My Soul to Take

* 1/2

The film starts 16 years in the past. A multiple personality afflicted serial killer breaks down, killing his wife, attempting to kill his daughter, and then dies (or does he) in a car crash on the way to jail, or the hospital, or the morgue - I'm not really sure which. Then, because the police officer escorting him suggests it, maybe his multiple personalities really represent multiple souls!

On the same evening, seven children are born premature. Flash-forward 16 years to these kids' 16th birthday and the anniversary of the serial killer's death, and everyone is superstitious about the connection these events may have. Once the teens start dying, it become apparent that one of the two main characters is actually the killer! At the end, the dramatic twist is that... oh, it was that kid.

Part of my disenchantment with this film was that it was written and directed by Wes Craven, and frankly, I expected so much more. Glancing at his imdb profile, I don't think I'd give any of his work from the last 30 years lower than 3 stars. I had high expectations going into this movie. The fact that it turns into a rote slasher film without any of the surprises or self-referential jokes that characterize much of Craven's work, really disappointed me. Lowered expectations always affect how I feel about a film. Like, The Phantom Menace. Normally, it would have just been a bad movie. But, since it was a bad Star Wars movie, it became atrocious.

The other big qualm I had with this film was the 3D. There was as much reason to put this movie in 3D as there is to convert Glengarry Glen Ross to 3D. I get it. The characters stand out from the background - how cute. But, without anything visually impressive, the 3D is just kind of annoying. This one is not worth the time or effort.