1408

Viewer Rating:Mags Kearns has rated 1408 rating: 1 Star

1408 is the adaptation of the short story by the same name from horror proficionado Stephen King. Taking a break from his unconventional hero roles, John Cusack stars as Mike Enslin, an exasperated haunted house-guide writer looking for his next project. Upon receipt of a mysterious postcard about the reportedly haunted Dolphin Hotel Enslin sets off to explore the authenticity of horrific death stories and ghostly menace behind the door of room 1408. Largely a one man show for Cusack save Samuel L.Jackson who plays Mr. Olin - the hotel's weary manager intent on stopping the sceptical debunker from staying in the "evil fucking room" . He chillingly regales Enslin with stories of suicide, suspicious death and unimaginable fear all of which took place behind the walls of the gory suite. Enslin, a man tormented by the tragedies of his own past pays no heed to Olins pleas or bribes and cynically heads to the fourteenth floor unknowing of what fate awaits him. Anyone watching the tailer for 1408 might have had high hopes for a good scare but unfortunately it fails to deliver on that note. The sole reason for this is poor direction from 'Derailed' helmer Mikael Hafstrom. The potential scares in the story are fast and plenty but are let down by dull sets and poor cinematography. We can all see the frights coming from a mile off thus removing any element of suspense from the plot. His reliance on the use of cgi although often a must in a film of its kind lets 1408 down with a whimper. The main omission from the production is the presence of a primary villainy or any indication of the source of the rooms devilry. As for the element of surprise neccessary to any good horror worth it's weight in fear cheap tricks manage to keep the momentum going however there are a couple of noteworthy moments. Cusack does however pull off the unbelieveable and manages to understatedly save this movie from a straight to DVD release hell. Apart from an effortlessly great performance from Samuel L.Jackson, Cusack reigns supreme to keep the audience invested right through to the end. But what an ending it is. Lacklustre to say the least although there is some redemption for entertaiment in the form of an unexpected plot turn mid-movie. This is a relatively enjoyable but un-gripping film perfectly fine for a night in front of an otherwise empty box but don't be fooled by claims that it'll have you on the edge of your seat.  

Review published on the 12 September 2007 16:44