neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Dreamcatcher
	Lawrence Kasdan Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis, Timothy Olyphant, Tom Sizemore, Donnie Wahlberg 2003		Author Stephen King is a prolific pop phenomenon, famed for his horror novels. Some entries in his bibliography are prosaic efforts that make for silly or shrug-worthy films. Others ("The Shining," "Carrie") become fascinating or stunning movies. Even a few of King's non-supernatural scribblings ("The Shawshank Redemption," "Stand by Me") work well on the big screen. So why does the film of King's "Dreamcatcher," directed by Lawrence Kasdan (noted screenwriter of "Raiders of the Lost Ark"), feel secondhand and chaotic? Because it's cobbled together from bits of past King wing-dings: an abused nerd with mind-bending power from "Carrie"; the wintry, remote setting of "The Shining"; boyhood chums with a secret bond from "Stand by Me." In "Dreamcatcher," four kids save a retarded boy from a beating and receive telekinetic gifts. They remain friends as adults, but, on a nature retreat, they end up in the middle of a space invasion and are integral to ending the menace. A mishmash of monsters, mysticism and sci-fi, with Morgan Freeman as a government alien-fighter and Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis and Timothy Olyphant as the grown pals.