This film could have gone one of two ways. First--some
background information. This is the third film from Dark
Castle Pictures, who delivered the delightful and entertaining
"House on Haunted Hill", only to then serve us the
utter waste of time, "Thirteen
Ghosts". So, "Ghost Ship"
could have been really good, or it could have been really bad.
The latter was the case.
Director Steve Beck (who also directed "Thirteen
Ghosts") has this horrible tendency to turn
a horror movie screenplay into an action movie.
"Ghost Ship" is filled with the traditional horror
trappings (scary little girls, dead bodies, ghouls, and strange
noises), but doesn't deliver on them because we are surrounded
by crashes and explosions you would expect to find in a Bruce
Willis or Van Damme picture. Alas, also like the other two
Dark Castle films, this is a waste, because the cinematography
is extremely creepy and could really help this be a horror film
if it wasn't bogged down with the useless booms and bangs.
Here's the premise: A salvage crew locate a 1953 ship in
the middle of the ocean and jump aboard to do their jobs, only
to notice that strange things begin to happen, as this is not
any ordinary ship, but a (insert dramatic music
here).......GHOST SHIP!!!!!! Whoopie! Real scary,
eh? Not!
What in the hell are Gabrielle Byrne and Julianna Margulies
doing in this picture? They so rarely grace us with an
appearance on screen, and they choose THIS as their next
project. They must have been heavily compensated or just
really wanting to make a Halloween picture, because that is
their only legitimate excuse.
As
most strategists were predicting this film to top the box office
this weekend, "Jackass: The Movie" surprised
them all and took home the gold, with "The Ring"
coming in second and "Ghost Ship" debuting at a dismal
third place, making it the worst opening for a Dark Castle movie
yet (the other two debuted at number one). Congrats, Steve
Beck--what a real dud.
So, you can safely avoid "Ghost Ship", as if you
weren't going to anyway by the horrible trailer and cheesy
looking poster with the face of the carrion on the hull of the
ship. This is pretty lame and not .005% as good as "The
Ring". "Ghost Ship" sank at
the box office and should sink to the bottom of your must see
pile. Trust Me.
