HDC Movie of the Week #4 - Mama (2013)

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http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51L8qFMY0pL._SY300_.jpg

Guillermo del Toro exec-produces this tale about two small girls who are adopted by a "motherly figure" deep inside the woods, and who accompanies them back to civilization when they are re-discovered 5 years later.

I thought it was a solidly creepy tale - interspersed with plenty of nail-biting, scary moments and genuinely frightening sequences. It's refreshingly different and brings a new angle to the ghost tales of yore, despite it's minor flaws of overused CGI and a slightly disappointing climax.

Still, I would toss this a recommendation to anyone who hasn't seen it yet. What do you think?

[roshiq]

... it's minor flaws of overused CGI and a slightly disappointing climax.


Loved the short film which it was based on and so had a great expectation when G Del Toro became attached with the project but as a whole, I'm disappointed with the final product. You already mentioned 2 flaws & I agree with them, particularly that 'Disney-like' climax was the major disappointment. Moreover, from the short I was expecting the MaMa should have a sad, dark & twisted past and that they would bring with the details in the movie; which was missing. And last but not the least, as a ghostly entity the CGI effect for MaMa was kinda silly & wasn't as terrifying as I expected.

[ferretchucker]

I give it a thumbs up so long as you go in knowing what to expect - as a dark fairy tale it works very well, and it certainly has the Del Toro touch. It also has some genuinely scary moments, but the first half is far better than the second.

[ChronoGrl]

Loved the short film which it was based on and so had a great expectation when G Del Toro became attached with the project but as a whole, I'm disappointed with the final product. You already mentioned 2 flaws & I agree with them, particularly that 'Disney-like' climax was the major disappointment. Moreover, from the short I was expecting the MaMa should have a sad, dark & twisted past and that they would bring with the details in the movie; which was missing. And last but not the least, as a ghostly entity the CGI effect for MaMa was kinda silly & wasn't as terrifying as I expected.

Well put. I was really disappointed in the movie, especially that terrible ending...

[totem]

Not much I can add here: a dark, overly fairy-tale-ized, disappointment from Guillermo which really dropped the ball on the ending sums it up pretty well.

[Fearonsarms]

I really enjoyed it-I agree it has a few flaws but overall I thought it was very good

[The Villain]

I loved Mama. It was creepy, original with a good story and awesome villain.

They probably showed Mama a little too much and that butterfly ending was silly but I liked how they didnt go with the traditional american ghost movie ending where they solve the ghosts curse and live happily ever after.

I'd definitely recommend it.