The Midnight Meat Train:"A Graphic, Muddled, Unsatisfying Mishandling of a Story"

Rating:

*1/2

By Da’Mon Guy

      The Midnight Meat Train is less than stellar, unsatisfying, blood and guts gore fest. It’s based on a short story by Clive Barker. The movie stars Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Leslie Bibb (Law Abiding Citizen), Brooke Shields (Furry Vengeance), and Vinnie Jones (Xmen 3: the Last Stand).


      An aspiring photographer mistakenly photographs a missing model’s last appearance before her death. Determined to solve the crime, he crosses paths with a strange man. He soon begins to follow the man only to find out that the mysterious man has been killing victims on the subway train.


      Cooper and Bibb are both believable and likable as a couple. They look and feel genuine. The two of them have really good chemistry between them and it adds to the sympathy that we feel for them by the tragic end of the movie. Leon (Cooper) is a very sympathetic character in the beginning of the movie. Cooper gives a really good depiction in his portrayal of Leon’s building obsession. As Leon becomes more increasingly obsessed, the film does a great job at building the anticipation for the climax. The scene were Leon and his girlfriend, Maya (Bibb), is a one of the best in the movie. It’s touching and yet insightful simultaneously. This scene shows the love shared by the two but it also details the depth of Leon’s obsession. Vinnie Jones, in the role of Mahogany, portrays his usual “tough guy” role. As with most of his performances, this one is no different. It’s more about what he does on the screen and not what he says. This could easily be a character that could command a cult following.


      The Midnight Meat Train is a movie that begins really well as it starts with a intriguing mystery. It had a lot of promise but the movie quickly turns into just a blood and guts gore fest with no point. Some of the scenes are ridiculously graphic to the point of being unviewable. The movie a terrific job to develop a really good suspense story and then it absolutely fell flat. The climax leading to the end of the movie gave no answers that were satisfying. You never get a clear understanding of why or who the creatures are at the end of the movie. Don’t watch it, not worth the sheer disappointment. Leave this one alone, PLEASE!