Star vehicle for throb Zac Efron only 'pretty good'

Charlie St. Cloud

By Andy McKinney         
Gazette/Connection Film Critic

This is a star vehicle for current teen throb Zac Efron, a remarkably photogenic young actor.  The story is a mix of supernatural ghost stuff, heavy drama about life, death and how to deal with each, and a lovely love story about two attractive young people.  In spite of the schmaltzy, trite premise, the characters are engaging enough, especially Efron, that the film is an overall artistic success.

Sadly, it is not a financial success.  The producers spent some $44 million to make the movie but have taken in only $30 million at the box office thus far; the film is still in release.  We wonder what they spent the money on, as much of the film is shot interior dialog (cheap to film) and the exterior shots are mostly panoramas of the beautiful sea and sky around Seattle. 

The writing is nothing special, nothing dazzling for the audience to ponder as in the recent “Inception.”  This puts the entire burden on the young shoulders of Zac Efron.  I doubt if even one of our superstars could carry the load under these conditions.           

Director Burr Steers previously managed the well received “17 Again” which also starred Mr. Efron.  To his credit, he committed no blunders but also did not provide much in the way of sparkle, although the sailing scenes are adequately filmed.           

Kim Basinger has found work in a small bit as Charlie’s mom.  She is quickly in and out of the movie. 

Ray Liotta also has a small role as the EMT tech who saves Charlie’s life.  He provides the best acting by a long way in the movie but he too is quickly in and then quickly gone. 

Amanda Crew is Charlie’s love interest but she also has too little screen time, at least for me.  She is a good actress and the film would be better with more of her and less of Charlie playing catch with his dead little brother.  But I guess Director Steers saw the project as a ghost movie with a romantic hook rather than a romance with a ghost hook.  Either way, it is only a pretty good movie.           

The film does have a good message that I intend to carry out.  You should make the most of life, packing in all the joy and love that you can under all circumstances. 

This pretty good movie gets a pretty good two saw blades.  The PG-13 (only one punch for violence, theme of death and separation, no graphic sex, no bad words) film runs only one hour and a half.           

We await the big screen mayhem of “The Expendables.”  We expect both laughs and explosions.  Harry Potter will return in the Holiday season.