Review of Cujo (1983) by Mark S — 15 Oct 2010

Now do not believe that I am allowing my distaste for Stephen King's writing influence my review of this film. There are other, great written works that have been made into very poor movies. Not having read the original story for "Cujo", I cannot say anything about the adaptation.

The movie itself, however, is horrible. It is borderline trash, in fact; barely worth this review. And I can safely say it's -not- because of it being dated. I just recently watched a couple of movies older than this that were much better.

First and foremost the acting is atrocious. I could not get into the film or its characters because it was just so ridiculous; laughable even (and there was laughing). I never believed, once, that Dee Wallace's character was concerned for the well-being of her child - she treated him like a burden.

Maybe that was the point. If so, I missed it. This probably has to do with how the film peppered in all sorts of nonsense that did absolutely nothing to advance or enhance the plot (hm, much like a Stephen King novel).

Apparently the son gets hit by or falls off of a swing at school at is cut. It's actually made into a big deal by both parents, but that's it! We don't find out why, or if he's a victim of bullying, and nothing comes of it.

So why is it there? Because it's "real"? Him -not- falling off a swing is real too! Also, while hiding out in the car, the son suddenly has an asthma attack...with no prior mention that he has any kind of health problems at all, other than being a temper-grating whiny brat.

I was never once afraid of the dog during the entire movie. If anything I wondered why it took so long to kill the damn thing. I was just waiting for it to keel over from the fatal rabies. The dog had some good acting, and was very well trained.

..so well trained, in fact, that none of the other actors remembered how easy it is to kill a dog when they shared the screen. The movie was torturous, unrealistic and full of plot holes that should have been filled by something to make the movie work.

A rabid dog is nothing to joke about, and can be very dangerous while causing a lot of trauma to the people it comes in contact with. This film, in no way, made me believe anyone was in any danger that they didn't place themselves in, and that they did not deserve for their mindless actions.

"Cujo" is, in it of itself, a mindless action.