RBR: The Raven

A movie that looked like it could be a scarier version of the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes; franchise turned out to be nothing more than a derivative bore. The plot centers around a series of murders that are all connected to stories written by Edgar Allen Poe. John Cusack plays Poe, who assists the police in trying to find this serial killer. Typically a fine actor, Cusack seems to be borrowing from too many other quirky characters to make Poe truly feel unique or interesting. Alice Eve plays the obligatory love interest/damsel in distress. It was hard to evaluate her acting here since I was too busy staring at her glaringly bright white teeth that stood out like a sore thumb in dirty, dingy mid 19th century Baltimore. A major problem with the film is that there isn't much mystery to the story. The whodunnit becomes fairly easy is you simply use process of elimination amongst the cast of characters who have received any screentime throughout the film. Even worse, the person who is responsible is so forgettable and lacking in any true menace that when the reveal is made is feels like even more of a let down. Stripped of any sense of mystery, the movie becomes a grim feature that barely held my interest. I was hoping for a lot more here but they just could not deliver. To those who wonder if I'll ever watch this again, my response is simply - nevermore. Rating: **