The Cabin in the Woods Review

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Created on Tuesday, 10 April 2012 00:32

Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 April 2012 08:39

Written by Robfox

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While driving home from the theater at 10PM Monday evening, after having witnessed the highly anticipated movie The Cabin in the Woods, I tried to imagine what I could say about the movie with out giving all the plot twists and surprises away, of which, the movie was full of.

I pondered on how to convey the excitement and the scares with out even having to use the frequently seen 'Spoiler Alert' title. I wanted to call everyone I knew to tell them to stand in line now to get tickets for when this movie opens on Friday April 13^th, but I knew the words I would hear 'Well, whats the movie about?' would be on the lips of everyone I spoke with. No, I had to remain silent, patiently waiting until Igot home so I could write everything I wanted about this movie on to paper, so I had the option to go back and remove anything that my give a hint away. So after writing this review and re-writing it, I believe I am now fully capable to give my opinion on this film without spoiling it for anyone.

Now, with that in mind, I believe the best way to do this is to explain what the movie is not. This movie is not like anything you have seen before. Sure, there are elements perfectly sprinkled through out the entirety of the 105 minute flick, however, nothing can prepare you for what plays out. Also, this movie is not a straight up horror film. Writer Joss Whedon and writer/director Drew Goddard blend genre’s beautifully; keeping the audience cringing one minute and laughing out loud the next. One minute you are sucked into the story, rooting for our hero and heroine, the next, sit scratching your head, trying to figure out there the story is going. This, perhaps is the best part of the movie, watching in awe of the story telling.


Story telling aside, without a top notch cast, this movie could have fallen down a very familiar path, that sadly we see so frequently in horror movies. Luckily, though, we have a cast that seems to have been friends long before the movie was even thought of. I wanted to hang out with the cast, or at least in the beginning. The characters were written somewhat one dimensional, though it was done that way on purpose, and unlike other movies, it was pulled off masterfully. There were many stand out roles, from the young sweet virginal Dana, played by Kristen Connolly, to the classic horror movie jock, Curt, played by Mr. Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth. It is really hard to choose a favorite character, as the entire cast was spot on.


'That's all well and good, but what is the movie about?' I know this is going through your head at this very moment, but I must resist the urge, and believe me, you will be thanking me for not ruining it for you. If however, you must know though, I will give you the official plot that you can find on any given website. A group of five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the far reaches of a wooded wilderness for a vacation. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods. Though this is the basic plot of the film, it in no way is what the movie is truly about. That is the plot you can rattle off to your significant other, or friends, to entice them into going to see it with you. My best advice, though is to go into it with no preconceived notions of what you will see, doing so may help you appreciate all the little nuances and twists and turns that you may or may not see coming.

Every movie, no matter how brilliant, though has moments that could be improved upon, though, so it brings me to the last part of the review. This portion is completely about my impressions, my opinions, if you will. This portion is very subjective though, so take it with a grain of salt and again, throw my opinions out the window before you step foot in the dark theater. In objectively looking back at the movie, I realized there were only a few parts where I actually jumped. Yes, the scares are there, but I would have to give the sound man a C – in the mixing effects. I found that during moments where I should be jumping and feeling my heart pound against my chest, it was as if I were watching an action movie as opposed to a horror movie. Let me explain; in today’s digital/ HD sound environment, too many times a film relies too much on loud crashes to startle the audience and bring about a feeling of unrest. Take for example almost any slasher film, you not only see the cat jump off the top of the refrigerator, but you hear the screech of the cat as it jumps through the air, causing audience goes to let popcorn fly out of their buckets. There were quite a few areas in the film that could have really used a loud crash, or a sudden loud noise with the action. Instead of the loud crash though, we would be met with barely a whimper of a sound. In all fairness, though, it could have been the theater speakers themselves, or I could have been distracted by the couple sitting next to me, who enjoyed talking through out the entire movie.

I really look forward to seeing the movie again at a different venue, and hope the sound is greatly improved. Though not a deal breaker, by any stretch of the imagination, it still took away from what I believe to be the best horror movie I have experienced in a long while. This movie is just that, an experience; and one you won't want to miss. Blood, boobs, comedy, and suspense, it has something for everyone and I highly recommend it. Oh, and if anyone tries to tell you anything about the movie, run, don't walk away, and you will be happy you did.

I give the movie 4.5 out of 5 stars.