Review of Beautiful Creatures (2013) by Ghosthack — 18 Feb 2013

For what it claims to be, this film is nearly perfect. Make no mistake, this film IS a supernatural teen romance. That said, it has clever (and legitimately funny, in the right way) writing, genuine acting and an interesting set up. Some of the dialogue is a little canned/forced, the narrative breezes through summaries that could have used more explanation, and the story does come across as formulaic. But honestly, who goes into a film like this expecting to be surprised by plot points? Unlike flicks like twilight which survive mostly on built in appeal (in that, if you haven't read the books, the movies are bland, boring, outright bad FILM, regardless of what you might think of the source material), Beautiful Creatures is a fun, balanced and enjoyable film for the uninitiated. (though I've heard that some changes were made from the source that might turn off dedicated fans).

If you like the genre, you SHOULD see this film. It is easily the best version of type on film, so far. If the trailer looked interesting to you, and you go into the film expecting nothing more than what it claims to be, you should be pleasantly surprised.

Pros:

A supernatural teen romance with a little more brains.

Solid Acting.

Mostly good writing.

Cons:

Doesn't really try for anything "more" than its genre.

Some weak/canned dialogue.

Low-ish budget effects in some scenes.

I am actually excited to see this film become a franchise, and hope to see it do well.