With Nicolas Cage (Behmen) as an unbelievable martyr who has a change of heart after 12 years of crusaded killing, and a cheesy demon that resembles that of a half hearted Raimi brothers’ film, “Season of the Witch” leaves the viewer pleading for the next installment of National Treasure: book of the Maya. You know, that one that predicts the end of times.
Don’t get me wrong, the Evil Dead Trilogy is great, but when a demon justifies its plan for world domination and the end of man with sappy dialogue, as in “Season of the Witch,” one tends to start thinking about the $10 popcorn he just bought minutes before while crossing his fingers that Keanu Reeves doesn’t make an appearance.
The film, that shares its name with George Romero’s 1972 film, was not a total let down. The beginning held promise, even going as far as to throw in some honestly, spooky segments set in the 14thcentury while the plague was becoming widespread. Then again, it is not too hard to set a spooky scene when dealing with a witch, eerie religious references, and perhaps one of the darkest ages known to man.
While the story seemed to have the makings of a good film, the execution of the film by the actors and director alike leave much to be desired. Each word seemed to stutter for substance. When this happens in films it seems that the logical answer to counter that would be for the director to call for less chit-chat and more “stab, stab.”
Instead of doing so, director Dominic Sena seemed to counter bad acting with a twist that was presented as more like a slap in the face. If the film had gone the way of terrifically terrible, it would have made much more sense, instead it is relegated to the world of misfit movies.
One consistent bright spot was the presence of Ron Perlman (Felson), whose tough guy demeanor and haughty off based remarks seem to entertain the audience long enough to get them though the other acting blunders and overall lack of conceptualization. However, with the most entertaining acting coming from a supporting actor (Perlman) and a witch (Claire Foy) who is a shabby cross between a dirty Taylor Swift and a pissed-off teenager on “My Super Sweet 16,” it leaves the film dissatisfying and ultimately forgettable.
