Dorathen Better Late Then Never

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Celia A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

slayrrr666 "Fear of the Dark" is a lot better than expected once it gets going.**SPOILERS**Stuck together for the night, Dale Billings, (Kevin Zegers) is forced to stay home babysitting younger brother Ryan, (Jesse James) who has an intense fear of the dark. As they spend the night home during a raging thunderstorm, he's driven insane at his constant mentions that something is in the house with them, despite his insistence that there's nothing there to bother them. When friend Heather Fontaine, (Rachel Skarsten) shows up to keep them company, they all realize that he was right all along and that the house is haunted by a series of ghouls that are afraid of venturing out into the light and are forced to overcome their fears to survive the night.The Good News: There was some good stuff to this one when it tried to. The best thing about it is that there's some really good suspense scenes spread throughout. The very first one, where the furniture appear scattered throughout the house only to reappear back in the original position moments later is one of the greatest scenes in the film, and it sets off the rest of the film to a great touch, making it seem really creepy and gives off a wonderful atmosphere that the rest of the film works perfectly with. They're in perfect keeping with the early parts of the film, which has a pretty healthy level of atmosphere that works wonders for the film as well, and it helps to set up the genuinely creepy and unnerving last half. Presented as a series of chases around the house with the shadowy creatures pursuing them around the house, there's literally nothing to these that doesn't work and it's all the better. From the scenes in the bedroom under the covers to the confrontations in the hallway and the finale in the basement, as well as the fun scenes in the attic, all work wonderfully for the film and give this one a really creepy and unnerving atmosphere. The ghosts on display in here are actually really nicely done, with the severely white face, demonic grins and evil expression leaving quite an impression and leaving the film with a freaky-looking villain that's actually a worthwhile haunting tool. The last good part is that this one plays up the rating well, really seeming to be comfortable with the tag and not really requiring or needing to have anything to push it beyond what it is which is much different from others out there. These here are the film's good points.The Bad News: There wasn't a whole lot really wrong with this one. The fact that this one does have some really slow-going and boring parts in the beginning is the biggest thing with this one. There's really not a whole lot more to them other than an imaginative scare tactic followed by everyone around saying it was just that, the imagination running wild. The sheer repetition of the same cycle of scenes manages to produce anything less than aggravation and annoyance at what's happening. It goes on for so long in the beginning half that it feels like it goes on forever and just gets old after it keeps on going. The only other thing that doesn't make much sense is the rushed ended, which just sort of stops and ends the film right in it's tracks, and compared to what had happened before it, really should've been stretched out a little more. Other than these, though, there's not a whole lot to hurt this one.The Final Verdict: Actually really enjoyable and interesting once the film decides to get going, it's actually one of the better entries in the genre. Give this a shot if you're into the style or think this one sounds decent, though if you can't overlook the rating factor, then just ignore it altogether.Rated PG-13: Language and Mild Violence

red_green3377 Overall this was a very well done movie. Although i did feel as though i was watching the family channel at some parts it has everything you would want in a horror movie.I thought that the special effects could have been better. This movie gets you if you are one of those children who had a fear of things that go bump in the night. Overall it wasn't bad but it wasn't the best either so if you are looking for a movie to watch with your friend on Friday night and are open minded to the fact that this isn't the best graphics then sit back and prepare to jump and bite your nails down to the finger. I give this movie a 8 out of ten although maybe it deserves a little lower

Michael Margetis This has to be a contender for one of the worst films of all time. First of all the film doesn't make sense. My guess is the screenwriter is a monkey or maybe another member of the animal kingdom. There are more holes in the story than a pound of baby swiss. I mean, come on, where do these monsters come from and who are they? In the film they never explain. The only thing in the film worse then the screenplay is the acting. Well, the little boy, Jesse James, is actually not bad, but the guy, Kevin Zeggers, who plays his older brother sucks. The actress who plays his girlfriend gives an even more terrible performance. One could speculate that the only thing more painful than this film is castration with a rusty fishing knife, but even that is debatable. Did I mention the ending? The ending is one of the most clichéd pieces of crap I've ever experienced in my life. What happened to creativity? Most independent films I've seen don't have the money for big visual effects, so they make up for it with original writing and plot twists. Nope, 'Fear of the Dark' is about as original as a plagiarized term paper. 'Fear of the Dark' is the kind of movie that when completed, would make you feel relieved to get back to studying for an Organic Chemistry final. There's only one positive aspect about this film, once I think long and hard about it -- at least it's better then Miss Congeniality 2. Grade: F

Andreas Niedermayer I watched this one three times already. I think both boys do an amazing job. Jesse James is so good as the scared younger brother, and Kevin Zegers aces his role as the sceptical yet thoughtful older brother. It's the psychological terror that invades into their minds, not so much the actual visual transformation. That leaves a lot to the viewer's personal imagination and makes the story quite scary, especially if you allow the eerie plot to affect you. There are better movies dealing with similar stories, but this one has its charm and is definitely worth watching. At least due to the good individual performances by Jesse James and Kevin Zegers, who are perfectly cast.