By Geno McGahee
I love amusement park horror movies. It is the perfect setting for a horror film. Scooby Doo knew that and so did many more. So, when I saw that JACK THE REAPER was an amusement park horror film, I got excited, but then I saw that Tony Todd was in it. I have a great respect for Todd as an actor, but I recognize the fact that if you got the money, he’s got the time. There is no discretion when it comes to selection of the screenplays he accepts. If there is a fifty dollar bill stapled to it, he must start packing his bags.
We start this movie with a bunch of teenagers that are going to a getaway organized by Mr. Smith (David Beeler). Every character is very generic and we are introduced to several characters that never go anywhere and are never referenced again. For instance, Jesse (Alexandra Holder) is dropped off by her father, who is obviously molesting her, and that is all we see. He grabs her leg and is just creepy and you assume that this guy will get his, but it does not happen. Another character is a pregnant girlfriend that is upset with her man and then never heard of again.
So, the group goes and meets Mr. Steele (Tony Todd) and he tells them of the railroad legend of Jack the Reaper. They laugh it off and leave, taking off in their school bus, having an accident which leaves them stranded. In the distance, they see an amusement park and they head over to check it out and have some fun, but on top of being a mean railroad guy, Jack the Reaper apparently loves roller coasters.
The characters are taken out, one by one, as Jack the Reaper shows up with his pickax. He smiles and has black eyes and doesn’t have much reason or rhyme. I get the feeling that this film was not written to take place at an amusement park. The filmmakers probably had the opportunity arise and jumped on it without changing the screenplay enough to make any sense. It’s such a cool setting, but they don’t really take advantage of it.
It becomes a mediocre slasher film, but I was still waiting for the ending. I thought that the ending would be good and that would possibly save this one, but no such luck. The ending was predictable and the very ending was about as lame as it gets.
JACK THE REAPER had some of the elements that were good but they never came together. The screenplay is incomplete and it shows. I wonder how quickly this needed to be done and what they had to work with to get it done. It is shot well and the setting is very neat, but I really look at this as a missed opportunity. This film could have easily been a standout had there been more focus and a more developed and understandable story. As it stands now, it’s a forgettable mediocrity. If you have nothing else to watch, give it a go…
Rating: 4/10