Review of The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) by Timothy S — 24 Aug 2011

"The Ghost and the Darkness" is a highly successful mix of old-fashioned adventure stories and a modern day action picture with impressive special effects and time-honored formulas. In any sense of the word, it's a lot of fun. Director Stephen Hopkins has had more than his share of misfires in his career, but with this picture he shows you how good he can be with the right material. He's at the top of his game here. It's a thrilling movie, and the scenes involving the man-eating lions are beautifully shot. The tension is thick, and it succeeded several times in making me jump. That's no small feat anymore, but this is very good at sucking you into this story and keeping you on edge.

The lions themselves are a combination of CGI and live animals, but they certainly don't feel like special effects. They are characters just as much if not more than the human actors, and they are scary. Val Kilmer is surprisingly well-suited to his role, and his more intellectual approach to the hunt is a nice contrast to his co-star. And what a performance Michael Douglas gives here. He drops his normally suave, sophisticated persona and gives the most laid-back and enjoyable performance in years. You can't take your eyes off of him whenever he's on the screen here. I bought into his characters the same way I bought into the movie.

The attack/hunting sequences are incredibly suspenseful without being overly bloody. "The Ghost and the Darkness" is the best of both worlds blending old-fashioned storytelling with modern day elements as well. It's a terrific picture.