Richard Kelly’s The Box brings with it some good news and bad news. The good is that it’s about 100% better than his last movie, Southland Tales. The bad is that despite a really solid opening hour or so, it never duplicates the kind of alternate-reality mind trip that Kelly struck paydirt with on Donnie Darko.
I’m just going to link you over to Atomic Popcorn and you can read my more in-depth, and mostly spoiler-free, thoughts over there.
THE ATOMIC POPCORN REVIEW OF ‘THE BOX’
For anyone looking for a quick capsule review or a ‘see it’ or ‘ditch it’ prognistication, here it goes.
The Box will be of great interest to those who have a penchant for The Twlight Zone or idea-heavy sci-fi stories. It works as a more general thriller too–at least for the first half or so– and the PG-13 rating will ensure that probably more than a few families will wander into this one expecting something more Spielberg than what they will get. At the end of the day, what you do get is something in keeping with Kelly’s odd style of smashing as many thoughts, references and mythic parables as possible into one container. This Box is stuffed to the brim, but if you go in knowing what to expect and what you’re looking for, you will no doubt be able to sift some treasures.
And if you’re back from seeing it and want to engage in some more specific discussion of it’s strengths and weaknesses, I’m game. See you in the comments.
I tried to join Atomic Ppcorn but it doesn’t work for me neither did just trying to post as a guest. I wanted to blow up that chick that said you spoiled the movie. It would only be possible to spoil The Box if you have not seen the roughly 400,000 TV spots airing every break on every channel.
Anyways nice review if if you did spoil it. Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
so what “The Box” is all about?