“Dreamcatcher” is based on a book by Stephen King that follows four men on a cabin trip. The men share a psychic bond developed from their experiences as childhood friends and their relationship with an extraordinary child they called Duddits. The first part of the film is actually very interesting as these characters are introduced and we begin to learn about their interesting relationship.
Unfortunately, “Dreamcatcher” breaks down once they encounter a sick hunter who finds their cabin. An interesting story about personal relationships turns into an alien/monster/save the world story with some really gross scenes. Instead of building on the suspense created at the beginning of the film the story spins out of control and we’re forced to watch a routine alien flick that relies too heavily on films we’ve already seen. Instead of popping out of a victim’s stomach, the “alien” here escapes the host’s body from a more traditional exit route.
Most of the cast does a nice job with the material, though the two heavyweights, Morgan Freeman and Tom Seizemore, seem a little bored with their roles.
Fans of Stephen King should probably check this out, particularly if they enjoyed the book. It’s hard to recommend this film, however, to anyone else.
2 / 5 Stars
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis, Timothy Olyphant, Tom Seizemore, Donnie Wahlberg
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
