Review #104: The Mist (2007)

Trailer:

Cast/Notable Credits:
Frank Darabont (Director): The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Green Mile (1999)

Thomas Jane (David): Deep Blue Sea, Dreamcatcher (2003), The Punisher (2004)

Laurie Holden (Amanda): The Majestic (2001), Silent Hill (2006) (Pictured Right)

Andre Braugher (Brent): Poseidon (2006), Homicide & Gideon's Crossing T.V. series

Marcia Gay Harden (Mrs. Carmody): Bad News Bears (2006)

Alexa Davalos (Sally): The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

Chris Owen (Norm): American Pie series

Plot: A massive thunderstorm strikes havoc on a small community causing damages and power outages. In the aftermath, neighbors, David and Brent head into town to get supplies and materials to repair damages to their lake houses. David's son, Billy tags along for the ride. On the way into town, they pass city trucks and military vehicles heading for the nearby top secret military mountain facility.

Once in town and at the local grocery store, things become more bizarre as emergency vehicles flood the streets and the town's emergency warning siren blasts and a mysterious mist covers the land. One of the town locals, Dan comes running into the grocery store shortly afterwards with a bloody nose screaming, "Somethings in the mist!" And tells the store patrons that it killed one of the locals. Amazed by the mist, the townsfolk decide to hold up in the store as the mist slowly rolls in causing zero visibility. A violent earthquake soon rocks the town and store causing further panic.

Everyone soon comes up with their own theories about the mist, but they pretty much all agree that no one should venture out into the mist. Except one woman, who needs to get home to take care of her two young children. She pleads for help, but no one would go out into the mist with her. So she leaves the store on her own and disappears in the mist a few feet from the grocery store's windows. Time passes, and the townsfolk take refuge in the store, pondering what to do next. The local crazy woman, Mrs. Carmody starts rattling off biblical references, telling people that it's the end of the world.

David goes looking for a blanket for his son in the back storage room of the store and finds the back up emergency generator overheating. He turns it off and something starts pounding against the store's docking garage door. David gets a few others to go back to the dock and help him investigate. A couple local mechanics, Myron and Jim, determine that the exhaust vent is blocked on the outside and suggest that someone should go outside to unblock the vent. David protests the idea, and three others overrule him and decide to go out anyway.

The grocery store bag boy, Norm, decides to be the "one" to go out and unblock the vent. They crack the back loading dock door and some alien tentacles grabs the kid and pulls him out into the mist. A store assistant manager, Ollie, chops off one of the thing's other tentacles and they successfully close the door.

The four go back into the store front and tell others of the strange event. Brent doesn't believe their story and think that he is being a target of a bad joke. Brent believes that everyone is overreacting and leads a small group to leave the store and they disappear into the mist. Remaining townsfolk decide to stay in the store and wait out the mist. Only it seems that Dan was right, there is something in the mist.

The Mist was one of those movies when it came out, I thought, "Eh. It looks all right, but I'll see it on DVD." Man was I dumb thinking that. I wish I could of seen it on the big screen. Because that movie ROCKED! My first initial reaction to the film during it's promotional run, was far from what I view the movie now. I thought it would be one of those poorly done Stephen King films that didn't live up to it's potential. Boy I was wrong. The Mist ended up being one of my favorite horror movies of the year. I kinda kicked myself for not seeing it in the theatre.

The Mist is not your typical monster movie. Sure it has some of the same elements, but it has a dark depressing ending. None of that cookie-cutter Hollywood studio exec.'s ending. This is probably one of the reasons that I enjoy it sooo much. I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it, but I was shocked. And I also applaud the director and his big balls for doing it.

The film also employs a "last stand" feel as the locals hold up in a mom and pop's grocery store. It's kind of what I would imagine I would do in case of a zombie attack...hold up in a store. Made perfect sense to me. You need food and shelter. Only I would have preferred to pick a store with more weapons. But oh well, that wouldn't have made the movie scary.

Thomas Jane did a fine job in this one. But that's my opinion. I've had a little "man crush" on him since Deep Blue Sea. Only to be reinforced in with the movie The Punisher. I don't care what most people say about that film, it was awesome! Same with Deep Blue Sea!

Outside of Jane being a total bad ass, the rest of the characters were pretty good. A couple of hotties in the film, Holden (above by credits) and Alexa Davalos (pictured right), but not as many as they could have put in. I did have a couple of favorite characters outside of David in the film, but the majority of them "bit it" in the film...bummer!

The Mist is truly a great film. I didn't give it much of a chance the first go around, but it proved me wrong. It's an enjoyable flick with creepy moments and a great setting. The movie preys on the human psyche with panic and preaching which play out great on the screen. It's definitely like looking through a portal back in time and seeing Stephen King's great earlier work. Unlike many of his books/stories that have been made into movies or mini series, The Mist is a pretty damn good scary film.

Misc. Movie Trivia:
-Film opened on November 21, 2007 and made $25.5 million at the Box Office ($8.9 million opening weekend)
-Based on a Stephen King novel
-Made by Dimension films with the agreement NOT to change the scripted ending
-Susan Malerstein (Hattie) is actually a professional script supervisor which film credits include: Forrest Gump, Platoon as well as Friday the 13th Part 4