So-so horror from a young Del Toro
Added 11/10/2009
The Bottom Line:
A mediocre movie that does a much better job of showing that a young Mexican director named Guillermo Del Toro had some talent than actually telling a compelling and satisfying story, Cronos is not a movie which I bear any ill-will towards but it's not worth seeking out or watching unless you're a big fan of the director, and even then (I fit that category) you might well come away disappointed.
2.5/4
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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ending... begining... middle...no matter what... is still mediocore.
Added 7/14/2009
Guillermo del toro's first feature length film Cronos has striking images and nicely lit sets and somewhat devoloped characters but you can care less for them. The film rattles along the corridors of boring because you can care less for the storyline and its premise. I agree that the acting and character devolopmennt is well directed and blocked well by Guillermos detailed direction but it lingers on boredom. Back in the 90's after I had seen Cronos I had the rare prevliage of meeting Guillermo at his film workshop in Guadalajara Mexico just before the kidnapping of his father leading to his imigrating to the U.S. in 1999. Back then he was full of ideas and imagination , a true delight in fancy. A friend was interviewing him for a local magazine and I was doing the stock photos for that interview. After everything was said I pointed out that the film 's ending was vague and confusing. I understand that it is a vamire film but there is begining , middle and ending, as all scripts have and he answered "well I only had a Million Dollars to work with and an American actor-I had to do the best of what I had" I have to admit he has a great memory on horror and its monsters, but a storyline that intrest the audience must have intresting characters. And that monster character lacked that intrest. But dont take my opinion ...see it for yourself.
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Guillermo Del Toro Redefines the Vampire Myth
Added 9/8/2008
How my ratings work:
5 - I really liked/loved it
4 - I liked it
3 - Could've been better/worth a look
2 - Just didn't live up to the potential
1 - Simply aweful
Reworking the vampire myth is no easy task, but writer/direcor Guillermo Del Toro pulls it off in this creepy, darkly funny, and surprisingly touching tale of a man trying to gain back his humanity (literally). The work that went into this film is amazing, especially the creation of the Cronos device. Instead of babeling on about how good the film is, I'll just say that this is a movie worth watching.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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An original, important twist in the vampire mythology
Added 3/14/2008
In my opinion, great movies can either break the standards or take them to higher new levels, some masterpieces can do both. This movie, along with "Near dark", is a standard breaker, no doubt about it. The rest depends on what's your cup of tea, but if great thrillers are yours, this may interest you.
After classic gems like the mentioned Kathryn Bigelow's "Near dark" and other "vampire" films that offered a completely different view, description, and perspective about this mythology in horror films, Guillermo del Toro made his major 1993 breakthrought in both mexican and international film industry with this aclaimed and awarded tale about the search for inmortality. The tools, the means, the moods and the atmosphere used by Del Toro in this film were highly original and unespected for this kind of genre.
The theory of vampirism is focused on a technological device, an ancient artifact like a golden mechanical beetle that contains an inmortal parasite insect that will grant inmortal life to the one that feeds it with blood. So, what we have here is the story of the host for this "Cronos" device, antique dealer Jesus Gris (federico Lupi), who found this artifact inside an old 16th century statue, and his grand daughter Aurora (Tamara Shamath).
The evolution of the tale is very interesting, not horrific or macabre, but insightful and in some ways disturbing. Jesus Gris eventualy discovers the price to pay for this miracle artifact, wich is being transformed in a blood sucking human parasite. The aversion to daylight and the agonizing thirst for human blood unchain the instincts of survival and moral struggle proper of the "innocent" victims of vampirism. The adittion of a cruel villan portrayed as a dying millionaire looking for the precious device, and his violent thug nephew Angel (Ron Pearlman)as the man in charge to obtain it no matter what, are the final complement to such deep and tense tale. Aurora is the innocent silent witness of the transformation of his grandfather, and a backup character in order to maintain Jesus's humanity over the film.
Guillermo del Toro frequently uses this character formula in his original spanish-production films, like the following "The devil's backbone" and his latest masterpiece in drama and fantasy "Pan's labyrinth". Simple and very straight-forward, the movie flows to a climax i won't reveal, of course, and delivers a great fresh new reference for the genre with very low budget but high levels of artistic quality. Dark, gothic and surrealistic, this movie tracends the psychological thriller standard right into the horror standards, thanks to a less scary, non gory, but sensitive tale in a more human level.
The Inmortality issue in this movie, is like the "sunlight" issue on "Near Dark". The story is about the same: The victim is infected, descents to the lowest levels of indignity and basic desires, the moral battle over the lost humanity, and the final rise from hell to protect the loved ones. What more classic than that?
Highly recomended for sensitive fans, the ones looking for something new, different and in a way, exciting for the horror genre. A little history lesson if you think about it.
Just not recomended for extreme gore and shocking horror fans, this is way too dramatic and could be boring compared to these choices. To each is own, but everybody is welcome anyway.
The DVD edition? Nah! Just standard and regular as it can be for 90% of these movies. Look for it and enjoy the choice of edition you want, it's all good.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Interesting Spin on an Old Story
Added 2/13/2008
Guillermo del Toro's first feature film Cronos places a new spin on the familiar vampire genre. The film touches on what it means to be human and on man's quest for eternal life. Immortality is presented to Jesus Gris (Frederico Luppi) through the Cronos device. This device created by a 16th Century alchemist promises eternal life albeit at quite a price.
The film which one numerous awards is quite good with excellent attention paid to details. The supporting cast includes Claudio Brooks as a dying industrialist and Ron Perlman as his henchman nephew Angel.
The film is filled with cinematic in jokes and also contains quite a bit of Mexican and religious symbology. In his first film del Toro tackles many of the subjects that run throughout his later more mature works. While not as powerful as his efforts in Pan's Labyrinth this is a film that is well worth seeing even if it is somewhat expensive and difficult to find.
I viewed the Lions Gate 10th Aniversary Edition which features a director's commentary and a producer's commentary in addition to several making of featurettes and an interview with del Toro. The special features are excellent across the board.
Seek it out you will be glad you did.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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So-so horror from a young Del Toro
Added 11/10/2009
The Bottom Line:
A mediocre movie that does a much better job of showing that a young Mexican director named Guillermo Del Toro had some talent than actually telling a compelling and satisfying story, Cronos is not a movie which I bear any ill-will towards but it's not worth seeking out or watching unless you're a big fan of the director, and even then (I fit that category) you might well come away disappointed.
2.5/4
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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ending... begining... middle...no matter what... is still mediocore.
Added 7/14/2009
Guillermo del toro's first feature length film Cronos has striking images and nicely lit sets and somewhat devoloped characters but you can care less for them. The film rattles along the corridors of boring because you can care less for the storyline and its premise. I agree that the acting and character devolopmennt is well directed and blocked well by Guillermos detailed direction but it lingers on boredom. Back in the 90's after I had seen Cronos I had the rare prevliage of meeting Guillermo at his film workshop in Guadalajara Mexico just before the kidnapping of his father leading to his imigrating to the U.S. in 1999. Back then he was full of ideas and imagination , a true delight in fancy. A friend was interviewing him for a local magazine and I was doing the stock photos for that interview. After everything was said I pointed out that the film 's ending was vague and confusing. I understand that it is a vamire film but there is begining , middle and ending, as all scripts have and he answered "well I only had a Million Dollars to work with and an American actor-I had to do the best of what I had" I have to admit he has a great memory on horror and its monsters, but a storyline that intrest the audience must have intresting characters. And that monster character lacked that intrest. But dont take my opinion ...see it for yourself.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Guillermo Del Toro Redefines the Vampire Myth
Added 9/8/2008
How my ratings work:
5 - I really liked/loved it
4 - I liked it
3 - Could've been better/worth a look
2 - Just didn't live up to the potential
1 - Simply aweful
Reworking the vampire myth is no easy task, but writer/direcor Guillermo Del Toro pulls it off in this creepy, darkly funny, and surprisingly touching tale of a man trying to gain back his humanity (literally). The work that went into this film is amazing, especially the creation of the Cronos device. Instead of babeling on about how good the film is, I'll just say that this is a movie worth watching.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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