Nice effects though.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

A monkey's paw talisman has the power to grant three wishes but they come with a heavy price. I watched this on the Horror Channel and it is very typical of many of the movies that they screen - it's not good, but then it's not bad either. Just average. Stephen Lang as the crazed, undead Tony Cobb is by far the best thing here, embarking on a gruesome killing spree. At the other end of the spectrum we have a guy called Catfish, who mumbles so badly the film would have benefited from subtitles! Apparently this film is based upon an old story which I confess to being unfamiliar with and it has given me good cause to seek out the 1948 version.

The Monkey's Paw is updated to 2013 where a factory underling, Jake (CJ Thomason), accidentally costs a long-time employee, Gill (Daniel Hugh Kelly; Hardcastle and McCormick) his job. Gill received a monkey's paw as a kid after his father died, and he decides as revenge to give it to Jake, knowing that if wished upon bad things were most certain to happen. And they do.As the old story goes, Jake wishes for a nice ride, and a wreck caused by a gator in the road throws his bar/work buddy, Tony Cobb (Stephen Lang), through the windshield, killing him when he hit the ground. Unwisely making a second wish on the paw to resurrect Tony, what happens is he's brought back, but the soul is "poisoned" and he becomes a remorseless killer. Tony has an ex with a son who has a restraining order against him. Although he wants to "take his boy fishing", Tony isn't some father of the year: in fact the friendly, chatty Tony Jake became close to has returned cold and distanced. What Tony wants is to have his son and sees the monkey's paw as the means to do so. So unless Jake does as he wishes, people will die (a motorist he met at a bar is strangled by him through the use of her hoody)…and do.Two wishes and Tony wants Jake to make that third, being the kid belonging to him. That motivation will drive Tony to commit unspeakable acts, like murdering Jake's family (mother, brother, and brother's wife), a detective trying to help him (Charles Durning in a thankless part he still manages to bring depth to despite being given a few scenes with a manner of minutes), and Jake's employer (thinking that if the rival for the woman he loves is out of the way, Jake would be more apt to help him).Lang has cut his teeth on complex villains. He was at first an opinionated, assertive, but ultimately amusing blue collar forklift operator, only robbed of his humanity after Jake awakens him from the dead thanks to a monkey's paw with only bad intentions it offers. Lang offers a weapon cutting a swath through all that are close to Jake, wanting the kid, not fully realizing the cruelty of his actions. The black soul and how Lang posits a ruined character thanks to the paw is damned effective. He's shot well, too, to convey all that darkness. Thomason just wasn't particularly involved in his character and left me cold…we needed someone who could provoke a response not leave a feeling of apathy towards him. The paw dilemma isn't too badly executed. You see how the paw really takes Jake down a dark road: no good really comes of it. Kelly isn't available for the film much, but you can feel for him considering his firing left him in a difficult spot. That he is the catalyst for all the harm done, though, visits upon him karmic justice…he pays for not ridding himself and others of the paw. This is not a film which focuses on the grisly details, more or less suggesting the horrors caused by Lang. Heads don't fare well: one victim is crushed in a vice while another has his head split open with a blade; a third is twisted all the way around. This will perhaps be judged by Lang's mission of terror, because the paw story is old hat.

Jake (C. J. Thomason) is given a monkey's paw that grants three wishes. After the first two wishes leave his friend Cobb (Stephen Lang) undead, Cobb pushes Jake to make a final wish.There have been many films based on the short story of the same name by author W. W. Jacobs, going back to at least 1933. Each is a little different, often because of the time period in which they are set. This one is a bit different because it features two friends rather than the traditional pair of mother and son. (George A. Romero has said this story could only be told in a short film or an anthology, but clearly many have tried to prove him wrong.) This one has more action than previous versions, and really makes the story its own. Whether it is better or not is up to the viewers. When compared to some adaptions (such as "Deathdream"), it seems unlikely this will develop a following. But perhaps?

Although I can't remember a Chiller movie I couldn't stand, their entertainment value and production qualities do vary. I always try to go into a film without any sort of pre-conceived notions, but let's be honest. That's nearly impossible to do once you've read any type of publicity material on a movie. As many of you may know, "The Monkey's Paw" is an updated version of W.W. Jacobs' supernatural short story from 1902. Three wishes are granted to the owner of the title object. Unfortunately, the wishes come with a terrible price.Director Brett Simmons and Writer Macon Blair did a great job of establishing a group of engaging personalities through quick character development. It's a simple and entertaining tale that keeps your attention as it plays out. The solid camera-work for this independent genre piece also came as a surprise."The Monkey's Paw" boasts an ensemble cast of stars to help draw in their individual fans. Some of them fully committed to the movie, while others appear to have been paid as much as the budget would allow to get them for a day's work for name recognition. Charles S. Dutton plays a detective who pops up a few times before making his dramatic exit. He might be in the movie for a sum total of ten minutes at the most.Corbin Bleu continues to shake his Disney stigma by taking on a more mature role for "The Monkey's Paw." He plays a blue-collar factory worker named Catfish. It's much different than his roles in "High School Musical" and "Free Style." He also looks like he's bulked up a bit over the years. This isn't Bleu's first genre film, as he was also in "Nurse 3D" and "Scary or Die.""The Monkey's Paw" is unrated, although I would consider it PG-13. You won't find anything out of the ordinary for supernatural horror films. There's some violence, gore, adult situations, and language. The one thing we don't get surprisingly is any nudity.If you like supernatural thrillers, "The Monkey's Paw" will provide some entertainment for horror hounds looking for an old-fashioned tale in a new package. Some might find vague comparisons to "Pet Semetary" are in order. I found it to be satisfying and was pleased by its overall quality and level of suspense.