A Spoiler-Filled Review & Rating
With the success of Sony Picture's adaptation of MARVEL Comic's VENOM movies, that film studio decided that flicks about anti-heroes work on the public and they were right. With horror being a very successful genre throughout filmdom, it was a no-brainer to produce yet another one and they did in the form of MORBIUS.
MORBIUS is a story of a well-known doctor out to cure a rare blood disorder both he and his boyhood friend are stricken with. Through the years, they have stayed in close contact with each other, ultimately becoming partners in the search of that cure. With his partner’s financial support, Doctor Michael Morbius had a notion that a primary function of the nocturnal vampire bat community would be the key in unleashing a solution and he travels to south America to capture a nest of the ugly beasts. Through the normal way of obtaining superpowers, Dr. Morbius experiments on himself and WHAM, instant super powered being. Bet you didn’t see that coming?
MORBIUS is a vampire. You know. Dracula? Winged rat? Sesame Street? Cereal box icon? Okay.
If you’ve never heard of MORBIUS in MARVEL COMICS, and had no interest in seeing it, that’s ok. I grew up with GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY but never thought they would waste other great characters for a lower than popular invitation to the screen….and look how THAT turned out.
Of course, I’m not saying MORBIUS will rake in the money GOTG did, but it was worth the outing to see how a favorite amongst the few fared on cellophane. Do they still film that way? Anyway, I took a (look out) STAB at it and it neither (here comes another one) DRAINED me of my time or my money. It was very good.
Dr. Morbius’ associate, wonderfully played by DR. WHO’s Matt Smith, wanted the cure and was disappointed by Morbius’ warning that it ain’t quite ready yet. In fact, once you go bat, you never….oh nevermind.
The SFX work on this film is pretty damn cool. Speed, slow-mo, echo sensing all play a great part in this telling.
Jared Leto’s performance as Morbius was more enjoyable to me than his performance as Joker in THE SUICIDE SQUAD. The general horror in it is palatable to folks like me (I’m a pussy) and the predictability is there until the final moments of film. That final moment when things make sense again.
If you’re not sure how MORBIUS came to be created, in the comics, it was for a reason. You will like this, and you will finally question the moniker of “anti-hero”. We all may need to reevaluate that. I’m not sure it works. I could be wrong.
MORBIUS scored with me. Sequel? Yes! Definitely. I thirst for it. It’s a good movie for the "fangs" out there. You’ll go bat-crazy for this one. Mirror my words and go. A lot’s at stake here. Ok, I’ll stop now.
MORBIUS. Marc's Score: 7.5 out of 10.
Great Job Marc! Time to get my tickets to the movies!