Review of Cronos (1993) by Jason M — 26 Dec 2010

An elderly antiques dealer finds a centuries old device that gives him eternal life and a craving for human blood.

This is a Spanish language film with occasional English dialogue thrown in. The story in itself is basic but entertaining. The device is the most interesting thing though, as a lot of thought has gone into it and indicates the type of imagery director Guillermo del Toro would use in his later spanish language films.

Where as the main character and his evil counterpart (a dying industrialist who wants the device) are both good strong characters and carry the film well, the constant language shift from Spanish to English from Ron Perlman as the industrialist's Henchman Nephew is Jarring and feels very B movie. True, the industrialist speaks in both these languages as well but it hardly ever jars. Another element that annoyed me is that when English is spoken to the main character (the antiquist Jesus Gris) he always understands and then replies in Spanish.

Another character I thought was underused was Aurora the grandaughter of Gris. I never understood why she never says a word so she became a little annoying.

Most favourite scene was at the New Years party when he follows after a guy with a bleeding nose, at the end of the scene he's on the floor in the toilets licking up blood.

I like the fact that del toro for some reason set it 5 years in the future (as of when the film was made), I don't know why, I just do.

Not Guillermo del Toro's best work but his first step in a direction that would produce some great films.