A Scanner Darkly Reviews

[Highly rated reviewer]

A well-done faithful adaptation

Ever since I read A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick its has been one of my favourites and I've always wanted it to be made into a film. When I read 2/3 years ago that the 'A Scanner Darkly' project had been greenlit I was so excited but nervous they may destroy the story. However I can reveal that Linklater has done a fantastic job. The rotoscope technique he incorporates is very fitting with the tone and subject matter of the film and adds to its overall effect. The job it does with the scramble suit is spot on.

There are some great scenes involving the 3 supporting male actors. The parts were perfectly cast. Winona does a great job as Donna although her feelings for Arctor seem less explored than in the book but this does not make the film any less for it.

The subject matter of how drugs can degrade the mind is well portrayed and how ones life can become a confused mess. As for the main storyline and its conclusion and the realisation of various other utterances during the film, priceless, I remembered why I loved the book and had to read it several times over. This is a film you will instantly want to see again.

However this film will not be for everyone. You will need to like strange films that leave you bemused and puzzled until things become clearer.

Great film recommended to all those who have a love of slightly bizarre movies that still retain tight dialogue.

Unwatchable...

...and I don't just mean that I didn't like it. The digital effect that has been applied to the whole film is very hard on the eye - it's like watching a badly made cartoon. I might have persisted if the plot had grabbed my attention, but it didn't.

[Highly rated reviewer]

A scanner tediously

Enough things in life are designed whether by accident or deliberately to induce a migraine so I can’t say watching A Scanner Darkly was a very pleasant experience. It ,s rotoscoping animation effect reminded me of nothing more than the flashing light warning of the onset of a headache so powerful it could cause your house to subside.

If this doesn’t render the viewing experience a bit of a trial the moribund screenplay will. This is a movie so dull it’s drug induced plot wouldn’t even get Anne Widdicombe excited .While it is undoubtedly true to Philip K Dicks vision and the rotoscoping does induce a dreamlike quality entirely in correlation with its tale of drug overload the whole experience winds up not unlike listening to the tedious ramblings of a drug addled individual . No one in their right mind would do that voluntarily so unless you are type of person who enjoys the gobbledygook of a drug alighted mind or likes undergoing the trauma of a major headache then I couldn’t recommend this film in any way shape or form.

Wonderful

You will enjoy this film if you like the book or have experience in similar situations as the characters involved.

The filming technique is fantastic, first seen in Linklaters earlier work "waking life" and is applied brilliantly to this film.

Be warned however, if you are a fan of films that are more mainstream you may not appreciate the film.

Interesting Film

This was a good film. The use of animation was interesting but the acting performances stand out. I thought it might be boring but I got totally sucked into this little band of misfits. The plot was good.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Sorry. 2/10

Words can not describe how awful this ‘thing’ is, and I use the word ‘thing’ quite deliberately, is it a cartoon? Is it a film? Who can tell? My wife and I have reviewed over 230 films online and always try to be open minded and conscious of the fact that just because it is not our cup of tea it might be someone else’s. We can say whole heartedly that this is really quite poor, apparently based on a book this ‘thing’ tells some kind of story about a trippy drug that manipulates people, that’s about all we could say. The visual effects are awful with the characters appearing to be some kind of blur, half human, half cartoon, it just does not work! The voices are monotone and the plot about as gripping as black ice on a country lane, least that’s how the story comes across in this version!. We really feel this story was best left in paper form and regret renting. 2/10. 1 star.

Huh?

In a nutshell, this film is a series of unconnected scenes about nothing in particular.

I fell asleep 3 times watching this.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Boring Sci fi

As with most Linklater films, this one is self-indulgent and pretentious. The rotoscopic animation was completely wasted - given the hallucinogenic subject matter - and I don't think the scramble suits alone justify it. And people sat on sofas rambling ad-libbed dialogue soon irritates and will leave you wishing the whole thing was a bit more scripted. A complex twisty sci fi tale like this should have been handled more conventionally, and not have let gimmicky media techniques and tedious dialogue turn it into a confusing mess.

Confused?

This is a good attempt at a Phillip K Dick adaptation. I'm a big fan of Dick's books and Richard Linklater's films, so I was excited to see this.

My main disappointment was that the only reason to rotoscope the film appeared to be so that they could do a 'scramble suit' effect (to hide the true appearance of under-cover drug police) and a few hallucenogenic scenes. In Linklater's other rotoscoped film, Waking Life, the effect is integral to the film but here it seemed more of a gimmick.

Still, a very good film that is beautiful to look at and thought-provoking.

RUBBISH

Stay away. Rubbish. Rubbish. Rubbish !!!!!