(This review may contain spoilers).
This movie was, I felt, entertaining to watch. However, I felt like I was partway through the story and that I’d missed the beginning. While there were some explanations given through the film, I did find that, by the end, I was still left with an awful lot of questions.
It was interesting to see the scenes with the cult interspersed with Alton being taken by Roy and Lucas. I would have liked to see more details of the relationship between Roy and Sarah, especially with more details about their history.
I felt a lot of sympathy for Alton in this movie and it was interesting to see a bit of explanation for his apparent abilities, though what he could do was one of those things I was left confused about by the end. I was a bit surprised that none of the other characters asked questions or had doubts… apart from Lucas, but even then, I didn’t really learn anything.
I did like seeing Alton’s relationship with his parents and it was good to see that there was a lot of action in the movie. I did, however, feel that a lot of the interesting details were left by the wayside. One scene in particular is referenced after the fact… and although there are some hints of a deeper emotional feel (having to give up their child as the best thing for him), those aren’t explored as fully as they might have been.
I also felt that Alton didn’t really act like a child. While there were certain parts where he did (reading the comics, for instance), for a lot of the film, he seemed more adult-like and not necessarily attached to the adults around him.
I would have liked a little bit more background and some more in the way of the relationships between the characters. I didn’t like the information dumping, such as when Lucas tells Sarah how he’s involved. And there’s no detail about what Alton shows the members of the cult and other characters.
This film was entertaining to watch, but one I felt could perhaps have been expanded into a television series, where there could be more character development. I don’t think I’ll be watching this movie again or buying it on DVD.
Ink of Blood 