90% The Cabin in the Woods

Fresh, innovative and wickedly entertaining, The Cabin in the Woods is one of the most awesome experiences I've ever had at the theatres. Once again certifying Joss Whedon's astounding genius, it raises the bar for the whole horror genre, delivering laughs, thrills and a plot so cleverly designed that it makes everything else in the category look like second-rate garbage.During the first half hour or so, it doesn't seem like anything special: five 20-something friends go on a trip to a remote forest cabin, meet some creepy truck stop guy who speaks of death and impending darkness, or something of the like. Pretty much your average scare fare from the Hollywood assembly line.Or so it seems. Because as the curious youths begin exploring the enigmatic cabin - thus awakening its terrors - we suddenly find ourselves in a deep and ominous situation, where nothing is as it appears and your predictions are thrown completely out the door. I'm gonna stop right there not to give anything away, but let's just say that all hell breaks loose, in a pulse-pounding cavalcade of blood-splattering events, that sets its phaser to "balls-to-the-wall" and keeps it there until the very end.Not since the first season of Lost have I been so absorbed into a fictional place and its arcane oddities. It's like reading a really great mystery novel, that just gets better and better for every page turned and revelations unearthed. I really can't remember the last time I saw a horror-thriller this original and intense - if ever!Everyone in the cast does a pitch-perfect job. Most notably Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Connolly, Bradley Whitford and Fran Kranz. The latter of which reminded me a bit of a pot-smoking Shaggy from Scooby Doo. Tremendous kudos also goes to director Drew Goddard, who co-wrote the screenplay with writer-producer Joss Whedon.It's not only brilliant and groundbreaking, but also has a lot of fun with the material. Sometimes a little too much fun as the humor isn't always befitting, but that's about the only flaw this film ever presents. Otherwise it would have been a 5-star achievement.An elaborately written, out-of-the-box fright-fest, that puts a whole new spin to the genre, which for a long time looked to be at a loss for ideas. They sure weren't kidding when they called it the Inception of horror movies.Imagine all your worst nightmares, collected within the frames of a single film. Then add intelligence, adrenaline and an ingeniously unique story concept, and you can't help but love this masterfully crafted entertainment piece. All I can say is: expect the unexpected!

March 16, 2012

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_cabin_in_the_woods/

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