Der dunkle Turm

Ein Fantasy-Hit derselben Art wie Equilibrium oder Dark City. Die wirken zwar ein bisschen zweitklassig, haben aber eine gute Besetzung, eine funktionierende Fantasy-Dimension und Stimmung. Und sie arbeiten vor allem mit einem verdammt interessanten Gedanken. Zu Matthew und Idris passen ihre Figuren, der Junge ist auch gut. Ich denke, dass der Film OK ist. (31.08.2017)

It wasn’t as terrible as all the negative, almost hysterical responses had made me fear. Overall, it’s rather ordinary, unambitious and unremarkable. The casting is good, even the main boy, who didn’t annoy me, which in this kind of role it’s always a success. The special effects are pretty lame, most of the scenes are covered in darkness (for instance, the fight with the demon in the woods, that one was so dark that I thought the projector had broken down), and the entire film feels terribly rushed, like a fragment of a bigger whole. This is perhaps understandable, given the length of the book it’s based on, but, as a viewer who hasn’t read it, I’d appreciate the adaptation not making it so awfully clear. I don’t see the reason to make much of a fuss, but rather to sigh over the unfulfilled potential. (24.08.2017)

King's seven-part saga is unique in the way it has evolved in genre and literary terms over more than two decades, during which Stephen has managed to write dozens of other books, confess his love of Westerns and pop culture, and come to terms with his own drug past. It's a fascinating dose of the truly epic and bizarre, but the year I spent reading it was nourishing for me, literarily speaking, in the best sense of the word. The series offers about two dozen themes that could be turned into a proper blockbuster. But what they did here is in every way the worst possible option. This The Dark Tower took a few random motifs that seemed apt, but they are put together in a completely nonsensical whole. It lacks any dramatic arc. Jumping between locations, he pounds on the editing room door, desperately searching for the rest of the filmstrip. At best the characters have no chance to stand out, at worst they are annoying. Elba relies on a charisma that will engross even those for whom Roland Deschain is still a blue-eyed blond, but McConaughey played perhaps the most idiotic role in a decade. Taylor's Jake Chambers is a tragedy. This is a creative failure on all fronts that someone tried to salvage at the last minute by selling it as an action B-movie. Even decent special effects can't save the fact that before the first scene, someone should have vigorously yelled stop and turned it over to the cable people, who would have made four rich seasons of ten episodes each out of it. (13.10.2017)

I never thought an hour and a half could drag on like this. The Dark Tower has its moments, both Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba fit their roles excellently and Nikolaj Arcel is confident in the action scenes, but unfortunately it's all pretty banal, ordinary and boring. Plot-wise, The Dark Tower never surprises with anything, which doesn't matter when it pretends to be an action B-movie. Unfortunately, however, it more often than not tries to pretend it's a grand fantasy full of fascinating worlds, other dimensions, terrifying monsters and mysterious creatures. And given that the ventures outside our reality end up in a desert with one theme park, one village, and a few completely uninteresting side characters, it comes across as a bit funny. The Dark Tower looks like a pilot for a more ambitious fantasy series that would like to show its world to viewers in the episodes and seasons to come. Unfortunately, it shows so little the first time around that I have no desire to be there the next time (though there probably won't be a next time anyway). It's not a disaster, but there really isn't much of the downright interesting stuff to send you to the cinema for. (27.07.2018)

Mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, its fine that they filmed it, on the other they filmed it so freely that it sometimes really got on my nerves, and also the way they eat meals in one location after another, killing any potentially productive storylines. Elba is really good, McConaughey is super, several cuts above the rest. His version of Flagg is cynical dark and you can see that he really enjoys himself. King’s essence of evil is presented just right. What isn’t ok is character motivation. Roland’s quest is the tower, not revenge. The point of the book is gone. They just left the gravy. Why was the one-volume Hobbit made into three long movies, while the eight-part Tower get just one short one. It’s makeshift, like a series pilot, but it made me want to read the book again. Perhaps they’ll filmed right someday. (29.08.2017)

Nicht besonders toll, nicht besonders schlimm. Es ist ein durchschnittlicher Film, der nur sehr theoretisch besser sein könnte. Ich habe nämlich nicht erwartet, dass man Der Dunkle Turm besser als nur durchschnittlich drehen könnte. Diejenigen, die die Vorlage (oder in diesem Fall eher die "Vorlage“) nicht kennen, werden wahrscheinlich nicht so kritisch sein. Denjenigen, die sich auskennen, können der Anfang mit Jake und die verschiedenen Anspielungen auf die Mittwelt (die sprechenden Waschbären in der Werbung, Walters Glaskugeln, 19-19…) sowie Kings andere Werke ("Shining", "Es", "Christine", "Frühlingserwachen: Pin-up", "1408", "Brennen muss Salem" usw.) gefallen. Viel mehr bietet ihnen der Film aber wahrscheinlich nicht an. Vielleicht bloß die Überraschung, dass die Drehbuchautoren – keine Ahnung warum – die Funktion des Turmes, bzw. der Strahlen, geändert haben. Idris Elba als Roland ist eigentlich überhaupt nicht interessant und er hat fast keine Motivation. Der Darsteller von Jake ist auch nicht großartig. Und Matthew McConaughey spielt zwar Walter wie Al Pacino in Im Auftrag des Teufels, die Regie sowie das Drehbuch helfen ihm dabei aber nicht besonders. Ein Funken von Stimmung leuchtet nur hier und da auf. Er ist einfach nicht furchteinflößend. Der Abschlusskampf möchte beeindruckend sein, er ist aber eher peinlich. Ich bin nicht gekränkt, aber wenn der Film nicht entstanden wäre, wäre nichts passiert. (24.08.2017)

It's a mystery to me why they didn't do a better job with this. The premise calls for mature serious fantasy by Peter Jackson, not just a maturely told children's tale where everything is too simply outlined and resolved. I certainly wouldn't call it a dud – for that the film is under control directorially and there are a number of nicely and stylishly edited scenes; but it should have taken a different, darker and more varied route. Elba is a proper good guy, McConaughey as the bad guy the best thing about the whole film. I want an expensive and similarly cast TV series. (06.02.2018)

Wenn ein King-Fan zum Film geht und eine Adaption seiner Lieblingsbuchreihe erwartet, wird er ein wahrhaft höllisches Erlebnis haben. Der Dunkle Turm ist jedoch keine Adaption, sondern eine alternative Variation des ersten Teils von Kings Werk, die seine Schöpfer noch dazu als eine gewisse Art von kanonischer Fortsetzung dieser Bücher ausgeben (und ja, das ergibt sogar ziemlich viel Sinn, es ist nur etwas völlig anderes als das, was die meisten Menschen erwarten würden). Das Ergebnis erweckt den Eindruck eines zusammenhangslosen Potpourris aus Motiven aus den übernommenen Büchern, zu einem hastig und extrem verdichteten Durcheinander verflochten, das furchtbar verkürzt und unverständlich wirkt und am meisten an diverse kürzlich erfolgte Verfilmungen von Fantasy-Romanen für Jugendliche erinnert, vom "Giver" bis zur "City of Bones". Im Vergleich zu diesen Filmen ist der Dunkle Turm zwar nicht schlechter, aber angesichts der Qualität, Bedeutung und Ausdehnung von Kings Vorlage ist dies eine wirklich schreckliche Entwertung. Eine ausführlichere Rezension finden Sie HIER. (25.08.2017)

This movie has an incredible capacity for unwatchability. Everything in it is so colorless and dry that connecting to it is a superhuman task even for Shaolin masters of empathy who eat Lasse Hallström marathons for breakfast. Until the last action scene, there is not a single shot more interestingly constructed, character presented, or piece of information spoken. Nor is the eventual madness monumental enough to snap you out of an unpleasant apathy, comparable only to being handcuffed somewhere while someone tries to beat you for hours with the plastic hammer from the Little Builder set. In the end, it pokes the little horns of videogame action, where the fight with the Man in Black in particular is reminiscent of boss fights in videogames, aided in particular by frequent over-the-shoulder shots and a small operating space where the hero can only hide behind columns to dodge the increasing attacks of his opponent, using the interactive environment as the key to defeating him. Still, I can’t help but ask: is that enough? Whatever. Enough is just a word. (17.11.2017)

I've read King's Dark Tower series a few times which is why I’m somewhat baffled. Why is the film called The Dark Tower when it is clearly a very poor adaptation of the first part of the series – “The Gunslinger”? Why is Roland played by a black man? If they make a film adaptation of “The Drawing of the Three”, how will Detta Walker be able to call him a honky? Things sure can’t be resolved by making Detta white, because then she would have to use the forbidden n-word and a wave of race riots would sweep the US. A huge yet predictable disappointment. (26.01.2018)

When you look at the sagas being made and how much care is given to them, it's sad to see how little care was given to The Dark Tower. I'd rather the film not be made than be made in this form. King's saga is a rich well of inspiration for me beyond all measure, and his best work deserved a much better adaptation. (28.08.2017)

I haven't read the book, so I’m not worried how faithfully the creators stuck to it. Actually, I don't really care, as I was really quite taken by this action-adventure fantasy directed by Nikolaj Arcel anyhow. The whole move is pretty suspenseful, has a decent pace and a suitably dark atmosphere. I liked the cast too. Not only Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, but also the young talent Tom Taylor all played their roles with dignity and were a joy to watch. (70%) (13.07.2022)