Plot: What’s it about?
Movies based on video games are, by and large, a mixed bag. Bear in mind that there are two different mediums when it comes to “bringing a game to the big screen.” What worked for kids playing it at home might not necessarily translate to entertaining audiences in a theater. This is the main problem with Five Nights at Freddy’s. After having seen a great video game adaptation in The Super Mario Bros. Movie earlier this year, my faith was a bit restored. Granted Mario and Luigi have had several decades and a few other films themselves, but I felt it was done just right. I’m not much of a gamer unless you count Tiger Woods golf, and most don’t. That being said, I went into this one blind having only seen the cover art and knew that it was a Blumhouse production. Was I in for a treat or should I hit the reset button?
We meet Mike (Josh Hutcherson), a seemingly decent individual who can’t seem to hold down a job and is caring for his much younger sister, Abby (Piper Rubio). Their mother has died and Aunt Jane (Mary Stuart Masterson) is vying for custody of Abby. This means Mike needs to get (and keep) a job. With the help of his Career Counselor (Matthew Lillard), he’s booked at a security job gig at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza (think Showbiz or Chuck-E-Cheese and you’ll get it). It doesn’t take Mike very long to figure out that something isn’t quite right with the place and even with the assistance of local police officer, Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), things don’t seem to go according to plan.
That’s a somewhat decent premise to the movie and for those that never played the game, it’s essentially watching security footage and trying to avoid the creepy animatronic creatures that lurk in the establishment. Eagle eyed viewers will spot the old school desk fan, the candy striped cup and so forth. But, putting all of that aside, here’s the rub…it wasn’t scary. It’s got a great premise and legions of fans of the video game series. Add to that it’s a Blumhouse production, a company known for producing generally scary films, but the PG-13 rating took what little horror there was and toned it down. We spend too much time trying to analyze Mike’s dreams and not enough time, you know, being scared. The thought was there, but the execution wasn’t. Bottom line: if you want to make a scary movie – spend less time on character development and more on what makes people remember it for.
Video: How’s it look?
In a continuing trend, this one is shown in a 2.00:1 aspect ratio. I guess this is somewhat of a “goldilocks” presentation in that it’s not too wide and not too narrow? I guess it really doesn’t matter. Nevertheless, the HEVC 4K isn’t really challenged. It’s perfect as a matter of fact. The darkness of the restaurant is complimented by some sunny, outdoor shots. But this one excels in the dark with spot on contrast, razor sharp detail and beautiful colors. I’ll never look at another animatronic robot the same. I’m truly at a loss for words with this one, it’s pristine and I can only hope that I’d gotten more pleasure out of the film as I did with the way it looks.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The included Dolby Atmos track is, by and large, a bit wasted. It’s got some moments, namely in the third act, that really made me stand up and take notice. I found the surrounds a bit more active than I’d imagined, but this has a lot more dialogue than I thought. Perhaps I should have reversed what I was expecting? Vocals are strong and crisp. Being a horror film, this does have a few jump scares (I think it’s a rule) that took me by surprise. Then again, I suppose that’s the point. It’s a good, well-rounded track and I’m glad an Atmos track was included – it just seemed a bit wasted here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: From Game to Big Screen – Feel the frights of Freddy Fazbear’s come alive as the film recreates the game’s world with immersive environments and wild surprises that’ll haunt longtime fans and newcomers alike.
- Killer Animatronics – Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy transform from cute and cuddly into creepy and killer through a combination of costumed performers and cutting-edge puppetry.
- Five Nightgs in Three Dimensions – We see what it’s like to take a two-dimensional game and turn it into a three-dimensional nightmare.
The Bottom Line
Don’t let some of my comments deter you. I had no idea what to expect other than thinking I was in for a good scare and, well, that simply wasn’t the case. Fans of the video game series might get a kick out of this. Or not, I don’t know. What I do know is that Universal’s disc churns out reference-quality audio and video, though it’s a bit light on the supplements.
