La maldición de Charlie

I strongly suspect that, around 2009-2010 or so, Nicolas Cage participated in a secret scientific experiment to have himself cloned, and that since then there are at least three of four Nicks walking around in Hollywood! How else would you explain the large number of Nick Cage vehicles that is getting released each year? I seems that, every time I blink my eyes, two or three titles are added to Cage's filmography here on IMDb. I don't mind, though, and it's even quite clever because I (and surely many others with me) will pretty much watch everything that Nicolas Cage stars in, regardless of the quality. And, granted, a lot of the B-type action/horror movies that he starred in lately are bad. Take "Pay the Ghost", for instance. I probably never would have bothered to continue watching if it weren't for Cage's name prominently decorating the opening credits, as it looks like just another derivative and predictable ghost story with a weak plot and an overload of fake scares. Make no mistake, "Pay the Ghost" IS a forgettable and weak supernatural horror entry, but hey, maybe I was in an exceptionally good mood because I nevertheless enjoyed it. The script is obviously trying to cash in on "Insidious", "Sinister" and every other recently released thrillers featuring ghost children, and Cage strictly acts on automatic pilot, but I was still interested in the plot of his missing son. Charlie mysteriously vanished during last year's Halloween parade and, nearly one year later, his father discovers that several children go missing every year on All Hallows Eve without ever getting found. Mike reunites with his estranged wife and together they stumble upon a harrowing tragedy that occurred nearly three centuries ago. Being a sucker for folklore/urban legend stories involving witchery and burning at the stake, I really dug the tale of Annie Sawquin, and director Uli Edel ("Christiane F.") did his best to insert a creepy atmosphere, decent special effects and eerie scenery. Certain scenes are quite brutal, like the fade of the spiritual medium, and the happy ending doesn't feel too forced. But, like I said, I was in a good mood and Cage himself probably already doesn't remember "Pay the Ghost" anymore.

After about five minutes into the movie I thought, "Oh no, not another child that sees ghosts." Then, as though the writers heard my plea, the movie changed directions. Now, to be fair, it didn't go into unchartered territory. In fact, the movie revisited a well established premise.

Professor Mike Lawford (Nicholas Cage) loses his child at a Halloween fair right under his nose. This leads to a split between he and his wife, Kristen (Sarah Wayne Callies), as she blames him for their son's abduction. Shortly before Charlie's (Jack Fulton) abduction he had strange visions and even heard something tell him to "Pay the Ghost". All of that plays a major role in Mike's subsequent search for his son as it takes him to stranger and stranger locations.

I would call the movie eerie and ominous even but not quite scary. There is a particular frustration when a terrible thing happens to you in a desolate location because no one is around to help you. There is another, more intensified frustration when a terrible thing happens to you in New York City and there are literally thousands of people around you. That's precisely what Mike was dealing with. "Pay the Ghost" was entertaining and it held my interest but nothing groundbreaking.

A lot of reviews are giving this movie flack but it's not that bad. I feel like people go into Cage movies now expecting the worse and have already decided how to feel about it before they've even watched it. I'm not about to argue that this film is good (because it definitely isn't) but you could do far worse than watch this movie. Sure, the CGI is terrible and the plot is no good. But we have okay dialogue in the script and everyone in the movie (minus the child actor) does a fine job. Cage isn't hamming it up like he often does and Sarah Wayne Callies does a great job. The scene after they lose their son is rather heartbreaking when you look at her. This movie does fall apart a bit down the stretch, however.

All in all, it's very forgettable, not recommended, but not terrible either.

With its low rating on IMDb and some poor reviews I read, I wasn't expecting much from this ghost/horror flick. However, I found it to be better than I anticipated. It's presented well, and although it probably won't please the die-hard horror fans, it had just enough chills and surprises for me.

Nicolas Cage stars as Professor Mike Lawford, who takes his 7-year-old son Charlie (Jack Fulton), on Halloween night, to a local carnival in New York City. However, while buying some ice cream, Charlie goes missing, and Mike frantically tries to find him to no avail.

Fast forward one year, and Mike has found his marriage, his career, and his own psyche in a tailspin, with no definitive word on Charlie. Mike, though, gets the sense that his son is trying somehow to communicate with him, while his wife Kristen (Sarah Wayne Callies) begins to get the same type of messages from the spirit realm.

With help from a fellow professor (Veronica Ferres) and an Irish celebrant at a traditional Celtic Halloween service, Mike and Kristen begin to finally realize what might have happened to Charlie and what they can do about it.

All in all, this movie directed by Uli Edel and written by Dan Kay, based on a novella by Tim Lebbon, is not going to win any awards for plot originality, as this theme has been used numerous times in other movies. However, it kept me engaged and offered up just enough chills for me to like it.

Having enjoyed 'vintage Cage' in The Rock, Con Air, Face-Off, Captain Correli etc, frankly, I was hoping for a comeback, but, I didn't find it. Scripting at times is woefully simple, used to stitch the scenes, 'we need to discover xyz', 'how will we do that' and into the next scene! It feels predictable, it doesn't go deep, on the plus side, there were a couple of goose-bump scares, so I was submerged well enough at points and certainly the pace picks up during the final third. If there was a blackout power cut during the film, I wouldn't even consider to go back to finish it, it is not a good film, but, its not a bad one. Sunday evening B grade fodder.