A quickie movie review

There are other worlds than these.

~~ Roland Deschain

We don’t go to see that many movies in the theater, but when anything by Stephen King gets to the big screen, that’s a must-see.

So today we checked out “The Dark Tower,” which brought King’s magnum opus to life. Or at least breathed some life into a project that has been lingering in limbo for many years.

There are no spoilers here, just general impressions.

No, this did not follow the books much at all. I had already read that, so I wasn’t disappointed by that fact.

I loved the Stephen King easter eggs we caught little glimpses of! I’ll need to watch it again to catch them all, but I caught a few, including a woman walking a St. Bernard (Cujo).

Excellent casting. Tom Taylor was perfect as Jake Chambers, Matthew McConaughey played the Man in Black with a wonderful, dark glee, and Idris Elba…?

There was some discontent about a person of color playing Roland. Everyone can shut up about that now, because he brought Roland of Gilead to life in a way that made me weep. I don’t know how anyone can read the books and not fall a little bit in love with the IDEA and IDEAL of Roland. He is nothing less than a knight along the lines of King Arthur’s court, defending truth, justice, and the Mid-World way. Oh, and trying to save not just his world but every other world that is out there, including ours. The Dark Tower must survive and Roland is there to protect it.

So yes. Idris Elba delivered. Total bad-ass. Some great fight sequences! The man can rock a duster, that’s for damn sure.

I do not aim with my hand; I aim with my eye.

He who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.

I do not shoot with my hand; I shoot with my mind.

He who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.

I do not kill with my gun; I kill with my heart.

He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.

~~ The Gunslinger Mantra

I’m not going to lie. Hearing this spoken by Roland of Gilead sent a shiver down my spine and it made me cry. Anyone who has read and loved the books will be as moved as I was. If Repairman Jack ever makes it to the big screen, I’ll be just as moved. Both Roland and Jack are literary figures who embody our sense of justice. I think it’s fair to add James Bond into that mix. That is why we love them. (And personally, it’s why I’m currently loving the FBI so much.)

Will purist fans of the books be upset with the movie? Maybe. Probably. I found it so fun and engaging that when the movie ended, I still had a third of my beer left and I had to drink it fast! I’ll be the first to admit that it doesn’t even begin to tell the full tale of Roland Deschain. That’s why I’m so excited to hear that the TV show is currently being developed, and the showrunner will be Glen Mazzara, who was the showrunner for “The Walking Dead” for a while. With a serial, I think there is great potential to tell Roland’s story in depth and to introduce Eddie and Susannah, and Mazzara promises us billy bumblers! Oy!

But as someone who loved the books and the characters from the start, I can say that the actors in the movie delivered. They each were everything I’d hoped for in Roland, Walter, and Jake.

I look forward to traveling the Beam with the ka-tet at some point in the future. All things serve the Beam.

Long days and pleasant nights to my own ka-tet.