"High Tension" DVD

[I do not normally do movie reviews, but as a fan of Dean R. Koontz, I felt compelled to write this one. I later reviewed the movie version of Christopher Andrews' "Dream Parlor" as well.]

How did they get away with this? -- 3 Stars (Originally written April 17, 2006)

I do not normally review movies. Books are usually my thing. And I know that this has been discussed in other reviews. But after seeing "High Tension," I just HAVE to agree and throw in my two cents.

The only reason this film is getting 3 stars from me is because the acting was pretty good, and the film makers certainly knew how to build visual tension. I hereby acknowledge their skill in those departments.

Now, having said that ... this movie is such a BLATANT rip off of Dean R. Koontz's novel, "Intensity," it is not even funny. Other people have commented that Koontz should sue for plagiarism, but I am sincerely baffled that he has not already done so!

The first three fourths (maybe a little more) of the movie are point for point, step by step directly the same as Koontz's novel. Oh, the fine details were different, but no more so than ANY novel adapted into a movie. If you were to write a simple synopsis of the plot of the majority of this movie, you could easily pass it off as a book report on "Intensity."

The movie follows the book (with ironic loyalty) until the final act, or what would have been roughly half way through the novel. Then, the movie takes a left turn that is INTENDED to mimic the twists of such films as "The Sixth Sense" or "The Usual Suspects" or "Fight Club." Sadly, it was nowhere near as successfully executed as any of those films. They were so desperate to create a twist that no one could out guess that it simply made no logical sense at all.

The truly sad thing is ... Hollywood now cannot make an adaptation of the great novel "Intensity." Because those viewers not in the know would (oh IRONY!) think that such a film was a "rip off" of "High Tension."

Sad ... very sad.