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ODD THOMAS – Reviewed by David

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If the kid from The Sixth Sense grew up and became a fry cook, he might look something like Odd Thomas (Anton Yelchin), who can see dead people, but by God, to paraphrase Odd, does something about it. His dealings with the dead make for a rather enjoyable time in Odd Thomas, a horror comedy that combines the scary and the funny and, well, the odd in just the right amounts.

It’s based on the first of six books by sci-fi/horror author Dean Koontz featuring the title character, a young man living in a fictional California desert town who helps dead folks move on. He can also see otherworldly creatures whose presence normally heralds big death. When droves of the things suddenly appear in town, he realizes an impending massacre needs preventing.

Yelchin (Chekov in the recent Star Trek flicks) is perfect casting as Odd, as he’s always seemed a little offbeat himself. I completely buy him as this guy who has accepted his paranormal ability and his fate to aid the dead. He easily conveys the guy’s intelligence (in how he pieces together the compelling main mystery), and his skill to physically manhandle the killers of the deceased he sees.

He gets great help from Willem Dafoe, who takes a break from his normal heavy lifting to play the local police captain and de facto father figure to Odd and proves nicely light on his feet. As Odd’s destined-to-be-together-forever love, the relatively unknown Addison Timlin is a real find. She’s incredibly cute, and handles the script’s constantly clever dialogue the best of anyone here.

The big surprise is that this fun little effort was written and directed by Stephen Sommers, who made the The Mummy and Van Helsing. He keeps the obviously odd spirit of Koontz’s book wonderfully intact, crafting a product not quite as whacked out as John Dies at the End, just a little weirder than Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, and with a sweet tearjerker of an ending.

Sommers does, of course, employ CGI in telling Odd’s tale, but judiciously—and very effectively. The aforementioned creatures, in particular, are slithery, frightening-looking things. He also mines some nice macabre humor from dead bodies, and even drops in a spectacular explosion near the end. So, really, it’s not odd, not in the least, that Odd Thomas is so entertaining. – [DVD]

Comedy/Horror/Mystery

Unrated

DVD Release Date: 3/25/14


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