PRINTMovie Review: Straw Dogs
James Marsden shows the dangers of pushing people to the edge
Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures
September 17, 2011 | 12:00 p.m. CST
The chances of this remake of the 1971 film starring Dustin Hoffman and Susan George being disappointing are slim to none. If you’re looking for a movie where you don’t know what to expect next, than this is the one for you.
David Sumner (James Marsden) is certifiably dangerous. By the end of Straw Dogs, everyone in the theater was completely confident in Sumner’s ability to watch over their households.
Related MovieWhen David and his wife, Amy (Kate Bosworth), move to Blackwater, Miss., to renovate her childhood home, the town’s residents appear welcoming at first. However, it becomes evident that everything that glitters isn’t gold.
Charlie Fenner (Alexander Skarsgard) leads the men of the town to constantly harass Sumner and his wife. Tom Heddon (James Woods) also causes his fair share of havoc in the film. Fenner and his friends take it upon themselves to give Sumner a “Man Up: 101” of sorts. So many things happen all at once that you won’t want to take your eyes from the screen for fear you might miss something crucial.
In the end, the movie takes a dark turn and Sumner has to put up or shut up. He chooses the former and reveals that when pushed into a corner, he’s not one to be messed with. There are gunshots, hands stapled to walls and hot oil thrown on people. Things…got…real.
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