'Blu-ray or Bust' - KRAMPUS

'Blu-ray or Bust'

KRAMPUS (2015, PG-13, 98 minutes, LEGENDARY PICTURES/UNIVERSAL)

Remember JJ Abrams’ cinematic debut?

It was with a giant, fond reference to all things Spielbergian, namely his early work. With a big splash of mystery and out-of-this world imagery, he crafted a tail reminiscent of E.T., “Amazing Stories”, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, and the Indiana Jones films (I’m talking about the highly underrated SUPER 8). Now, Abrams is famous for rebooting the STAR TREK and STAR WARS franchises.

With the (in)auspicious second film by Michael Dougherty, you get the feeling that Hollywood could have another wunderkind amongst its ranks. KRAMPUS is GREMLINS with a bigger bite; it is EXPLORERS with even better kid-actors; it is THE HOWLING, with a bigger sense of fear. In short, it is the best tribute to famed director Joe Dante that anyone else has ever attempted.

There is enough dark humor and practical effects, not to mention visual shots that will stay with you after the film has long ended, to get you excited about whatever it is that Dougherty has planned next. The story centers on young Max (the wonderful Emjay Anthony from CHEF), who, in a fit of pre-pubescent angst, unleashes the (PUN ALERT!) polar opposite of Santa Claus by proclaiming his sudden hatred of the Christmas holiday. Krampus and his evil minions descend upon his neighborhood and begin wreaking havoc, drawing forth the best and worst qualities of his family—which includes his cousins, who really start the whole mess by reading aloud Max’s letter to Saint Nick.

Toni Collette and Adam Scott are perfectly cast as his parents; they reflect the concerns and triumphs of a working class family in their reactions to the events unfolding around them. With David Koechner as his Randy Quaid-esque uncle, the film has just enough humor to not distract from the horror of it all. His acting and delivery are enough to keep you from thinking of the former Quaid character he was so obviously modeled after from another holiday film released decades ago by National Lampoon.

But the real star of this film is the team at Weta Workshop. Their puppets and make-up effects are downright brilliant. When you watch the special features and see just how little CGI went into making this film, you will gain a certain amount of respect for a director that insists upon using actual physical effects, rather than the cheap digital variety. A whole lotta work went into this one, kids; even if you wind up not liking the film, you have to at least appreciate the effort that went into its production. Hats off to the sets, the cinematography, and the music, as well. Every element of this movie makes it bigger than you would expect, and it all blends beautifully. Not to say that there aren’t some problems—a few plot holes with some of the characters (if the uncle’s family has it so bad, how the hell can he afford a Hummer?) (with a hidden gun cache?!?) is the most glaring, but not anything too distracting.

This film will find itself in my regular holiday viewing rotation (which, you will recall, includes DIE HARD, THE ICE HARVEST, and, of course, GREMLINS). I just hope that Dougherty’s future is cemented by what he has done here; his twisted vision is surely one that the industry could benefit from.

Film Grade: A-

Special Features: A

Blu-ray Necessary: Most Definitely

-- T.S. Kummelman