The Fog (2005)

   

Directed by: Rupert Wainwright

Written by: Cooper Layne

Starring:

Tom Welling .... Nick Castle
Maggie Grace .... Elizabeth Williams
Selma Blair .... Stevie Wayne
DeRay Davis .... Spooner
Kenneth Welsh .... Tom Malone
Adrian Hough .... Father Malone
Sara Botsford .... Kathy Williams
Cole Heppell .... Andy Wayne
Mary Black .... Aunt Connie
Jonathon Young .... Dan The Weatherman

Release Date: Theatrical: October 14, 2005

 

 

Rating:

 

A young lady named Elizabeth Williams (Maggie Grace) returns to her small hometown at Antonio Bay after a long hiatus from being there.
She realises that she is not as welcome as she expected she'd be after she meets up with her parents and some of her former friends.
She also discovers some violent forces and a few deaths as well as a thick and eeerie fog that's creating all of this and she is responsible for and has a dark secret which was never revealed to the locals there.
However, some of the old crazy people seemed to know about her.

 

There is a great prologue showing some people being burned alive at sea etc. As there's a moment with someone looking at the water and a monstrous hand grabs this person as this was supposed to have made you jump but misses that chance a bit. Still it looked effective.
A good suspenseful situation with a fishing boat lead by Nick Castle and their anchor is stuck as well as them struggling to try and bring it up without letting the boat from tipping over in which this keep you watching terrified and wondering if they will all be okay.
We have a perfect shot on the fishing boat in the middle of nowhere when it's nearly dusk. There's good moments with people dancing on the boat with Spooner videotaping them as it almost looks like a believeable bunch of friends partying. A great look at some deadly looking fog approaching and rising over the boat. Plus a nice look on a giant old ship floating by and dark looks on the people on board too. There's great reactions on all of them when they hear banging sounds. Also perfect shot on one of the friends hand sliding against the window of the boat as well as a good special effects and fast action moment with a knife flying towards someone else.
Good moment with Nick associating with Elizabeth Williams after he sees her in his truck as she looked good standing behind darkness and then revealing herself. There's also a good shot with the truck driving by a village and some fog slickly rolls by and the power goes out bit by bit. Nice and effective but doesn't leave a chilling feeling like it does in the original.
However there's a real jumping moment when the two of them talk and it's all still then suddenly the windows break in the truck.
Perfect touch when a hermit is on the pier and finds one of his dogs dead with the fog nearby as well as him knowing what this fog can do as this makes things seem truly mysterious.
On the abandoned fishing boat there is a good moment with both Nick and Elizabeth exploring the boat and then good shots on the corpses as well as their upsetting reactions too plus a good shot on Spooner in a freezer with his eyes closed and then they suddenly open up which is quite suspenseful looking.
Nice effects when an object washed up from shore is in Stevie's radio station catching on fire and showing symbols afterwards on what papers on the bulletin boards reveal as this was another nice mysterious drawing card to the story.
There's a good shot on Elizabeth in the beach close to dawn with the fog surrounding her as this looked spooky to watch along with Nick catching her by surprise which seemed effective as well as them walking back to the house and the fog breezing away which is a real eye catcher.
We spot a good powerful conversation between Elizabeth and Father Malone when he aggressively tells her that she must get off the island after spotting a symbol graffiti'd near his church.
Nice close up shots on Elizabeth's feet walking on a dock and then slipping hitting her head. Also perfect moments on her struggling to get out of the water as you wonder if she will make it out okay.
Perfect situation with the hermit grabbing at something and keeps pulling in which it lands him in the water as well as the deadly looking for swarming around him as well as a good shot on a monstrous face from the fog which is a nice surprise to the story and looking suspenseful within all of this. Plus a great shot on Andy Wayne running away from the fog.
Dan the weatherman looked good holding a lantern standing outside in the fog wondering what is out there. Plus nice shot on him in flames flying back hitting a wall with a good close up shot on what happened to him as there's neat CGI effects on this happening.
We also have a perfect camera shot on inside of a house with Aunt Connie staring at the windows with the fog rising up all of a sudden. There's another horrifying shot on her doing dishes and a ghostly hand from the sink grabs her arm. This moment for sure makes you jump as well as more good CGI effects on what happens to her.
Of course there's Stevie screaming on the radio mic calling for help to rescue her son but it looks too overly done and typically remade from the original.
A nice shot on Stevie in her car trying to start it up and acts frusterated and fog surrounding her as she stares at it. Plus a great suspenseful moment with her speeding in the fog and then a truck is in the way and she falls off a cliff as you wonder if she will be okay from this.
A good shot on Andy running away in the hall of his home from the fog and hiding in his room which for sure a real look at a firhgtened child afraid of the dark and trying to stay in his bed to protect him which most kids that age fear on something in the dark.
Perfect terrorising moments with the fog creeping into an area where the main characters are hiding out as well as nice dark shots on the figures trying to get in as well as a great close up shot on one of the figures with his skeletal face towards Father Malone as this was carefully shot and in a great horror fashion of today's standards.
Great moment with a mayor towards these skeletal people and he burns on fire which looked incredibly powerful to watch as well as what these ghosts have to say to him which is one of the most exciting scene's to watch in this flick.
Bottom line is that the plot is very similar to the original one with a new twist at the end of it. The film is very well done with creepier effects and the film is updated too so even people who enjoy today's horror films will get a kick out of this one too. Good to watch close to Halloween.

The acting is not bad but I didn't enjoy it as much as the perfromers from the first one. Still, the actors (Whom most were Canadian) did a fine job with their performance in it. Lead actor Tom Welling (Nick Castle) I wasn't convinced with as he just seemed like a typical pretty boy with not much of a character since he was fairly wooden saying his lines but there were times that he was quite effective and at times emotional too or getting stern showed off a bit of energy. Yet, he was better off in Smallville.
Maggie Grace
(Elizabeth Williams) seems to do fairly well with her role as a lost traveller escaping from her past.
Shows off a nice kind speaking as well as an outgoing attitude as she adds nice spunk into this. Plus does well being distracted while being in deep thoughts as she makes these moments mysterious. She does well by struggling trying to get ashore and really did well by panting after crawling onto the dock again after she falls into the ocean. Plus does nice with her fearsome adrenaline too.
Selma Blair
(Stevie Wayne) was the best by all means as the single Mom and Radio DJ who is perfect by doing both in the film. She really made her part believeable and entertaining. Offers some good wit when speaking as a DJ soeaking her mind which seemed natural.
She is good after hearing a strange sound in her studio and tries to figure it out. Does well with her panicking attitude when trying to struggle from the madness and acting convincingly anxious too.
DeRay Davis (Spooner) seemed to add spunk into his part of the film as a fisherman who likes to party and shows off some great charisma. Also does the trick when he is alerted to the fog attacking the boat as well as adding a good hype getting spooked. Does well when in shock later on as well as showing some good upsetting emotions too.
Adrian Hough (Father Malone) plays well as an eccentric priest but isn't the key part to the story like the original character. He shows a perfectly crazed aggression when trying to warn someone and was a bit intimidating while doing so. ALso does well with his panicked type of attitude when the terror starts to happen showing some good frightened emotions.
Child actor Cole Heppell (Andy Wayne) seems to pull his character off very well as a curious kid looking for things at the beach.
Acts convincing by being full of life. Also does well by acting scared stiff in his bedroom with his frightened reactions as he got into this greatly or other energetic moments while trying to run away from something.

There are dead dogs washed at sea as well as a skeletal arm.
A corpses eyes are plucked out
A lady's body is blackened and then crumbles apart

The music is great composed by Graeme Revelle as he is a super talented composer showing some echoey piano playing but alot different than from the original movie and worked in many other films including From Dusk Till Dawn. Alot of deep perfect banging noises and hissing sounds and screechy music too as well as perfect echoey piano playing and rusty sharp trombone music. We also hear the odd bonging and chiming sounds as well which echoes well too. Plus we got nice energetic drumbeats which works into the action packed moments. Also the nice odd deep bass violin playing along with the odd high light violin music too sounding perfectly smooth. Great strong whooshing and windy sounds adds more perfect touches too.

Father Malone: Get off the Island!
Elizabeth Williams: Why?
Father Malone: Just go!

Captain Blake: [as Malone is lowering himself from the Elizabeth Dane, Blake reaches through a porthole and grabs him] Blood for blood!