Strong start, but loses its way.

Rating: 6/10 (27 June 2010)

The first half hour of 1408 is spot on. It shows the character Mike Enslin (John Cusack) as a hack writer covering America's most haunted destinations. Because of his job, he's a natural cynic where ghosts and paranormal phenomena are concerned. According to Enslin, he's never actually seen a certified case of a haunted building. There's always a rational explanation hidden there somewhere, and up until the point that we're introduced to him, he's never been proved wrong. So shortly thereafter he receives an intriguing postcard inviting him to stay at a New York hotel, specifically room 1408. He's been told that no one ever lasts more than 30 minutes in that room, and those that do are not in any condition to tell about it. So the premise is obviously that Enslin will go to this room, and that the majority of scenes will take place there.
It's got a pretty predictable plot; non-believer becomes a believer. I don't mind predictable when it's done well and keeps me entertained. The first half of the film is done very well. It's just that somewhere around the midpoint it starts to drag and become a bit scattered. There are just one too many jump moments, and after so many they start to lose their impact. And I wasn't really a fan of those animation-style ghosts (think cartoon caricatures). If they had been more zombie-like it would have been much scarier. After about 30 minutes of watching him in the room, the film started to feel a little bit sluggish. I felt like saying "We get the point. So what happens now?" The movie does tell us but it just waits too long. And when the finale comes, it flip flops back on itself just one too many times.
In spite of this, 1408 has a great deal of genuinely creepy moments. It's made well and has a lead star who can carry just about any material that he's given. With one more turn at the editing table, this film would have easily been a 7/8. Still, it's definitely worth a one-time viewing.
6/10