“Odd Thomas” Movie Review
Written & Directed by Stephen Sommers
Based on the Dean R. Koontz novel Odd Thomas
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Addison Timlin, Leonor Varela
Small-town fry cook Odd Thomas (Anton Yelchin) is an ordinary guy with a paranormal secret: he sees dead people, everywhere. When a creepy stranger shows-up with an entourage of ghostly bodachs – predators who feed on pain and portend mass destruction – Odd knows that his town is in serious trouble. Teaming up with his sweetheart Stormy (Addison Timlin) and the local sheriff (Willem Dafoe), Odd plunges into an epic battle of good vs evil to try to stop a disaster of apocalyptic proportions. Based on the best-selling thriller by Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas is a supernatural action thrill-ride from the acclaimed director of The Mummy and G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra.
Sommers gives you the feeling he was confident with his choices. The film is loaded with supernatural coolness and runs like a graphic novel. The film’s narrative is my only gripe. It never felt anything other than forced to me. It’s an adaptation, I realize, so, there’s no need to make it a bigger deal than it is. The bulk of the film is a great time. It’s filled with monsters and all manner of weird. It’s the kind of show fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or John Dies at the End might enjoy.
I admit this film had my jaded horror feelers up, but Sommers and Anton Yelchin went all in. The result is a charming, silly, warm, and free-range horror film with plenty of comedy. Odd Thomas is less odd than much of the stuff we’re already watching. Check it out in theaters February 28, 2014.
I read this book long ago and really didn’t like it. It ended up being the last Dean Koontz book I ever read – it just seemed so unlike his other books and just wasn’t nearly as good. I hadn’t realized they’d made a movie out of it – sounds like the movie may be better than the book.
Good review. I started this but couldn’t finish it for some reason. I still have the screener so I may give it another shot. I usually enjoy Sommers’ work. I never read the books though. Nice job!