Nothing Special

Rating: 6/10 (28 April 2015)

Ghost Stories have always been my absolute favourite sub-genre of Horror. On that account, I've watched dozens of them, any film I could get my hands on. Judging from my personal experience and subjective preferences - The Woman in Black had never had a chance of being anything more than ordinary, perhaps reaching to good.
When it comes to portraying ghosts and apparitions, the Asians, who are the true masters of the field, have set the bar real high with their famous ghost stories such as The Grudge. In this field, I must say The Woman in Black has done an excellent job! The ghost is as horrifying as could be, the apparitions of the children are eerie and terrifying, and the jump-scares (while a cheap cinematic trick) are done just right.
Unfortunately, this concludes all possible praises I could give the film, with the exception of Ciaran Hinds playing the role of Sam Daily in a more than satisfactory manner. Harry Potter (aka Daniel Radcliffe) can only be compared to Johnny Depp's character in Sleepy Hollow, and unsurprisingly this comparison doesn't flatter him. He lacks the charisma and screen presence of other actors of the genre, and his acting simply "doesn't cut it". The plot and script are mediocre at best, nothing innovative or original, no noticeable creativity, nothing out of the ordinary we haven't seen before in many other films. I don't know if this criticism is to be given to screenwriter Jane Goldman and director James Watkins (this is by far not the best work of either) or to novelist Susan Hill, but the story isn't profound in any way.
All in all, I can't say I didn't enjoy this film. It's a fun watch, scary at times, and isn't altogether disappointing for those of use who don't get carried away to unrealistic expectations. You could find many better and many worst.