MovieChat Forums > Mothman (2010) Discussion > Very lazy writing (spoilers)

Very lazy writing (spoilers)

posted 14 years ago by bruuno-1
10 replies | jump to latest

Hey, I know what I am getting when I watch a ScyFy channel movie and don't have particularly high standards. This one was actually one of the better ones. The acting, while not award winning stuff, was better than most of this fair and the blind guy was sort of a good character until the end. The effects were actually better than most ScyFy channel movies as well.
But what was with the script? The entire premise is totally lifted from "I Know What You Did Last Summer". Which would be fine if the dialogue and details didn't seem totally lifted as well. Couldn't they have come up with a revenge plot that wasn't so strikingly familiar? And what happened in the last 20 minutes of the movie? Suddenly all the rules that had been laid out for the Mothman suddenly vanish. Doesn't have to come out of reflections, attacks people who don't fit the 'justice' model, etc. Then how the Mothman was actually taken down, well if you saw it you know what I mean..c'mon, they couldn't spend a little more time trying to be original or coherent?

[–] sarabeth120 14 years ago

Yea, I was thinking how much this resembled "I Know What You Did Last Summer" too... they probably could have come up with something better, but that would have required actual talent... something that I have come to realize after watching a lot of SyFy movies... that the channel just doesn't have all that much of.

Though, I think it was attacking people at the end because they had all sinned or something... at least that's what the Frank guy was going on about. Remember when he was talking about running over the little boy? He was the only one who got blamed for it... the other two guys didn't. He also was saying something about how the town was full of secrets and people turning a blind eye to things. So, that might be why it was attacking everyone at the end. Though, why it took so long for them to get their justice is beyond me.

Don't know about only being able to enter through reflections though... looks like a pretty big plot hole to me.

How it was killed seemed to be a bit of a cop out to me...I mean... how did she know to use the thing at all? What was so special about it anyway? It looked like just an ordinary piece of wood to me. It would have been nice to have that explained as well.

"Love isn't about finding the perfect person... it's about seeing an imperfect person...perfectly."

[–] BecJ5 14 years ago

That ordinary piece of wood was one of Chief Cornstalk's bones, given to Katherine by Old Man Frank. He kept it in a box and gave it to her just before he lured her and whatshisname into his cellar-dungeon. He told her what it was, its power, and how to use it.

There. Explained.

[–] sarabeth120 14 years ago

Oh... oops. I totally forgot about that... I think I might have zoned out during that part since I don't remember Frank explaining much about that thing at all.

"Love isn't about finding the perfect person... it's about seeing an imperfect person...perfectly."

[–] driacovone 14 years ago

As Jaystang pointed out, the old man gave Katherine the bone; however, it was not right before he trapped them in the cellar. He gave it to her (a trap of course) in hopes of taking it to the blast furnace (sacred ground) to drive the mothman off with their blood.

Remember where they each cut themselves over the heart with the bone and then dipped the blood into the furnace? They thought it was to free the curse. However, it actually was a trick from the old man. He knew the mothman had limitations - but the ritual they performed actually removed it from its limitations.

How did she know how to kill the mothman with it? Remember when they were trapped in the cellar, she grabbed the bone out of desparation and swiped it at mothman and she noticed it hurt it.

[–] bruuno-1 14 years ago

I thought that too about people paying for their sins but here is the problem with that explanation- the Mothman attacked and killed the blind guy, who in fact had paid for his sin (killing his brother). The Mothman didn't attack anyone who sinned, but people who had sinned and not paid a price for it.
As for the ScyFy channel I take the view that these movies are essentially a training ground for writers, directors, actors, etc. of the SciFi/horror genre. Gives them experience, helps figure out what works and what doesn't, how to work with a small budget, etc. The writers for this one I don't see much of a future for though since they clearly put little effort or originality into it.

[–] pinoyartist99 14 years ago

Well, keep in mind that everything in the blind guy's house (sans the dungeon) had no reflections including his glasses. They weren't sunglasses, they were regular glasses that were just frosted up. I think although he repented for his sins, the Mothman felt he hasn't truly paid for his crimes. Just because you repent for your sins doesn't necessarily mean your off the hook. After his speech at the festival, he mentioned that "his time here was done". So he I guess he did not want to die yet until at least the mayor paid for his crimes.

[–] reziztor 14 years ago

Its like they got to that point where the old man cages them up and then were like "wtf, lets just end this." and they had the guy with the shotgun that was lifted away by the mothman suddenly reapear with the shotgun at the old mans house and then just had the end scene, which seems like it has a lot of people in it but when u actually watch its like 4 actors and the audio sample of a crowd.

Written by posers.

[–] Zersch 14 years ago

I know it's a dumb thing to go after when dealing with a movie like this, but how many goddamn shells were in that shotgun? And why were we expected to empathize with any of those people when they kill the kid at the beginning and then bash his head with rocks. And why the hell did each of them take a turn doing it? Horrible, horrible movie.

It's impressive to see a man feeding off his emotions.

[–] NotASpookyGhost 14 years ago

Some of the dialogue was almost directly lifted from IKWYDLS

Also, if they were bashing his head in to make it seem like he hit his head, why did they all have to take a turn? Was he supposed to have jumped in, hit his head then got out & did it again like 5 more times?

[–] dubounds 11 years ago

i just rewatched this lastnight. i havent read through the other comments replied, but another thing with the writing, how was jewel staite's character able to leave in the beginning? the old man said mothman wouldnt let the guilty leave town (ie the group in the car on the bridge) and yet she left for ten years?