Chernobyl Diaries: Review
July 10th 2012 10:37
Link: www.movietrain.net
Most good horror movies are rich with subtext. You could read “Psycho” as an Oedipal parable, say, or George Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead” as a sendup of voracious consumerism. “Chernobyl Diaries”? You could conceivably consider it a warning about nuclear power, but it’s really about the dangers of seeking adventure in a foreign country and trusting former Soviets. But please, don’t give it that much thought.
We’ve been on similar tours: “Turistas” tossed young people to their deaths in Brazil; “Hostel” tortured them in Slovakia. “Chernobyl Diaries” follows six travelers — the sensitive Chris (the cherubic pop star Jesse McCartney); his girlfriend, Natalie (Olivia Taylor Dudley, unfocused); her sensible friend Amanda (Devin Kelley); Chris’s impetuous brother, Paul (Jonathan Sadowski); and a couple they meet, the Norwegian Zoe (Ingrid Bolso Berdal, underused) and the hippie-ish Australian Michael (Nathan Phillips) — on an “extreme travel” expedition in Ukraine to Pripyat, the dilapidated town beside the shuttered Chernobyl nuclear reactor.
Their guide, Uri (Dimitri Diatchenko), says Pripyat was abandoned during Chernobyl’s notorious disaster in 1986. He’s mistaken. Vicious dogs and bears prowl the premises, as do furtive, hairless, carnivorous humanoids fleetingly seen in deep shadow. (Actually, it’s hard to get a good view of many things in this picture, thanks to its unrelentingly restless hand-held camera.) Standard-issue genre accessories (dank stairways, flashlights, overcast skies, frosty windows) abound; shocks are mild and few.
The story for “Diaries” comes from Oren Peli, of the “Paranormal Activity” brain trust, and like that franchise, it toys with viewers’ expectations, but without the sense of play. The “Paranormal Activity” movies don’t teem with metaphor, and neither does this film, directed by Brad Parker. The original “Night of the Living Dead” left you with plenty to chew on, so to speak; “Chernobyl Diaries” just leaves you feeling empty.
“Chernobyl Diaries” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for strong language. Gore levels are strictly PG-13. Watch the trailer below:
Rating: Poor 2/10
Their guide, Uri (Dimitri Diatchenko), says Pripyat was abandoned during Chernobyl’s notorious disaster in 1986. He’s mistaken. Vicious dogs and bears prowl the premises, as do furtive, hairless, carnivorous humanoids fleetingly seen in deep shadow. (Actually, it’s hard to get a good view of many things in this picture, thanks to its unrelentingly restless hand-held camera.) Standard-issue genre accessories (dank stairways, flashlights, overcast skies, frosty windows) abound; shocks are mild and few.
The story for “Diaries” comes from Oren Peli, of the “Paranormal Activity” brain trust, and like that franchise, it toys with viewers’ expectations, but without the sense of play. The “Paranormal Activity” movies don’t teem with metaphor, and neither does this film, directed by Brad Parker. The original “Night of the Living Dead” left you with plenty to chew on, so to speak; “Chernobyl Diaries” just leaves you feeling empty.
“Chernobyl Diaries” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for strong language. Gore levels are strictly PG-13. Watch the trailer below:
Rating: Poor 2/10
| 21 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
