Review of Willard (2003) by Tom H — 23 Jul 2004

Willard is a delightfully deranged film that perhaps would have been a better direction had there been slightly more of a study character study, added a little more elements of suspense and horror, in addition to some better written humor. But none the less, Willard does make an attempt at these things and does a respectable job at balancing them.

Willard is living a personal nightmare. He is in a dead end job he absolutely despises and is always late. Why he is always late seems like a crutch for both Willard and the screenplay honestly. This is not any better considering he lives with his elderly and sick mother and has no real freedom. He has no real friend, until one day he befriends what I thought was a cute little mouse, but its actually a rat. Am I the only who thinks that rats are adorable?

However, I also have a german shepherd I consider adorable, but I am not dumb enough to realize that she is beyond fear. Willard considers this as well. Funny enough, the rats are characters themselves. The rats have their own human type of feelings and motivations at times, and Willard even remembers that they have to be fed. I am honestly not sure at times whether or not they are computer animated or trained rats - in either event, it looks good enough on screen.

What perhaps is the shinning point of the film, is just how great Crispin Glover in a film that requires him to play a man who has a relationship (platonic people) with rats. Some of you will know him for his odd ball role in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and he seems right at home in this film. He is quietly disturbed and is pitch perfect from scene to scene. Keep an eye out for this guy, I cannot wait to see him in another horror film.

Where Willard goes wrong is not so much the direction it chooses, in fact, it gets that right on. It has all the cards it should play, but does not play off of them as much as the makers should. There are times when the humor it uses could be funnier, there are times when the suspense could be more effective, there are times when the character development could be greater. Its a matter of strengthing its main qualities that Willard should have spent just a tad more time on.

None the less, Willard should be a wicked time for anybody who would enjoy the site of rats tearing up a house and eating a cat. Its mild moments of amusement and eye-raising images along with Glover's lovable performance make Willard a worth movie to watch.