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    Cujo

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

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    “Cujo” is a fine adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name. It’s a good “animals attack” movie thanks to the time spent developing the characters and the effort made to create a realistic - and relateable - scenario. Despite this, I don't see this as the kind of film you'll be drawn to watch over and over. That’s ok. While watching, you’ll enjoy it.

    When Vic (Daniel Hugh-Kelly) goes out of town for work reasons, his wife Donna (Dee Wallace) takes their car to be repaired by mechanic Joe Camber (Ed Lauter). Upon arrival, she and her son Tad (Danny Pintauro) realize he isn’t home. The car breaks down, leaving the family stranded, trapped inside their vehicle and with no escape thanks to Cujo, a formerly friendly St. Bernard now infected with rabies.

    The film’s most memorable element is the titular dog, who looks increasingly menacing as the plot goes on. Its fur is matted with blood and mud, its face dripping with infection. The canine’s sheer size makes it a threat but it isn’t really the dog that makes this nightmare scenario scary, it’s all the little things compounded. The family’s car has broken down in the middle of nowhere. The heat is unbearable and hope for salvation is just out of reach. If only Donna could make it to the Camber's phone through their broken window, she could call for help. It’s just a matter of time before the opportunity presents itself but meanwhile, her young son is hysterical. They’re both without food and dehydrated. Every passing minute decreases the chance of a happy ending but there’s no room for error so they’ve got to take their time. It’s a great big time clock that cranks up the tension.

    Aside from a scene towards the end where director Lewis Teague indulges in a couple of horror-film cliches, this doesn’t really feel like a horror film at all. It’s a drama featuring ordinary, likeable people going on about their regular lives. The fears are real-world fears. Donna worries she will get bored with her marriage. A crisis at work drives a wedge between her and her husband. Not helping is how... close she's gotten to her high school sweetheart Steve (Christopher Stone). There's a story already happening and it gets interrupted by this crisis. The whole time Tad and Donna are in the car, you’re wondering what you would do, which of their mistake you would avoid. You don’t think of them as characters in the film. They're real-life human beings thanks to the excellent performances by the child actor and the boy playing his mother.

    “Cujo” builds slowly but steadily and delivers the terror and intensity you want during its climax. Bolstered by strong performances and good cinematography, it’s a scary film that isn’t so intense that it will cause you to wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night… unless you already have a phobia of dogs. (On Blu-ray, March 14, 2019)

    7
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    adamwatchesmovies@  9.12.2014 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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