Don't Look Behind You

I turned the movie on expecting crap for kids but when I actually go there I was impressed by how good and interesting it was. I loved it and would like to have it on tape. I think that if you have a chance to watch this film you should definitely go for it.

Although "the book is always better" this movie was an excellent addition to my class's experience of the novel study. After reading the novel, the movie allowed them to put faces with the characters and feel the drama visually unfold. The movie sticks closely enough to the book's plot that the kids aren't confused and disappointed, but there are also enough differences that they are intrigued. Plus, the twist at the end keeps their interest peaked! They beg me not to turn it off when class is over. They remember the book fondly after seeing the movie. In today's visually stimulated world having novels played out on screen really helps us continue to push literature. I know it sounds crazy, but it works. On that same note, some kids can not fully connect with what they've read, so being able to "really get" what happened in a novel is an awesome thing when they can watch it and catch on. Not enough movies stick to the plot enough to work in the classroom, but this one certainly does.

I read the book when I was in Junior High some years back, and to this day...it's one of my favorite books and have read it since as a college student even. I didn't even know the movie existed till one day about a year ago when it aired on TV. I was thrilled to watch it until, as said in another review, the end of the first 10 minutes. This movie made you hate the characters, made the plot bland, and the acting didn't do anything for it. I know they say the movie is NEVER as good at the book..but this could be the worse case I've ever seen. If you like the book..don't bother to watch,if you think you want to watch it. Get the book.

Although after 40 minutes the movie goes to a common plot, the beginning of the movie is breathtaking with ups and downs all the time, with a lot of tension all over the almost 2 hours. Patrick Duffy seems to be free from "Boby Ewing" character and is good for other dense performances. Although it is a thriller with murders and tension, you don't have unecessary violence in it.

This movie is worthy of MSTK3 (RIP). The only people you can possibly root for are the bad guys who are just trying to help Darwinism along. The main bad guy, played by Dominic Raacke, is good as the villain and so are some of his cohorts. I was in Germany for a vacation and he is a famous actor in a long running TV crime drama called Tatort. In that series he's quite sexy and can act his pants off. That is why I rented the movie, I recognized his name. In this movie the actors just seem to be acting vignettes with no connection to each other. Raacke is almost jolting in that he seems to be one of the few who acts as if this is a movie with a plot. The perpetual whine of the children can be summed up as "We want our privileged lives back - who cares if we are being hunted by vicious killers and innocent others are being killed because of our stupidity". I mean you really hope they bite it by mid-movie. I suggest you use this film for a riff movie and at least have some fun with it.