The Dark Tower (2017) - One of the best literary adaptations in recent memory - 9/10 (23/08/17)

I'm not familiar with The Dark Tower novel series and I didn't expect much going into this movie with a few friends. To my surprise, The Dark Tower turned out being one of the best movies of the year so far.

It's never easy to transform one or several novels into one or several movies. Most of those films are extremely long and fans still complain that different characters or plot elements aren't included. Many of those films feel unfinished and often end on cliffhangers, implying that there will be one or several sequels. Many of those movies are only interesting for those familiar with the novels as a lot of information is omitted in the films which are hard to follow for those unfamiliar with the novels.

The Dark Tower avoids all those mistakes so many movies make. The movie is short and concise with a healthy length around one and a half hours. This film doesn't end on a cliffhanger and tells a coherent story from start to finish. It might be possible that there are going to be other movies involving the main characters of this film but with completely new story lines. The film was easy to understand for anyone thanks to a reduced and clear structure. Instead of including too many characters and a lot of background information, the film focuses on a pitiless villain, a lonesome gun-slinging hero and an innocent child with special capacities.

The movie managed to be balanced without ever being headless. It's an action movie because of the breathtaking fight scenes involving an incredibly cool Idris Elba and a cold and sinister Matthew McConaughey. It's a fantasy film because of the existence of different worlds and the possibility of travelling between them. It's a thriller because of the ruthless crimes the villain commits. It's a drama because it shows how the gunslinger struggles with his father's death and how the innocent child feels rejected by his family. It's a movie for teenagers because it's easy to identify with the sympathetic young loner but also for adults because the movie is surprisingly brutal and sinister at times.

Add a constant gloomy atmosphere, a fitting soundtrack, great camera work without too many shaky camera sequences, imaginative visual special effects, interesting side characters such as the teenager's suspicious stepfather or the charming and intelligent seer as well as smart references to other works of Stephen King such as It and The Shining.

In the end, I couldn't point out a negative element of this movie. The story itself might not be revolutionary and can basically be described as the eternal duel between good and evil but the story was written by Stephen King and not by the makers of this film. From the gripping acting over the diversified genre mixture and concise storytelling to the stunning sound and visual special effects, The Dark Tower convinces on every level. Most importantly, it's absolutely entertaining from start to finish, no matter if you're familiar with the novels or not.