Larry H Movie Reviews | The Dark Tower

The Dark Tower

Released: August 4, 2017

If you are a fan of Stephen King and can’t wait until his next book comes out, AND you’ve read all eight of his books in the Dark Tower series, then this movie is for you. Otherwise go see “Kidnap” starring Halle Berry. I’ve seen “Detroit;” it’s an excellent movie about race in the 60’s so you might consider it.

“The Dark Tower” is typical of the fertile imagination of Crazy King. It’s billed as an eternal fight between Roland Deschain, The Gunslinger played by Idris Elba, and Walter O’Dim portrayed by our very own Matthew McConaughey. And that’s how I got tricked into seeing this film. Elba has done some outstanding work lately for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Heimdall and, of course, I’ve bought into the whole Matthew McConaughey shtick – Alright, Alright, Alright.

King and Director Nikolaj Acrecl, from Copenhagen Denmark, made sure that the audience was on a journey of Good versus Evil. And guess who was evil? Hint: McConaughey was dressed in all black with jet black hair that stood on end and it seemed very hot at his house. And Elba mentored a young boy and carried two Remington 1858 Revolvers and could shoot faster than John Wayne. Oh yeah, The Last Gunslinger also wore a really cool duster and authentic cowboy boots.

It seems that The Dark Tower is considered the center of Crazy King’s universe which gets its power from six beams and are, in effect, twelve spokes; blah, blah, blah. I’ve read a few books by Stephen King, but none of The Dark Tower series that was first published in 1982. Rumor mill is that this movie has taken ten years to make it to the big screen.

That rumor came to me via one of my audience members who was a twenty-something woman wearing a Billy Joel Touring shirt and desperately wanted to talk about the movie as we were walking out of Theatre #5. I’m a friendly guy so I responded by asking “… what did you think of the movie?” And this sweet young Kingite gushed “oh, I loved it; didn’t you?” “Yes ma’am,” he said with Boy Scout enthusiasm.

Back to the movie: It’s important to understand that Tom Taylor (the big winner), age about 12, plays Jake Chambers, the boy who has special powers and “the shine.” Jake and The Gunslinger travel together and are looking for a portal. Who among us is not looking for a portal? Anyway, Jake lives in a Manhattan apartment with his mother and unloving stepfather, but he escapes attempts to place him a looney bin and ends up in another dimension helping The Last Gunslinger fight his nemesis. Okay by me.

Stephen King is one of the most successful writers of our time and has sold approximately 350 million copies of his books which have been made into many movies. Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 75. Larry H.