Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett) is back in another thriller following the the remake of 'Fright Night' in which he starred in 2011. Yelchin dawns the role of Odd Thomas in this film adaptation of Dean Koontz's book of the same name. Odd, is for lack of a better term, an odd guy. He keeps his life as simple as possible by not owning a vehicle and taking a menial job as a short order cook at a diner, but that is only to balance out the complications that come with seeing dead people. Odd uses his abilities to serve and protect as some sort of supernatural sheriff, but when a strange man enters his diner surrounded by an unnaturally large group of bodachs (ghostly predators who feed on pain and destruction), Odd realizes that his town is in serious danger.
Now I know what you are thinking, "another movie where the main character can see dead people, really?!" but let me assure that Anton Yelchin plays a much more badass clairvoyant than Haley Joel Osment. In the movie, Odd is a skilled fighter who walks towards danger when most people are running in the other direction. While I have not read the Dean Koontz book and cannot comment on whether this is an accurate adaptation, I can safely say it is an enjoyable movie. Yelchin's performance as Odd really shows how far he has come as an actor since 'Charlie Bartlett,' and leaves no question as to why he landed a role in the new Star Trek series.
A movie is not made good by one man alone, and even Odd has his own paranormal pit crew. Yelchin is joined by Addison Timlin (Stand Up Guys) who plays Stormy Llewellyn, Odd's way too hot for him girlfriend, and Police Chief Wyatt Porter who is played by Willem Dafoe. Police chief Porter and Stormy are the only two people in the movie that know Odd's secret, and they support him in his supernatural endeavors. This movie was a redeeming performance for Willem Dafoe, renewing some of my faith in his acting abilities that I lost after seeing the Spiderman franchise. Addison Timlin, a young actress with a reasonable amount of performances under her belt, plays a convincingly genuine girlfriend who leaves guys asking, "I don't have nearly as much baggage as Odd, where is my girl like her?!" 'Odd Thomas' is one of those rare gems that I have discussed in earlier reviews; one of those movies I probably would have never come across without a Netflix account. From the opening scene to the ending credits I was lost in a world where a guy spends his days helping ghosts and still has time to make a hell of a pancake. This movie has two acting up and comers and one veteran, and let's be honest, a strong story line adapted from a best selling book doesn't hurt.
Now I know what you are thinking, "another movie where the main character can see dead people, really?!" but let me assure that Anton Yelchin plays a much more badass clairvoyant than Haley Joel Osment. In the movie, Odd is a skilled fighter who walks towards danger when most people are running in the other direction. While I have not read the Dean Koontz book and cannot comment on whether this is an accurate adaptation, I can safely say it is an enjoyable movie. Yelchin's performance as Odd really shows how far he has come as an actor since 'Charlie Bartlett,' and leaves no question as to why he landed a role in the new Star Trek series.
A movie is not made good by one man alone, and even Odd has his own paranormal pit crew. Yelchin is joined by Addison Timlin (Stand Up Guys) who plays Stormy Llewellyn, Odd's way too hot for him girlfriend, and Police Chief Wyatt Porter who is played by Willem Dafoe. Police chief Porter and Stormy are the only two people in the movie that know Odd's secret, and they support him in his supernatural endeavors. This movie was a redeeming performance for Willem Dafoe, renewing some of my faith in his acting abilities that I lost after seeing the Spiderman franchise. Addison Timlin, a young actress with a reasonable amount of performances under her belt, plays a convincingly genuine girlfriend who leaves guys asking, "I don't have nearly as much baggage as Odd, where is my girl like her?!" 'Odd Thomas' is one of those rare gems that I have discussed in earlier reviews; one of those movies I probably would have never come across without a Netflix account. From the opening scene to the ending credits I was lost in a world where a guy spends his days helping ghosts and still has time to make a hell of a pancake. This movie has two acting up and comers and one veteran, and let's be honest, a strong story line adapted from a best selling book doesn't hurt.