Here's something a bit different (not original, but different): an adventure film, set in Africa in 1896 and concerning the building of a bridge. Oh, and a pair of lions which roam around and rip people apart. Sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? Well, it is, but the execution could have been a bit better. The main problem is that the script is too concerned with the characters and not with the lions - it's over halfway through the film before the confrontation between man and beast arrives. Thus there are plenty of ponderous moments which lack the necessary thrust and sparkle of other parts of the film, and these detract from the piece as a whole.

Another problem is with the casting of Val Kilmer as the hero. Now I'm pretty ambivalent when it comes to Val, but it has to be said that he gives a pretty poor performance here and lacks the necessary charisma of, say, Harrison Ford. Therefore, as a lead, he's bland, and that's not a good thing to have in a film. Thankfully we are compensated somewhat by the casting of Michael Douglas as a seasoned, over the top game hunter. The supporting cast is especially good, with a weaselly Tom Wilkinson (THE FULL MONTY) and plenty of other familiar faces.

The back of the box said there were some 'gory' moments, but as a whole it's pretty tame, relying on suggestion rather than in your face blood and guts for effectiveness. There are some gruesome flashes of a torn corpse which work, but all of the other deaths are pretty similar: lion jumps on somebody and kills them off screen. The lions themselves are excellent, and Stan Winston is to thank for the creatures which grace our screens and look extremely life-like.

While THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS has some superior suspenseful moments, there are too many stupid and mishandled action bits which just don't ring true. Val Kilmer falls off a beam after being attacked by a bird, the final chase (up a tree, of all places) is pretty contrived too. The film works best when pondering the thought that the lions are not living creatures, but in fact spirits of the land, claiming vengeance for Mother Nature. These bits are unsettling and eeriest, but unfortunately everything else is generic and thinks that it's better than it really is. Okay, but not as amazing as I'd heard.

In 1898 London, Robert Beaumont (Tom Wilkinson) has grand plans to build railroads to connect Africa. He hires Col. John Patterson (Val Kilmer) to build a bridge across river Tsavo in 5 months. The construction is behind schedule due to lion attacks. The camp includes supervisor Angus Starling (Brian McCardie),local liaison Samuel (John Kani) and cynical Dr. David Hawthorne (Bernard Hill). The workers are from conflicting groups of Africans and Indians. Nobody gets along. Patterson kills one lion but two large males attack later. The workers called them "The Ghost" and "The Darkness". Beaumont loses confidence in Patterson and hires famed hunter Charles Remington (Michael Douglas) and his Masai warriors.

I don't think it's as horrible as some critics claim it to be. There's no way Val Kilmer deserves to be nominated for the Razzie although it was for both this and 'The Island of Dr. Moreau'. I actually like the first half with the conflicting workers. It reminds me of 'Hell on Wheels' which I like a lot. Michael Douglas comes in at around 45 minutes and he seems to be an old style character. There is something about him that annoyed me. The lion hunting has its moments but sometimes it is really bad. The climax happens in a fog and loses any possible tension. There is a ridiculous scene where a lion is literally climbing a tree. The last half has too many problems.

I just returned from the Field Museum in Chicago where they have the two lions who are the stars of this film. They are stuffed and not very threatening in their their traditional natural history diorama. The gift shop sells plush toys of these creatures. So let me get this straight. These things ate an alarming number of unfortunate people, but have become cuddly toys that kids might sleep with at night. I guess time heals all.

Anyway, back to the movie. I loved the visual being of this film. The shots of Africa are remarkable. An incredible sense of threat is wonderfully created. The camera is used masterfully. The acting is quite good and the jump factor is quite high (although it is overdone a bit). Since this is based on but not really true to the actual events, the people can be forgiven for being so damned stupid. I described this to a friend as "Jaws" with lions. These particular felines seem to have the dangerous movie animal syndrome. The are sentient, they are vengeful, they have motivations beyond their basic animal needs, and they are nearly supernatural. Despite the danger realized by the principal characters, these lions are able to wreak their havoc anyway. While the scene is impressive, the fact that they get into a hospital while people are at red alert is hard to swallow. Either that, or they never really take seriously what these creatures have become. I enjoyed it mostly. Remember, lions know that people are stupid. If that's the case, how about a meal. If you don't take this too seriously, enjoy the ride. It will keep you on the edge of your seat.