HAUNTED CASTLE
How curious that this richly textured, engaging, IMAX-format animated
feature is banned by 20 theaters owned and operated by IMAX Corp. when,
in fact, it elevates what IMAX films could be. The impressive still wins
out over the expressive, but Haunted Castle has what fellow IMAX films
like Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man and CyberWorld 3D are sorely lacking:
a cohesive plot, visual style and structure.
The core of the controversy surrounding Haunted Castle is this: After
IMAX Corp. vice president Mary Pat Ryan saw the film, she announced that
cinemas owned and operated by IMAX would not be showing the film on the
grounds that it is "quite violent," isn't "family-friendly"
and could "diminish the value of the IMAX brand."
But Haunted Castle does anything but diminish IMAX.
The story follows fledgling rock star Johnny through the castle left him
by his recently deceased mother. Although Johnny never really knew his
mother (she left him at age 3), music seems to be in the genes as she
herself was a chanteuse.
Upon entering the castle, however, Johnny finds that Mommy had some help.
"Mr. D," or the devil, managed her career smashingly, but not
without a price. And, although she broke her contract, Mr. D wants to
offer Johnny the same deal. When he refuses, Mr. D tries to change his
mind and sends him on a tour through the castle (essentially hell).
Haunted Castle is part movie and part amusement-park ride, although it's
far more effective as the latter. Slightly scarier than Disneyland's "Haunted
Mansion" attraction, Castle features a few scenes of souls being
tortured and mechanical monkeys getting the wrecking ball.
The sequences are in service to the plot, however, and while young children
may find the material disturbing, kids old enough to play video games
won't be shocked or scared.
Haunted Castle isn't perfect filmmaking, but it does point IMAX films
in the direction they should be going - toward innovative, visually imaginative
and engaging storytelling.
review source: movies.nowintheaters.com