Something Wicked This Way Comes Reviews

The talents of the wonderful Jonathan Pryce are wasted in this poor adaptation of Ray Bradbury's tale of fantasy and the supernatural. Pryce stars as Mr. Dark, the mysterious and sinister owner of a traveling carnival that comes to a small Illinois town in the early 20th century and immediately enthralls the townsfolk. Most of the people in this small town have unfulfilled dreams or wishes for a better life, which Mr. Dark can give to them, but only if they join his dark circus as freaks. Bradbury's surprisingly bland script, the perfunctory direction, and so-so special effects cripple what could have been a great movie had director Sam Peckinpah--who long dreamed of filming the book--been allowed to see it through. Instead, the property was snapped up by Disney, which promptly sucked the life out of it, turning it into a scrubbed and innocuous coming-of-age tale. Too bad.