This heavy, unexploded German bomb fulfills some of its original purposes,
causing fear and panic in London—just 80-some years later than intended.
Unearthed at a construct site, it requires the police to evacuate and cordon-off
an entire neighborhood while the military defuses it. Yet, somehow, a crew of
bank robbers seemed to be expecting it. Even with several tons of explosive
distraction, the getaway still turns messy in David Mackenzie’s Fuze,
which opens today in theaters.
It
takes special expertise to handle newly discovered ordinance, because of
internal instability. Major Will Tranter has that expertise, even though he is
a bit of a loose cannon himself. Nevertheless, he is quickly dispatched to London,
where he examines the suddenly ticking bomb.
Meanwhile,
Karalis gets to work with his contracted crew, bashing through a connecting
wall and drilling into a bank’s safety deposit vault. However, it seems pretty
clear, “X,” “Y,” and “Z” do not completely trust Karalis, even though he is the
one who knows where all the good stuff is.
Unfortunately,
the biggest twist is a little too easy to figure out. You don’t even have pay
especially close attention either. In fact, you might have already guessed it.
Nevertheless, the second half features enough double-crosses to keep the
getaway sufficiently chaotic. The good guys never look stupid either. They are
just starting from way, way behind.
In
some ways, Ben Hopkins’s screenplay can be a little too coy, but it ultimately somewhat
upends viewers’ assumptions. Mackenzie stages some decent cat-and-mouse
sequences, but the action needs more scope and spectacle. Frankly, the film
just leaves the impression it is the simplified version of a more ambitious
concept.
By
Stephen King’s standards, Captain Petey Shelburn was not such a bad father. He
just had terrible instincts when buying collectibles. Don’t call this wind-up primate
a toy, because it is no fun to play with. It is the reason why Shelburn was
never around for his twin sons. Unfortunately, Hal and Bill Shelburn get stuck
with their father’s evil legacy in Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey, based on King’s
short story, which opens tonight in theaters.
Bill
was Hal’s senior by a few minutes—and he never let his “younger” brother forget
it. Bill bullied Hal mercilessly, but they were equally fascinated by their
absent father. However, the airline captain did not intentional abandon his
family, as viewers know from the bloody prologue. Inevitably, they find the
drumming monkey tucked away with Capt. Petey’s things and turn the key in his
back. Then, people start dying.
The
Monkey does not physically stab people like Chucky. Instead, it somehow
unleashes Final Destination-style accidents that always result in lethal
gore. Unfortunately, you cannot direct the simian assassin towards a specific
target. It kills who it wants to kill. The twins figure that one out after the
second turn of the key. Tragically for Hal, it kills their mother Lois instead
of Bill.
Of
course, the Monkey cannot be destroyed, so they chain it up in a box and dump
it in a well. Eventually, the twins go their separate ways to live sad,
solitary lives. Hal is especially sad, but he still manages to slip up and
father a son of his own. For young Petey’s safety, Hal tries to keep his
distance. However, during a rare road trip together (which might be his final
contact, if Petey’s mom and step-father have their way), Hal receives word that
his guardian aunt died in a freak Monkey-like accident. By the time Hal and
Petey (the younger) reach unfortunate Aunt Ida’s house, they find the town has
been plagued by a series of unlikely but gruesome accidents.
King’s
original story predated It, but the parallels that emerge in Perkins’
adaptation make it look like an early study for the mammoth novel. Similarly,
children survive an encounter with an uncanny evil force, but must return to
complete their unfinished business in adulthood. Both Pennywise the clown and
the organ-grinder-like Monkey also represent the corruption of symbols of
playfulness. However, the twins’ Cain and Abel dynamic adds a dark element
unique to The Monkey.
