Mavens House of Wax Movie Review

 Six friends are on their way to a college football game (glad this was a summer release?) when they stop to camp for the night. Their drunken revelry and boring conversation are interrupted and then they go to sleep. The next day they find themselves running for their lives from some deranged wax dummy making lunatics. Yeah, that's pretty much it. If it helps at all, everyone in the threater was talking throughout the film and I didn't give a damn.

It took so long for anything to happen, that when it did (if they say so) I had lost any interest I had. Possible alternate titles: The Fall of the House of Musher, House of Convoluted and Pointless Plotlines and Don't Waste Your Time. One more thing, naming one of your characters Vincent DOES NOT make up for the gross injustice that is this horrible film.
 
I give the acting a seven, but I award every one of those points to Chad Michael Murray. He was the brightest spot in the film and the only character to receive any real development. Elisha Cuthbert was not bad, either. But Paris Hilton served no purpose in this film whatsoever. Oh, wait I guess someone had to skank it up. So I will award her a seven for being skanktastic.   Okay as much as it pains me to do so, I must admit that the effects are good. That is one of the few saving graces of this celluloid disaster. The wax effects are fun to watch and the roadkill carcass pit is coolly disgusting. 

As far as the directing, man, I don't know what the Hell this guy is thinking. I wouldn't have touched this projuect with a ten-foot match. But then, the style is wanting a little as well. First of all, Both female characters did a version of the Heather Donahue close up at some point. Not good. The killer POV shots are shaky and annoying. Not good. The moving close ups make it easy to count nose hairs but hard to watch the film. Not good. If I have been any help at all Jaume Collet Serra, then my harshness can be seen as a gentle prodding. For the mood was good and there are some very good shots, but please. please, please ease up on the too carefully placed symbolism and oft used jump-scares. Your point only becomes laughable when you feel you need to slap people in the face with it. 

Teh camerawork is pretty good. Apart from the issues I mentioned above, I have no complaints. The quality is good and overall feel is deliciously creepy. They really captured the empty small town feel.   Decent music choices and the original music is fine. My only complaint here is that the DUN jump scare note is severely overused. And it also seems a little pointless when the jump scare doesn't work. This film was so COMPLETELY predictable that the element of surprise just melted away. No amount of DUNs could ever save it. 

Review by MovieMaven