REVIEW: THE DARK TOWER

3/5

Towering Inferno.

95 Mins. Starring: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Taylor, Claudia Kim, Dennis Haysbert & Jackie Earle Haley. Director: Nikolaj Arcel.

"I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my eye." Here comes the Man in Black. Not the galaxy defender and not fleeing across the desert but the man, Matthew McConaughey. Still on the McConaissance that the 'Amistad' and 'A Time To Kill' likes of 'The Lincoln Lawyer', 'Killer Joe', 'Mud', the 'True Detective' series, the 'Wolf Of Wall Street' classic chest thumping cameo and the Academy Award, 'Best Actor' Oscar winning 'Dallas Buyers Club' started and this 'Dark Tower' hopes to top. Shooting for the last and best, big blockbuster of a Summer of 'Mummy's', 'Alien's', 'Spider-Men', 'Wonder Women', 'Baby Drivers', 'War For The Planet Of The Apes' and second volumes of galaxy 'Guardians'. Sure McConaughey's recent films haven't topped his out of this universe, intergalatic 'Interstellar' numbers (see the glittering, but not so Academy striking 'Gold' and the overlooked 'Free State Of Jones', which we hope at least leads to a 'True Detective' season 3 reunion with new showrunner, 'Moonlight' Oscar winner Marhershala Ali), but only Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk' can do that right now. Still hoping to come at least close to this towering height in a tale as old as the time Stephen King was 19, Matt makes for a Man In Black even a neuralyzer won't let you forget. Smouldering with the devils own smoke and cloaked in a grim coloured suit, looking like what the reaper would wear if he was styled by G.Q. And with brimstone in his palm and hells fire in his eyes, the man that looks the parts signature southern drawl just makes this sinister sneer that much more definitive in the cadences of sound. Especially as he whispers 'Jessica Jones' David Tennant like "Simon Says'" commands to his victims like "hate", "stop breathing", or "kill...each other". Or as he taunts his gunman Roland "you crawling your way out the darkness"? Breathing pure evil as he warningly asks, "did you tell the kid whoever walks with you dies by my hand"?! Strolling through every set-piece and the Flatiron street crossings of New York City with the swag walk and talk of a man that controls everythings pace, the effortlessly cool McConaughey has barely looked better. Breaking into bad like a charcoal three-piece that perfectly fits. Matthew's Walter/Black is clearly the present danger.

"I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I shoot with my mind." And The Gunslinger followed. And oh how this compellingly longing, lone wolf stalks his prey like the strong silent, slash violent type. Shooting from the hip at a wild west clip, Elba is engrossigly enigmatic in this King epic as Roland, your Gunslinger. Even minus the signature stetson in clever and inspired casting in this modern day age. Which alongside the Texan McConaughey would seem like a honoured, tribute role reversal to some, but to the directors here this billboard moment the world at social war sorely needs right now wasn't even given a second thought. Going back to the Man in Black, this is the six-shooter slinging man Elba's moment playing a magnificent Madiba in 'Mandela: Long Road To Freedom', the 'Beasts Of No Nation' Netlfix, Academy overlooked, 'Star Trek-Beyond' alien make-up villain and 'Pacific Rim', 'Independence Day' stirring speech maker promised. And in cancelling the Apocalypse again, you could call this, this one-man show pistol packing 'Lutheran's' Bond audition. Because shaken but stirred, after he walks through hell, an inspired Idris would be heaven sent as 007. The way he quick draw McGraws with two guns. Reloading the chambers like he was pouring Skittles in his palm. Spinning them like John Wayne and shooting them with the "hell he will", sniper like precision. This man has the eye, mind and heart of a real shooter. You can see almost see him in the scope of that iconic, Bond barrel beginning I.D. This Great Brit whose about to star in fall films with Academy actresses Kate Winslet ('The Mountains Between Us') and Jessica Chastain ('Mollys Game') will no longer be relegated to the Marvel backgrounds of being 'Thor's' gatekeeper whether he does a backwards Ryan Reynolds and becomes the 'Justice League's' Green Lantern or not. Especially if he continues building this 'Dark Tower' to the smaller screens of T.V. where he made his name in the groundbreaking HBO drama of HBO dramas 'The Wire' and the B.B.C. 'Sherlock' brilliant, legacy lasting 'Luther', complete with some without question fantasy 'Doctor Who' rumors. With Bond and Who the music making Driis could have sung playing both the best of British right now. But the multi-talented Idris Elba going from small to silver screen and back again as this Western wonder in a future fable has shown here what he has in every duel challenge showcase...the truest grit.

"I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart." But will the Tower fall? Not if Elba or fellow British Broadcasting Cooperation alumni Tom Taylor can help it. The young actor from the looks and voice breaking sounds of it may seem to be going through puberty during the all over the place ageing, filming of this film but that's just life and all natural. The kid is more than alright and a star of the future set to shine. After all he already has 'The Shining'...yep that one Johnny. That's here in some book crossovers that delve deeper into King's library than some comic Easter Eggs even in this age of Marvel. Like hidden messages and meanings? Then follow this one white rabbit. We won't spoil the surprise, but look out for objects from 'The Shawshank Redemption', 'Misery', Pennywise's amusements and of course the founding film that made Jack Nicholson drive an axe and his face through a hotel room door amongst much more. Because this film has it all. From South Korean, Hollywood model actress of the future Claudia Kim (see the only 'Age Of Ultron' hero that wasn't an Avenger), to a underused but undeniably watchable 'Watchman' star in the form of the similarly shuddering 'Shutter Island's' Jackie Earle Haley. And it's clear to see even with the best joke in the film an influential Idris has not forgotten the face of his father. Who is the cameoing but emotionally captivating Dennis Haysbert. The '24' star who will continue the smartphone screen chapters of this story like a Kindle. But here lies the problem with 'Royal Affiar' and forthcoming Hitchcok 'Rebecca' reboot Nikolaj Arcel and Dan Brown 'Inferno' director Ron Howard's produced tower heist. Their well cast, good looking but slightly misfiring remake of King's tower. At times it feels like this film aims and shoots with its hand and kills with its gun. Sure like turning the groundbreaking graphics of a novel 'Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets' it was almost going to be a mountain too high to scale Stephen's visonary story he laid the foundations of in the last year of his teens. But in taking the seven books of King's version of 'Lord Of The Rings' that he termed his "magnum opus" and reducing it to one scatter-gun paced run through, romantic comedy long film of 'Hobbit' size proportions is dwarf stunting. Even Peter Jackson managed to milk a trilogy out of J.R.R. Tolkien's half-pint in comparison 'Hobbit' before bedtime story pamphlet. We need the television series and a red face for the Crimson King more than ever in this binge watch age like we Netflix want that new 'Punisher' show on demand right streaming now. But it's just a damn shame the twisted antagonist/protagonist love story between the 'True Detective' and the grit of D.C.I. 'Luther' won't turn the page. Because in one way or both we've probably seen the end of two big name, favourite actors Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba giving it all they've guns and hell blazing hot got here. But then again even fallen towers can be rebuilt, brick by brick. Look up and see for yourself. Has this film and could have been franchise forgotten the face of its author father? Or is meh merely alright, alright, alright? TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Watching: 'Lord Of The Rings', 'IT', 'The Shining'.