Post:"When rivers turn red, locusts swarm and cows shrivel into scorchedbeef, you know that either Al Gore was right or you’re watching anotherbad supernatural thriller. In this case, you are suffering through The Reaping, a pretentious scarefest, and wondering what compelled Hilary Swank to involve herself in this project."
The film’s director also takes some punches, courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter’sKirk Honeycutt: "[Stephen] Hopkins pulls all the usual horror-filmtricks. He keeps his camera inches from his actors so any person,object or animal entering the frame causes a cheap jolt."
A similar complaint comes from James Verniere of the Boston Herald: "It’s raining frogs and locusts, CGI-style. Director Stephen Hopkins (Lost in Space) and cinematographer Peter Levy, who collaborated on several episodes of 24,shoot many scenes with a hand-held camera and cut like they’re oncrack. On the big screen, instead of giving the action a sense ofyou-are-there immediacy, it’s an annoying and tiresome affectation."
But hey! Let’s not forget The Reaping’s producers! Care to help out, Scott Weinberg of Cinematical?: "The Reapingcomes from the ‘horror specialty’ production house known as DarkCastle. In other words, if you still trust the word of the people whooffered you House on Haunted Hill, Thirteen Ghosts, Ghost Ship, Gothika and House of Wax — then you’ll probably have a ball with what goes on in The Reaping."
Jack Garner of Gannett News Servicedoesn’t want a certain respected thespian feeling ignored, either:"Playing the priest is another overqualified actor, Stephen Rea, wholiterally phones in his part, since nearly all his scenes find himalone, on the phone to Katherine."
And not even the movie’s pre-teen costar is spared, thanks to Claudia Puig of USA Today:"They’re certain that the plagues are connected to the demise of ayoung boy and the evildoing of his 12-year-old sister (AnnaSophia Robb,who mostly stares blankly as blood drips down her bare legs)."
Of course, Rea and Robb wouldn’t be able to fail without a terrible script, which gets called out by Amy Biancolli of the Houston Chronicle:"[Swank's character] lost her faith when a demonic shaman (or something— he’s covered in ash and bleeding from various facial orifices)murdered her husband and daughter ‘as a sacrifice to God’ to combatwidespread famine. If I were Sudanese, I would be outraged by thisfathead stereotype. On second thought, I’m not Sudanese, and I’moutraged by this fathead stereotype. Screenwriters Carey and ChadHayes, among others, apparently decided that death by drought anddevastation wasn’t bad enough."
Whew! That’s a lot of shame and blame for one movie, no? Of course, if there’s anyone else left to criticize among The Reaping’s cast and crew, please feel free to add to the bile pile in the comments section below.
Comments (1-21) of 21 Add your comment
This sounds like one of those times when the movie is gonna be so horrifically awful that you won’t help but to have a great time, if for no other reason than to pick at it. They obviously did.
Can’t say I’m surprised by these horrible reviews. They took an interesting premise and sucked all the life out of it. It just adds to my unexplainable distaste of Hilary Swank. I know she is a good actress in theory but I just can’t watch her onscreen- there’s just something annoying about her.
No blame for David Morrissey for…um, I don’t know, being so bland in Basic Instinct 2. (since I’m not going anywhere near “The Reaping” that’s all I’ve got. Sorry)
This sounds like a fantastic movie to sneak into, get nice and lit, and laugh all the way through it. The Reaping may just be the feel comedy of the year. It’s Little Miss Moonshine.
I care not about this surely crap-tastic flick.
But I’m glad you’re alive, Slezak! We missed you.
This is Hillary Swank’s pit stop until her next Oscar nod. She’s done two crappy films so as not to get over exposed.
Michael, I would rather you reviewed Grindhouse. Maybe later in the day?
By the way, I nominate “The Reaping” to be Slezak’s second ever “I watched it, so you didn’t have to.” (I’m paraphrasing here.) Looks like there are some (unintentional) laughs to be had, at the very least.
She’s a man, baby!
To Boohoo – I’m right there with you. I also have an unexplainable distaste for Hilary Swank. I haven’t seen any movie with her in it because I can’t even look at her. There is just something about her.
Yeah, how Hilary Swank won two Oscars is a mystery of the world.
Man, who’d have thought she’d be the one from 90210 to get an Oscar (two, at that). I had my money on that kid from the first season who accidentally shot himself. Wonder what he’s up to now.
Looks like a preachy Christian movie in the form of a natural disaster film. >_> I’m going to see “Grindhouse” instead.
haterade = my new favorite word.
I am tempted to see it in the hopes that it will be so bad its good. But there are too many better movies out right now to see to bother. Hillary Swank does choose strange movies. The Core anyone? Although granted that was kind of unintentionally amusing.
Someone asked about Hilary’s Oscars. The Academy must like watching her get beaten to death. Spoiler Alert!!
So many people hate The Reaping…
But I still enjoy the movie.
No need to be too hard on yourself.
Here’s my review:
http://andydreamseeker.blogspot.com/2007/04/movie-review-reaping.html
They criticize everyone except Hilary.
What is it about Hilary Swank? I can’t stand her either. She is kind of man-ish. Maybe that’s the problem!
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