Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

The Dark Tower
2017

Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Cast: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Taylor, Claudia Kim, Fran Kranz, Abbey Lee, Katheryn Winnick, Jackie Earle Haley

The mythical dark tower protects all life in the universe. 11-year-old Jake has visions of gunslinger named Roland Deschain, who protects the tower from the Man in Black. This 90-minute movie attempts to distill the essence of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, which spanned over eight books and one short story. Needless to say, this plan does not end well. This feels like middle of the road science fiction without any fresh ideas or compelling characters. Elba and McConaughey are wasted in their underwritten roles. On the plus side, the rushed story is over soon and I don't expect this to start a franchise.