Burn her at the stake!

Rating: 7/10 (9 June 2006)

First of all, let me say it was never a surprise to expect the top-notch performance by Ms. Mitchell; one of my favorite Aussie talents, after "Phone Booth", "High Art" among the titles in her repertoire. I liked the maturity she brought to the character, and same can be said of course for Sean Bean - both players set the seriousness of the mood in the film's opening. Also, following "Flight Plan" it's REFRESHING to sea Mr. Bean play a good guy after playing the villain in countless flicks, Fellowship of Frodo, Patriot Games, Goldeneye, Ronin, et cetera.

The "entrance" into the terror is one of the best cinematic moments I've seen but for some reason it was marred by the sudden explosive grandiosity of the demonic villains who were shown right on the moment Rose encounters them. I would have wanted an inductive motion in revealing them a little later on. You'll also see Rose's calm despite her missing daughter when she tries to make the female cop relax.

As it progresses, you will see Sean Bean portray a father in a desperate time, fighting no matter what to get to his wife and daughter.

The visuals are great, but like I said the sudden exposure to the bombast of the situation and the grotesque villains didn't work for me... They should have saved it or restrained themselves from being too overwrought.

The score was masturbatory. Whoever scored this film should retire.

But in the end it raises some questions in the audience, like what would you do if your daughter was tied to a world so alien like that? And of course the theme of persecution is played out when we see the religious zealots as the "weaklings" fighting against the demons but a reversal occurs in the end when Rose is the one persecuted by the fanatics.
It's watchable. Worth a rental, in the least. Gotta love Radha Mitchell.
7/10