Shadow Builder

Shadow Builder isn't more or less than an average horror-movie with average actors and average special FX. It is not especially bad but it isn't very good either. The story of an evil demon who needs to do something very bad (kill a young boy) to reach his goal (turn the world into hell)isn't exactly original but it's good for 97 minutes of entertainment. The story is highly predictable, though. You almost know exactly what will happen and when it will happen. Don't watch this movie if you expect to see a cool horror movie like Bram Stoker's Dracula only because the name Bram Stoker appears in the title. Watch this movie on a boring, rainy day when you have nothing else to do and you'll enjoy it. 6 out of 10 Stars.

Father Vassey(a usually intense Rooker) is a mean, motherf-ing servant of god, dual-wielding 9mm pistols with laser sights that he sadly uses all too little, and he's one of the more enjoyable aspects of this. He is introduced gunning down a perverted(not like that! ...then again...) clan of Catholic higher-ups who have just summoned the original titular demon(created when light came about), and it's out to... I don't know, exactly, with all this theism-driven "horror"(this is not all that scary, if there are creepy and atmospheric portions here and there), it's just an alternative to their faith that is the evil, and this one is somewhat vague in that regard. Anyway, it needs to take over a human host to do... whatever, I don't know, maybe to stop chuckling, maybe air tickles it. It's sights are set on a pre-teen boy in a nearby small town, where it hides in a sewer(or, going by what it looks like from it's POV-shots, it's rushing down a lava water slide), and gradually drive the inhabitants to sin and chaos(whether you take it seriously or not, it's another memorable aspect). This is very much a B-movie, though it's not cheesy enough to be fun like that. Yes, there are some good moments but they are few and far between. There is a heavy reliance on CGI with it utilizing a ton of it, and, being the late 90's(and low budget), the FX(in fact, in general) are not of a very high quality(with some exceptions, some of the practical stuff). Also, many things are shown too briefly, where you barely have time to see what you're looking at before it moves on. I don't remember when I last had to rewind so often during one film. While the insidious being is in the shadow some(leaving it to us to imagine what exactly he looks like), he's way too chatty and when you do see some more of him, the design is strange and not that interesting. Acting varies. Characters are forgettable(even Tony Todd as the village idiot... well, he seemed to be entertained by it, himself). Pacing can be an issue, as this can really drag. At the end of the day, there are better camp flicks out there... Mother of Tears had far more going on, and End of the Line was genuinely chilling. There is some disturbing, violent and gory content and a little full female nudity in this. I recommend this to big fans of Christian fantasy with devils or the like. 5/10

The movie is not a failure, it has a good story (because of the good writer). Visual Effects look good (I didn't like the eclipse ones tho, those were...shit!). It's still good as a only on video movie. The shadow builder and it's dogs look good. Very good acting by Michael Rooker. It can be noticed that Kevin Zeggers will look good when he's older, but anyways, he doesn't do a very good acting in this movie. The movie, however it is, it's familiar to all of us. It's another Devil , Light and a good priest movie. Like Posessed (altho posessed was much better than this). The movie is entertaining, but it isn't a piece of art. 6/10

This is a decent film. Sure, in modern standards with the top notch special effects, some may say its lacking, but I feel that sometimes its great to watch something with less cgi. The story is okay, and you do get to understand certain characters in the film. There are a couple of well known faces in there. Michael Rooker is the Father, and even better is that Tony Todd is playing the local crazy person. I say watch it, and don't compare to the films that have all well known cast members in. The idea is pretty interesting too. As for the Bram Stoker reference, back in 1881, Bram published some short stories. This wasn't very big, so hence the 'based on..' wording.

Based on a lesser-known story by Bram Stoker, the film follows the classic occult or satanic horror narrative, where a demon is unleashed and threatens a rural town, filled with religious references to give it authenticity. Father Vassey (Michael Rooker) is a supernatural hunter who must face a dark entity that takes the form of a shadow (hence the title of the story and the film) but gradually takes shape as it absorbs human souls. While the film presents interesting reflections on light and darkness and contains some chilling moments, the plot is hindered by an overabundance of secondary characters and unnecessary twists, diluting the film's central focus. Nevertheless, the performances of Rooker and Tony Todd stand out, though the ending may provoke more laughter than tension. Despite never reaching its full potential, it has enough interesting elements to make for an entertaining watch.