| Product: |
Paradise Lost (DVD) |
| Date: |
01.05.08 (80 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Nice looking cast
Disadvantages: Everything else
Paradise Lost, otherwise known as Turistas, is a god awful attempt at making a horror thriller and borrows a lot of ideas from the equally atrocious, but much more violent, Hostel.
Alex (Josh Duchamel) is on a back packing holiday in Brazil only because his parents insist on him going with his sister and her best friend to keep an eye on them and look after them. Travelling by a local bus they are suddenly stranded in the middle of nowhere when the bus crashes. Along with two loud mouthed Brits and Pru (Melissa George) they are amongst a bunch of locals left to wait ten hours until a replacement bus can get to pick them up. With only Pru able to speak the language they soon aggravate the locals by taking pictures of the children, the timely arrival of two Brazilian beauties with alcohol in their hands leads the group to a local beach bar. Fun, alcohol, music and a beach is more than they could have hoped for to wile away the hours and soon they begin partying in earnest.
Next morning they wake, sprawled over the beach, and discover they have been robbed of absolutely everything and are at a complete loss over what to do. They think they have hit rock bottom... but worse is still to come!
And worse doesn't just mean for the characters in the film, the poor viewers have to suffer almost as much as the participants. Paradise Lost is so facile. It is trying to hit a happy middle ground most of the time and so manages to be neither an out an out horror or a teenage wannabe horror (ie one that curbs everything to get a 15 certificate) There is only one scene in the whole film that merits it getting an 18 and this puts it in no mans land. It needed to be more gory to make it a worthwhile 18 or cut that one image to get a 15 and bring in those younger viewers. As it is it manages to do neither and not be suitable for either. There isn't enough gore to satisfy those horror fans who love the blood and guts and not enough tension or story to interest those who like their horror to be less visceral and more in the mind, scaring you with your own imagination of what you don't see rather than what you do.
That one seen would have lost it a lot of revenue and viewers in the cinema, and hopefully on DVD, as that is really the only thing that stops it being a more youth friendly 15 certificate which will bring in loads of kids just because it is a 15 and they can see it.
Story wise with the beautiful young backpackers it would find itself more happily ensconced with the 15 cert lightweight horrors that try desperately to get a 15 rather than the audience confining 18. This time around, much as I love seeing 18 films actually make it to the cinema these days (a rare occurrence) the rating belies the content of 99% of the film.
That said the story and plot is full of such complete crap it only really stands a chance of entertaining the most undemanding of viewers. Ones who don't mind a few topless shots and the complete stupidity of the main characters, I was literally jumping in my seat with frustration when they decide that walking god knows how far into a jungle to find a house in the middle of nowhere was a good idea.
Then I felt like punching the writers in the face when there is a long drawn out scene of them being shown a truly stunning underground cave formation by swimming through the cave system, a slightly perilous journey that is full of danger and tension. It is a great scene, one of the best in the film and you breathe a sigh of relief when they make it... only for them to walk out different way and rejoin their friends. Why the feck didn't they go in that way? Aaaaaaaarrrgh is the only response!
Paradise Lost is a mess from start to finish, its a whole storyline is very dubious and there are so many inconsistencies that it isn't even worth watching for a laugh. Avoid avoid avoid!
Summary: A messed up attempt at a horror/thriller
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