Review of The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) by Tim S — 26 Feb 2012

I have to say I really enjoy The Ghost and the Darkness, but not because it's a fantastic film. It's actually a bad film with good elements to it, but there are things about it that fascinate me.

First of all, it's directed by Stephen Hopkins, whose film output has been hit and miss but mostly miss. This film did make a profit, but then again, I don't think it had all that much competition at the time.

Second, Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas are really bad in this. Val Kilmer is his usual stoic self, even when he's trying to be outraged or scared about something. Michael Douglas just sticks out like a sore thumb, and I don't understand how he got top billing when he doesn't enter the story until about halfway through and then disappears before the film's climax.

When you read up on it and realize that his character wasn't even a part of the real-life events you begin to understand why he sticks out so much. His acting is also terrible, not to mention his outfit and extensions.

Third, even though this is a Jerry Goldsmith score, I find it really annoying, particularly the chanting bits. It's definitely not one of his best works, and there's too much of it in the movie if you ask me.

The film is also terribly uneven and feels longer than it actually is. There are some enjoyable bits in it, and it's nice to see Bernard Hill and Tom Wilkinson pop up in small parts (the latter being a pretty nasty character, laughably so), but it's not a great movie.

I like it for the crap that surrounds it, and because I'm a fan of Stephen Hopkins who I think is a talented visual director with a gusto for delivering shlock stories.