Thursday, September 17, 2015

The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: THE VISIT





The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: 

on THE VISIT (2012, 94 minutes, PG-13)

The Quick of It -
Mr. Shyamalan has returned to the scene.  Following his last outing with AFTER EARTH, THE VISIT is a story about a brother and sister visiting their grandparents for the first time.  As with all Shyamalan films, he weaves a tale that leads you to the hidden truths.  What makes this film a worthy watch is the gems of levity sprinkled throughout.  Yes, this film is a tension-horror but the boy, Tyler, played by Ed Oxenbould (from the extremely lengthy, thesaurus-jumble of a title, ALEXANDER movie and other smaller projects) crushes his role.  The genius of the script with his delivery will convince you I am right, and you will know what I am referencing when you hear it... Shakira.  Olivia DeJonge is overshadowed by Oxenbould's performance but yet is a great compliment in the pairing.  The grandparents Peter McRobbie (a filmography that could choke a horse) and Deanna Dunagan (mostly a "lady of the small screen") make for loving grandparents... sorta.  The plot and conclusion are easy enough to figure out, so no surprises (and I think intentional, not meant to completely deceive the audience).  But that is okay, the ride is still worth it. 

Grade: B-


Side Note:  Although the U.S. found AFTER EARTH lacking, the rest of the world made the movie a financial success.  Unfortunately, the same happened to THE LAST AIRBENDER, which was an abysmal imitation of the show.

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