The Forgotten

[dwatts]

I did a search and came up empty-handed. But then, I've been around this site long enough to realize that a film such as this is probably going to face a slew of derision.

Taking everything they could learn from M. Night Shyamalan, Columbia churned out this little mystery.

PLUSES: Great performance by Julianne Moore. It's an emotionally demanding role, but she does very well with it. Great location shooting in Brooklyn, New York. It manages to make Brooklyn in turns frightening and safe.

NEGATIVES: The story just doesn't work very well, the not so surprising ending (the "twist" is revealed a good half hour before the ending of the film), is a bit of a letdown. The DVD tansfer is a bit dark in places, in one instance actually blowing a SFX scene. Too little time on setup.

Not a terrible way to blow 90 minutes, that for horror fans probably not too rewarding. For those mainstream folks who like their horror sampled sweet (mothers, grandmothers) this probably would work.....

I give it a four out of ten.

[Hellbilly]

There are a few scenes in the extended version that I thought worked pretty well and shouldn't have been cut in the first place. My guess is they got rid of 'em for pacing. However, the alternative ending (which the director had first in mind) kinda turns the film in another direction, too tame for my taste though.

[dwatts]

Yeah, I guessed it would be too tame for most everyone here. I watched the Theatrical version because.... well it just seemed lik a good idea at the time. As for extras, I watched the two featurettes (20 minutes a piece) but gave up on them after that due to them being the worst kind of lovefests..... Why don't these filmakers and actors just go to a room for a gang bang?

[Luna]

Why don't these filmakers and actors just go to a room for a gang bang? :lol: :lol: :lol:

That is so going to be a nominee for the 2005 Quote of the Year.

[Tom Servo]

I was not impressed. The movie never struck a cord with me. I was really just bored as hell...and that's never a good thing.

[dwatts]

-- The movie never struck a cord with me.--

In the extras they talk a lot about the main focus of the film - which is "to explore the unbreakbale bond between a mother and her child". How the heck they thought this was going to resonate with MEN is beyond me. It was also a pretty flimsy premise for he eventual outcome.

Oh, and honestly, watch Dark City instead.

[onebyone]

I didn't like this movie very much. It had its moments early on, but they all petered out. I was barely tolerating it when they up and involved aliens of all things. Aliens. Studying the mother child bond. Like that isn't totally lame.

When it was over, I felt just like I do at the end of a M. Night Shyamalan movie, ie like someone, somewhere was out there laughing at me.

[IGotsNewShoes]

Wow, I'm the only person who actually liked this movie. Oh well, I thought it was very effective and it was actually nice to see something different in a movie for once.

[tobaccoman]

I had posted a thread a while back, I don't know why it didn't show up in the search (I tried also). I liked the movie to a point. It had one really effective "jump-scare" that'll pretty much catch everyone off guard. The story starts off pretty well, but it doesn't go anywhere and gets too tangled up between two scenarios and comes off as being predictable/throws the answers out too early and the ending (theatrical and alternate) are horrible. Still, it remained a decent watch (Julianne Moore is an outstanding actress) for Hollywood drivel. Worth a rental if you're with your girlfriend and you really don't care to see the latest chick-flick comedy. She'll probably agree on renting The Forgotten and you can definitely do a helluva lot worse!

[Wayne Manor]

I liked the film immensely. One of the better suspenseful fantasy films of last year, it forms a little-known category of fantasy film: ones your friends who have recently become parents would immediately shy away from due to the peril towards children.

[Tien21]

I saw this in theaters and i didnt like it. I rented it and oh gawd it was 100x more boring! In theaters at least there were a good 2 or 3 jump scares the crash, the cop getting pulled up into the air, and when the guys face changes and screams. I thought that part where the aliens face changes was the lamest thing i have ever seen(until i saw Alone in the Dark).

[RyanPC]

I enjoyed the film up until the nonsensical ending. It felt as though the writers didn't know how else to end the film, so they went for the old cop-out "walk off into the sunset" happy ending that doesn't really give any explanations as to why this was happening. That ending severely lowered my opinion of the film as a whole.

[dwatts]

The DVD has the alternative ending, and extended scenes and whatnot. I have not viewed that version yet, but apparently it gives a different spin..... I bought mine ex-rental for $10 - not terrible.