Mothman Prophecies, The (UK)

Enjoying a supernatural tale or two and knowing about the Mothman legend this film was a must see at the cinema and on DVD. If you don`t know the story then start off by watching the documentary on disc called "In Search of the Mothman" then you will understand the movie more. The story is cleverly updated from the 1960`s (when it happened) to today.
Picture is dark and atmospheric if a little grainy.
The sound is a superbly creepy 5.1 mix and adds greatly to the tense atmosphere.
The extras are worthy just for the documentary mentioned above.
An enjoyable film for any supernatural thriller fan as well as anyone else. I recommend this film!

A very interesting film, which whilst occasionally you have to suspend belief a little too much remains a very enjoyable and entertaining movie.
Not having heard of the Mothman prophecies before, I was initially drawn to this purely because it features some artwork from a favourite artist of mine, the hugely talented Dave Mckean.
The cinematography is exceptionally good and adds alot to the dark sinister style of the storyline.
I was also very surprised at Richard Gere who turns in a great, believable performance as do all the supporting cast.
The documentary is well worth watching, but after you see the film rather than before as I think the film probably works better if you have no prior knowledge of the subject because it works extremely well at building suspense and intrigue.
Overall, this is a movie which I really enjoyed after not expecting a great deal from it.

Despite a lackluster opening (why do we need romance in a horror movie?), "The Mothman Prophecies" proves to be a surprise. Director Mark Pillington aptly increases the tension and suspense while absorbing you into an intriguing mystery. "The Mothman Prophecies" is up there with the very best X-Files episodes. And what's more creepy is that most of it is true. "The Mothman Prophecies" is a monster film that doesn't reveal its monster, which makes it all the more convincing. Gere, Linney and Patton all turn in fine performances and the script is quite good.

Video: Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, "The Mothman Prophecies" is a very stylized film and is presented nicely here. Like most recent films, it doesn't have any major defects on the print, such as grain, scratches or dropouts. Overall sharpness is very good and edge enhancements are kept to a minimum. "The Mothman Prophecies" is a dark and creepy film, so it is imperative that the transfer reflects this and thankfully it does. Blacks and contrast are very good as are all other colours. There's a scene with Christmas lights that just looks fabulous.

Audio: A very eerie DD5.1 soundtrack. Dialogue is clear and the front stage is well spread. Surrounds are used to engulf listens into the creepiness of the track. Music is suitably eerie and emits strong bass. The "voice" of the Mothman is particularly spine chilling. This is a very good track which proves that sound plays a huge part in horror films. You simply won't be as creped out listening to it through TV speakers.

Features: A nice set for a single disc. "HBO First Look - Behind-the-Scenes Documentary" is 15 minutes long and is the usual promo guff. However, a) it scores points for delving into the real life events a bit and b) no wonder, this wasn't a big hit; this totally gives away the end. Don't watch it before the film!

"In Search of the Mothman" - Documentary"- Ah, this is more like it. Running at a healthy 45 minutes, this documentary is similar to those paranormal documentaries that were all the rage during the X-Files peak. Ah, nostalgia. This is a well produced, edited and narrated documentary that gives you a good insight into what really happened.

"Cast and Crew Interviews" features four interviewees; Richard Gere, Mark Pillington, Laura Linney and Will Patton. There four combined run for about 30 minutes and are all well worth the look. Trailers and a 6-minute EPK featurette rounds off the package.

Overall: "The Mothman Prophecies" left me with a great feeling, a feeling I hadn't experience since the time "The X-Files" were at their best. Seeing as the last few seasons have been mediocre, it's been quite a while. I loved the old episodes, which had Mulder and Scully investigating monsters and myths and this film recaptures that. Richard Gere turns in a great performance, which is far better than his Golden Globe winning turn in "Chicago". After "Arlington Road" and this, Pillington is a director I will keep an eye on. The DVD itself is fine, with DVD high-quality transfer and sound. The extras are good, but the lack of a commentary is disappointing. Recommended, at least for a good rent.