“The goal is to have you sit back, relax and have one hell of a good time. Mission accomplished.” Unfortunately this reviewers comment isn't about Jonathan King's Under the Mountain, but rather Jonathan King's earlier venture Black Sheep. It's a shame it doesn't apply. King has proven himself in the past as a director with the ability to engage and entertain, however I just don't think children's fantasy is his forte. Even if it is from New Zealand.
Under the Mountain has a rich history behind it, as it's based on the popular novel by Maurice Gee and the children's series that ran on NZ's Kiwi TV under the same name starting back in 1981. For audiences familiar with the series (mainly those living in New Zealand), Under the Mountain may prove a nostalgic adventure, but for new audiences (mainly everyone else), it leaves us with way more questions than we started out with. The main one being: “huh?”
The film stars veteran actor and subtle bad-ass Sam Neill, along with fiery redheads Sophie McBride and Tom Cameron...and fiery is meant in the literal sense. The two actors portray twins Rachel and Theo, who have creepy inter-psychic abilities which allow them to communicate with each other through thoughts and feelings. Armed with their 'twin-ness' and pet rocks from Mr. Jones (Sam Neill), which allow them to harness the power of fire, Rachel and Theo embark on a journey to save the world from menacing shape-shifter things called Wilberforces...in a day, or rather, in one night.
Flicks.co.nz stated “12-year-old boys will lap all of this up”, so yes, judging from that quote, it's pretty clear that Under the Mountain is a children's fantasy. However the 5 W's + 1 H ('who', 'what', 'where', 'when', 'why', & 'how') that we all learned in grade school was simply ignored in this film. From beginning to end, the movie drew questions like 'Who is Mr. Jones and why does he have superhuman abilities? How did the Wilberforces come to be? What is going on in this movie?'
If that wasn't enough, the character motivation behind twin Theo seemed very obscure. Despite the tragedy suffered at the beginning of the movie, his impulsiveness throughout this 91-minute film wasn't justified or believable. For instance, after sister Rachel is lured into the creepy home occupied by the Wilberforces, fleeing for their lives, Theo decides that it's a peachy idea to jump down a hole in the middle of the floor, which resembles the entrance to some bottomless creature's stomach. Given the circumstances leading up to that moment, it's just not plausible to see how anyone would jump into a hole that looks like it has muscle fibers, opens and closes like a mouth, and makes sounds akin to something wading in slime and moisture. Had he been pushed down there, not only would it have made more sense, it would have also been quite satisfying to see.
Despite the obvious shortcomings, supreme credit has to go to the art director of the film, provided by New Zealand's own WETA. The high quality is not much of a surprise, given they are the same company responsible for the visually stunning Peter Jackson film, Lord of the Rings. In Under the Mountain, the Wilberforces were incredibly detailed, resembling similar quality of notorious blockbuster monsters, such as those of the Alien franchise. Their contortions and shape shifting were judicious enough for even the most discriminating eye. It managed to give the film a little bit of redemption.
King also managed to provide numerous examples of stunning cinematography. The backdrop of Auckland simply stole the show. If King should rename this movie “Reasons why you should get your butt to New Zealand”, I might reconsider and give this movie a slightly higher score. But then again, that's like putting a band-aid over a shotgun wound.
DVD Bonus Features
This DVD features special commentary with director Jonathan King and co-writer Matthew Grainger, along with a rather long but at times informative “Making of Under the Mountain” showcasing cast and crew.
"Under the Mountain" is on sale August 10, 2010 and is rated PG13. Adventure, Fantasy. Directed by Jonathan King. Written by Matthew Grainger, Jonathan King. Starring Sam Neill, Sophie McBride, Tom Cameron.
