Rating of
2.5/4
"Cronos" by Amanda
symp4thedevil - wrote on 10/04/12
I like Guillermo Del Toro. My favorite film of his is "Pan's Labyrinth." After falling in love with that film, I decided to delve into his entire filmography...and well...I was really disappointed.
"Pan's Labyrinth" I loved. "The Devil's Backbone" was different, somewhat empty, but enjoyable. Both "Hellboy" flicks were beautiful but fall into the junk-food category: pretty but just awful. "The Orphanage" (producer) was your typical ghost story. And then there is "Cronos."
It begins like "Pan's Labyrinth" setting up a horrifying yet fantastical story...original idea around something altogether familiar in the genre. Then...it just...lingers...and...then...ends. I generally dislike Del Toro as a storyteller, but love him as a visionary. He is a master at creating horrifyingly fantastic creatures and a beautiful universe for them to exist in. Then he usually falls flat, and the story becomes unoriginal, predictable, and ends up disappointing the viewer. That is "Cronos."
The concept of the ability to achieve immortality is old news. Del Toro's concept in "Cronos" is magnificent. The obsession the main character has over a device that grants him immortality resembles a drug addiction, which gives the host life, while creating deathly consequences. However the consequences which could have been just as creative as the device itself, are as old as Dracula. Yes ...it basically turns into a vampire flick.
I recommend this film to everyone, despite its mediocre conclusion. It features ideas only Del Toro could conjure up...especially in a genre that usually lacks everything. At least Del Toro can create memorable characters.
