Dr. Drew says... 10 out of 10

Rating: 10/10 (27 September 2013)

The Cabin in the Woods (2012): The Good, the Bad and the Intelligent
Synopsis: Your typical "kids go to a creepy cabin in the woods and are terrorized by evil"? Nope. This horror/sci-fi gem follows a group of unsuspecting college students that are "willed" to a cabin in the woods for a weekend of fun. Little do they know they are about to be the undoing of the world... by surviving.
The Good: Oh man, what a great film. This is an instant classic and probably one of my all-time favorites. From the witty dialogue to the mega plot-twist, Whedon and Goddard leave it all on the line. I don't give "10 out of 10" very often, but this movie is very deserving. The genius blending of horror and sci-fi have never been done better (except maybe Aliens). The writers pay homage to every horror film out there (especially the Evil Dead series) and instead of ripping them off, it works flawlessly within the confines of the script. Once you start to get the "big reveal", you begin to understand the genius of this movie. When I first watched it, I really knew very little about it and the less you know, the better the movie will ultimately be. The true standouts from an acting point of view are Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins as the supervisors of the ritual. Their chemistry and banter is pure cinematic joy to watch. I sat there with a big 'ol smile on my face during all of their scenes. And the idea of the facility workers placing bets and turning a demonic ritual that could end the world into your run-of-the-mill office betting pool is sheer genius. There's just so much to like about this film.
The Bad: It's really hard to come up with anything that wouldn't be picking some serious nits. There are a few scenes here and there that fall into the "cheesy horror" type of dialogue trap and while most of it is intentional... some of it is not. Whedon might be held up on a pedestal by geeks worldwide, but his scripts aren't always perfect. He hits more than he misses though and while it's not a perfect movie, it's certainly perfect enough to look past any minor inconsistencies.
The Intelligent: This is just a well-thought out idea that is very well executed. It's originality is hard to come by in this day and age of the reboot and recycled. Most of the dialogue is as witty as you get and that is just another notch in the hype machine that is Joss Whedon... who steals Goddard's thunder a little here... because most assume that Whedon directed this movie. Either way, it's a brilliant film based solely on the concept. The fact that the actors are good, the script is amazing, the dialogue is sharp and fresh and that the idea is so imaginative and fascinating.... how could you NOT like this movie? Again, this is an instant classic for me and one that will get a yearly or bi-yearly view from me. Bravo!