Beyond

If you enjoy interesting locations, want to feel like you've been to Alaska, and appreciate uncomplicated mysteries with good actors, give Beyond a peek.

The direction and script could have been better. Veteran John Voight carries the story. There's enough drama to keep you guessing, even if you think you know the end.

I loved seeing the chilliness of Alaska on a hot summer night. Many of the scenes were too dark to see well. I expected more emotion from the parents and thought the babysitter character could have either been left out or developed more.

It's better than reality TV, but not a film you will remember.

Haunted by a case from his past an Alaskan detective due for retirement must find a kidnapped girl and reluctantly enlists the help of a psychic who is also a prime-suspect.

It's nice to see John Voight in a lead role where he belongs instead of a supporting cast player. Voight effortlessly carries the film on has shoulders. Director Josef Rusnak's Beyond while not as atmospheric as Insomnia (2002) or as stylish as his own Thirteenth Floor (1999) presents an entertaining mystery/thriller with a psychic element. The supporting cast are a mixed bag (some oddly misplaced and awful) but thankfully Jodie Foster-like Teri Polo and Dermot Mulroney as Jack Musker are reliable and solid.

It's well filmed, competently put together with writer Gregory Gierasa putting forward an interesting premise, even if it loses it gust slightly in the closing act especially in the reveal. Nevertheless, its satisfying enough thanks to Voight's principle role as Jon Koski.

In Alaska, the veteran police detective Jon Koski (Jon Voight) is near retirement and is a specialist in missing children. Koski is troubled by a failure in his past and is haunted by nightmares with a woman and the little girl Aurora. When the seven year-old girl Amy Noble (Chloe Lesslie) is abducted, Koski is assigned to the case by his chief Jack Musker (Dermot Mulroney), who is the uncle of the child. Amy lives with her parents, Musker's sister Sarah Noble (Teri Polo) and her estranged husband Jim Noble (Ben Crowley), who is an executive in oil business and former DA, and had an affair with his secretary seven years ago. Koski interrogates Amy's nanny Megan (Skyler Shaye) and she presents the psychic Farley Connors (Julian Morris) that is the host of the TV show Beyond to Sarah. Farley becomes Koski's prime suspect but soon they team up to resolve the case.

"Beyond" is an average supernatural movie with the usual clichés of the genre. Jon Voight has a good performance, Teri Polo is still a very beautiful woman and the landscapes in Alaska are wonderful. However the lame and unconvincing story associated to the wooden performances of Ben Crowley and Skyler Shaye ruin this forgettable movie. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Do Além" ("From Beyond")

BEYOND is a supernatural thriller / police procedural film set in Alaska. When a little girl goes missing, the police bring in an expert in such cases (Jon Voight). Things get interesting when a radio / TV psychic gets involved.

Unexplainable events occur indicating possible paranormal activity.

While the story is decent, what makes this movie watchable is Voight. He soars above the material. Otherwise, it would be just another run-of-the-mill, PG-13 spooker...

"I know she hasn't been gone 24 hours but this is my family, my niece." After a child goes missing detective John Koski (Voight) is on the case and tries to find the missing niece of the Chief of Police (Mulroney). When the mother and babysitter tell Koski about a psychic who may be able to help Koski is reluctant to accept him. I really wasn't sure what to expect from this at all. The best way to describe this is the feel of a made for TV movie with better acting and an OK idea. While this is really nothing super original or that exciting it is still worth a watch and could have been worse. The biggest problem is that the person I suspected about a half hour in turned out to be the right one. I'm not sure if it's because I watch to many movies and have picked up on certain clues or if the movie is just that predictable. Either way this is still worth a watch but nothing to rush and see. Overall, not bad but would work better as a TV show instead of a movie. I give it a B-.