Much like the taboo subject of incest, cannibalism is one of those subjects that gives many people the willies. From the legends of such people in the jungles of the Amazon to the story of the Donner party who resorted to eating one another to survive after getting stuck in the mountains, and from the true life account of the rugby team forced to do the same after being stranded in the Andes during the 1970's to the horrific news stories about Jeffrey Dahmer, such tales often evoke nauseated reaction and philosophical debates about the morality of such actions (when stranded with no food and no alternatives).
Of course Hollywood realizes the potential of that subject matter, and beyond a few "serious" attempts at telling such stories (such as 1993's "Alive" about that ill-fated rugby team), has used it for thrills, chills, and occasional goofy laughs. From tremendous films like "The Silence of the Lambs" to little known, little seen atrocities with great titles such as "Microwave Massacre" and "Cannibal Hookers," filmmakers realize that cannibalism is a subject best not covered realistically.
All of which leads us to "Ravenous," the latest such film that hopes audiences will be hungry for an offbeat recipe of people eating other people. Something of an eclectic combination of elements from nearly any vampire movie, as well as "Night of the Living Dead," "Sweeney Todd" and even "Dances With Wolves," the film desperately wants to be both scary and funny.
Unlike the original "An American Werewolf in London," however, which managed to pull off both, this film is not even remotely scary (beyond the overall notion of cannibalism and the resulting carnage and gore), is barely suspenseful, and clearly isn't as outrageously fun or campy enough to justify spending one's hard-earned dollars on its less than savory or satisfactory story. After all, if a film is going to make a comedy of sorts about cannibalism, it needs to really push the envelope.
Not that it doesn't start out promisingly, and it doesn't take long for one to realize right away that the film doesn't intend to take itself seriously. As such, after an appropriate quote from Nietzsche stating "He that fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster" plays on the screen, it's followed by the decidedly more flippant -- and anonymously quoted saying, "Eat me."
The casting also shows signs of life with the likes of Jeffrey Jones ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Beetlejuice"), David Arquette (the "Scream" movies), and Jeremy Davies ("Saving Private Ryan," "The Locusts" and the actor who should have been Norman Bates in the "Psycho" remake) being cast in various parts and showing potential for some fun, offbeat material. Unfortunately, they're not allowed to appropriately strut their stuff and thus become nothing more than just fodder for the typical horror film meat grinder that this film turns into.
Director Antonia Bird ("Mad Love," "Priest"), who works from a script by first-timer Ted Griffin, desperately tries to balance the comedy with the horror, but neither is strong enough to carry the picture. While the film has an inherent campiness, Bird never pushes it far enough, and thus only generates a few funny moments, most of which come too late in the proceedings.
The horror element is simply a cannibalistic spin on the standard vampire story where the monster gets stronger, yet hungrier with each killing, although he spares a few victims to become fellow cannibals since, as another character states, "It's lonely being a cannibal. It's tough making friends."
As such, and beyond the overall people eating people concept, the "scary" parts seem tired and cliched and certainly not frightening. To make matters worse, what little spooky potential that's present early in the film quickly evaporates as the picture turns into yet another run-of-the-mill, but brutal, blood and gore extravaganza.
It doesn't help that the lead and supporting characters are all extremely one-dimensional, thus ensuring that we don't sympathize with them nor care about their plight. Guy Pearce, who made quite an impression in "L.A. Confidential" (and also appeared in "The Adventures of Priscilla," Queen of the Desert"), doesn't get the same chance here. Playing a timid and near withdrawn character, the audience never really likes nor cares about him nor the unenviable predicament in which he finds himself.
Robert Carlyle ("The Full Monty," "Trainspotting"), on the other hand, gets to fully ham it up in a performance that constantly reminded me of the characters commonly played by Gary Oldman. As such, his character is interesting, but like the film, doesn't go far enough in being campy -- as that seems to be the intention -- to really make the role work and be fun to watch.
With an odd score by Michael Nyman that tries to heighten the camp quality, but often plays at wrong times during the movie (such as during chase scenes where the effect is thus destroyed), flat acting and a general plot line that's too similar to most every vampire flick ever made, the film never manages to achieve either of its two goals. Neither scary nor outrageously fun enough to please afficionados of either camp, the film's title will most likely appropriately describe its less than satiated box office results. We give "Ravenous," a film that has some potential but ultimately and quickly falls apart, a 2 out of 10.
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