Share your thoughts after viewing the movie **DEFINITE SPOILERS**

[recitador]

Hello. I see the movie couple days ago. I like it. I was hoping for more? Yes! Overall nice action movie. (Now here comes the but...) but i have questions.
1) I remember in the books saying that tha gunslingers where peacekeepers and diplomats in gilead. Roland found out about the tower in wisard and glass when he takes a "trip" inside the sphere. In the movie they say gunslingers are knights sworn to protect the dark dark tower.
Am right? Or i understand something wrong?
2) i was expecting roland to go to the tower last time around! Are they planning to do that on a second movie?
Thats all. (For now)

1- i think it was a bit of both really
2 - there's supposed to be a tv series if the movie does well enough. that's kind of up in the air right now

 

[skimom2]

Hello. I see the movie couple days ago. I like it. I was hoping for more? Yes! Overall nice action movie. (Now here comes the but...) but i have questions.
1) I remember in the books saying that tha gunslingers where peacekeepers and diplomats in gilead. Roland found out about the tower in wisard and glass when he takes a "trip" inside the sphere. In the movie they say gunslingers are knights sworn to protect the dark dark tower.
Am right? Or i understand something wrong?
2) i was expecting roland to go to the tower last time around! Are they planning to do that on a second movie?
Thats all. (For now)

2) Yes, the plan was to make a a series of movies and TV show.
1) I've been thinking about that. Here's what I came up with: The horn is a powerful item that was lost at Roland's battle of Jericho Hill. In however many tries he's made at the Tower--we don't know how many, but the last chapter of the last book gives the impression that he's made the journey to the top of the tower many times before the one in the books--he's never started again with the horn in his possession. At the end of the book, he had the horn, and we see it in the movie, in his rucksack.

I've thought a lot about why that is significant, and I did some research. In both "Childe Roland to The Dark Tower Came" and in the "Song of Roland" (an old French romantic poem), the horn is used to call ones 'people', to gather the team, so to speak. In Arthurian legend, Cuthbert's horn is used to 'call your dead', when blown at the right place and the right time. It all comes back to calling the ones you love.

Still with me? Okay, so maybe Roland never really loved anyone--at least more than he loved the Tower--since Jericho Hill. Even then, it was "a work of three seconds to pick it up" (quote from the book), but Roland didn't. He didn't care to call anyone, because he was going to do it all himself. And then... he let Jake fall. And he did care. Then he got Eddie and Susannah, and he cared about them, too. Hell, his heart broke when Oy [what happened to Oy]. Roland grew a heart. And was worthy of the horn.

Now we're to the movieverse. This Roland was overwhelmed by feeling. He FEELS Walter's betrayal, not because it endangers the Tower, but because he HURT PEOPLE. Steven and his mother, to be exact. So he's lost his focus on the Tower because he's overwrought with matters of the heart. The Turtle would be okay with that, in the short term, anyway, because Roland is finally learning something! Remember, the books tell us that he's a bit thick and singleminded. Roland's challenge in this movie/series is to find his balance between too much heart and not enough. And he gets there, makes the same arc book-Roland took 3 novels to make in a single movie. That makes sense, because he's just getting back to where he was at the end of the last turn of the wheel--the pattern was there already.

I liked this movie way more than I thought I would. I can't wait to see it again. And my heart overflows to think that at the turn of the next wheel Roland might have to ascend alone again (another hallmark of Arthurian legend--quests must be ended alone), but when he gets to the top he can blow that horn, save the Tower, and all those he loved will be with him again: Jake. Susannah. Eddie. Steven. his mother. Susan (Oh, Discordia!). Alain. Cuthbert. Cort. Jamie. Maybe even Mordred. Whoever else he's loved over the however long (decades? Centuries? Millenia?) that he didn't understand that love is the main support for the Tower that supports everything else.

*Sigh* Now I feel teary. I love Roland and his sad, sad eyes (Elba got that exactly, perfectly right).

 

[Spideyman]

2) Yes, the plan was to make a a series of movies and TV show.
1) I've been thinking about that. Here's what I came up with: The horn is a powerful item that was lost at Roland's battle of Jericho Hill. In however many tries he's made at the Tower--we don't know how many, but the last chapter of the last book gives the impression that he's made the journey to the top of the tower many times before the one in the books--he's never started again with the horn in his possession. At the end of the book, he had the horn, and we see it in the movie, in his rucksack.

I've thought a lot about why that is significant, and I did some research. In both "Childe Roland to The Dark Tower Came" and in the "Song of Roland" (an old French romantic poem), the horn is used to call ones 'people', to gather the team, so to speak. In Arthurian legend, Cuthbert's horn is used to 'call your dead', when blown at the right place and the right time. It all comes back to calling the ones you love.

Still with me? Okay, so maybe Roland never really loved anyone--at least more than he loved the Tower--since Jericho Hill. Even then, it was "a work of three seconds to pick it up" (quote from the book), but Roland didn't. He didn't care to call anyone, because he was going to do it all himself. And then... he let Jake fall. And he did care. Then he got Eddie and Susannah, and he cared about them, too. Hell, his heart broke when Oy [what happened to Oy]. Roland grew a heart. And was worthy of the horn.

Now we're to the movieverse. This Roland was overwhelmed by feeling. He FEELS Walter's betrayal, not because it endangers the Tower, but because he HURT PEOPLE. Steven and his mother, to be exact. So he's lost his focus on the Tower because he's overwrought with matters of the heart. The Turtle would be okay with that, in the short term, anyway, because Roland is finally learning something! Remember, the books tell us that he's a bit thick and singleminded. Roland's challenge in this movie/series is to find his balance between too much heart and not enough. And he gets there, makes the same arc book-Roland took 3 novels to make in a single movie. That makes sense, because he's just getting back to where he was at the end of the last turn of the wheel--the pattern was there already.

I liked this movie way more than I thought I would. I can't wait to see it again. And my heart overflows to think that at the turn of the next wheel Roland might have to ascend alone again (another hallmark of Arthurian legend--quests must be ended alone), but when he gets to the top he can blow that horn, save the Tower, and all those he loved will be with him again: Jake. Susannah. Eddie. Steven. his mother. Susan (Oh, Discordia!). Alain. Cuthbert. Cort. Jamie. Maybe even Mordred. Whoever else he's loved over the however long (decades? Centuries? Millenia?) that he didn't understand that love is the main support for the Tower that supports everything else.

*Sigh* Now I feel teary. I love Roland and his sad, sad eyes (Elba got that exactly, perfectly right).

Have not seen the movie yet, and am a die hard DT journey book reader. skimom2 , your post speaks true. An open explanation encompassing the essentials of both book and movie. Well said!!

 

[HedlessChickn]

Looks like it's doing well at the box office:
‘The Dark Tower’ Tops Slow Box Office Weekend With $19.5 Million

It sure is.

For the 31st best opening weekend....This year.

Source: 2017 Yearly Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo

 

[recitador]

2) Yes, the plan was to make a a series of movies and TV show.
1) I've been thinking about that. Here's what I came up with: The horn is a powerful item that was lost at Roland's battle of Jericho Hill. In however many tries he's made at the Tower--we don't know how many, but the last chapter of the last book gives the impression that he's made the journey to the top of the tower many times before the one in the books--he's never started again with the horn in his possession. At the end of the book, he had the horn, and we see it in the movie, in his rucksack.

I've thought a lot about why that is significant, and I did some research. In both "Childe Roland to The Dark Tower Came" and in the "Song of Roland" (an old French romantic poem), the horn is used to call ones 'people', to gather the team, so to speak. In Arthurian legend, Cuthbert's horn is used to 'call your dead', when blown at the right place and the right time. It all comes back to calling the ones you love.

Still with me? Okay, so maybe Roland never really loved anyone--at least more than he loved the Tower--since Jericho Hill. Even then, it was "a work of three seconds to pick it up" (quote from the book), but Roland didn't. He didn't care to call anyone, because he was going to do it all himself. And then... he let Jake fall. And he did care. Then he got Eddie and Susannah, and he cared about them, too. Hell, his heart broke when Oy [what happened to Oy]. Roland grew a heart. And was worthy of the horn.

Now we're to the movieverse. This Roland was overwhelmed by feeling. He FEELS Walter's betrayal, not because it endangers the Tower, but because he HURT PEOPLE. Steven and his mother, to be exact. So he's lost his focus on the Tower because he's overwrought with matters of the heart. The Turtle would be okay with that, in the short term, anyway, because Roland is finally learning something! Remember, the books tell us that he's a bit thick and singleminded. Roland's challenge in this movie/series is to find his balance between too much heart and not enough. And he gets there, makes the same arc book-Roland took 3 novels to make in a single movie. That makes sense, because he's just getting back to where he was at the end of the last turn of the wheel--the pattern was there already.

I liked this movie way more than I thought I would. I can't wait to see it again. And my heart overflows to think that at the turn of the next wheel Roland might have to ascend alone again (another hallmark of Arthurian legend--quests must be ended alone), but when he gets to the top he can blow that horn, save the Tower, and all those he loved will be with him again: Jake. Susannah. Eddie. Steven. his mother. Susan (Oh, Discordia!). Alain. Cuthbert. Cort. Jamie. Maybe even Mordred. Whoever else he's loved over the however long (decades? Centuries? Millenia?) that he didn't understand that love is the main support for the Tower that supports everything else.

*Sigh* Now I feel teary. I love Roland and his sad, sad eyes (Elba got that exactly, perfectly right).

i don't know if that's anywhere close to what they were thinking, but you might have just redeemed some of their most puzzling choices with that explanation lol. i like it.

 

[Sundrop]

Posting this here too:

I'd like to see reviews by people who have NOT read the books and aren't stephen king fans. Of course purists are going to gnash their teeth and clutch their pearls. So they will trash the movie just so they can say, "I told you so" and feel all superior. And who are the people flooding the review market right now. Dark Tower fans.

I totally understand the disappoint some feel that the book wasn't followed word for word. This is a beloved series of books. But this wailing and lamenting doesn't change the fact that the world just got turned on to the Dark Tower and we will have a whole new group of people taking the journey by picking up the source material. That's a great thing!

I took my daughter with me. She hasn't read the books, and she said it was pretty good. She was able to follow the story, but she did mention that she wished it had been longer so that things didn't feel so rushed at times. She never felt like she was lost, and understood that it was more Jake's story than anything else. Since she had absolutely no preconceived notions about the characters, she liked Idris Elba as Roland and thought he was believable as the gunslinger. She thought that the wolves were really creepy with their fake skin and all. She asked a bunch of questions after the movie......I showed her where the books are on my shelf and told her the journey is waiting for her when she's ready. I'm hoping she'll decide to read them.

 

[prufrock21]

Mixed feelings. In general I feel it did no justice to the books. In an attempt to attract a wider audience, as oppossed to Constant Readers (who read the books), the treatment was too simplistic. Where is the grandeur, the overall vision the makes TDT unique?

In general it was OK, but it was not in the category of Shawshank Redemption, the movie. There were some bells and whistles, such as an action scene where Roland eliminates the bad guys, shooting a la John Wick.

Idriss did all he could with the material, considering there was little material for him to do with. Matthew McConaughey did not impress. The kid was so-so.

The critics are having a feeding frenzy. Alas, poor Roland.

 

[RichardX]

Looks like it's doing well at the box office:
‘The Dark Tower’ Tops Slow Box Office Weekend With $19.5 Million

It cost $60 million to make and I would expect the bottom to fall out after the opening weekend given the brutal reviews. When all is said and done it will be deemed a minor flop. Maybe breaking even or a little better if it does about the same in the international market. I would be shocked if there is ever a sequel. Interestingly, I think King comes off as the winner to the extent there is any here. The Dark Tower books likely get a boost in sales and reputation adding some new fans despite the poor performance of the movie.

 

[DiO'Bolic]

I don’t go to the movies and will have to wait until is comes to Netflix to see it. On the way to work this morning I was listening to some reviews from local listeners to the radio station of the DT movie. The reviews were mixed... some really liked it, some hated it. Overall, the majority rated the DT movie as pretty good. I liked one person’s take... “Let’s face it, you can’t go wrong making a Stephen King movie.”

 

[Matt Taylor]

as someone who's seen the movie, that score is absolute crap. that puts it on par with the transformers franchise, and it's much better than that. it boils down to being a decent movie that's not a really faithful adaptation, and people are punishing it arbitrarily for that in their reviews. it tells the story in a different way, with a bit of hollywood thrown in, but that by no means makes it terrible.

As someone else who has seen the movie, I think that score is elevated if anything. This is absolutely the same quality of film as the last couple Transformer movies and nowhere near as good as the first. It was poorly lit in numerous scenes, poorly acted in numerous scenes (Roooland? Is that how we say his name Matthew?), and was piss poor whether you approached it as an interpretation, a "re-imagining", or a continuation. Oh, the Dark Tower is there to keep DEMONS out. Okay, that's a thing. Oh, this Walter is the guy who seduced Roland's mom? Oh, no, wait....Walter has Jedi powers?????? Okay, great. Arcel made a superhero movie with just enough dog treats to keep DT fans paying attention. I HATED it.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Just wanted to hop in again real quick to point something out.

There's a bunch of complaints about Idris from people either speaking directly or indirectly about his race.

To you complaining, I say this: Had this been a full-fledged, as close to source as possible film (Or at least a LOT closer) with more of the world building and getting to know Roland than was received, I am more than sure you'd all be singing a different tune.

He's a wonderful actor, and since this Roland is so alien (In terms of personality, etc. I am specifically NOT speaking about race.) you never really got to see him learn the role as he would have otherwise.

I hear you, and I agree completely that Elba is a phenomenal actor. He was one of the primary reasons I held out hope. But as much as I enjoy him, this was just Luther playing Roland. And unless you count the "MynameisInigo Montoya, youkilledmyfather....Preparetodie" motivation for his wrath, there was never any legitimate explanation for why Luth..er...Roland was so singularly focused on killing Walter. I love Elba and truly believe he wasn't give much to work with here.

 

[grin willard]

....it won the Box Office, but in the grand scheme of earnings-lost the war.....to this point anyway....

It may get they call 'August legs'. Worst case, it might suffer from 'practically everybody who is going to see it rushed out to see it on the opening weekend' syndrome. Like Sex In The City: The Movie. (2008) Which made 57 million on it's opening weekend! DT is already showing up on my damn illegal firestick, but I've not read any of the books. Plus there's McConnaughey to contend with. And there may not be a good "feed" yet. So I'll very likely wait.

2008. Oh how young they were! Oh how young we were.

 

[RichardX]

I don’t go to the movies and will have to wait until is comes to Netflix to see it. On the way to work this morning I was listening to some reviews from local listeners to the radio station of the DT movie. The reviews were mixed... some really liked it, some hated it. Overall, the majority rated the DT movie as pretty good. I liked one person’s take... “Let’s face it, you can’t go wrong making a Stephen King movie.”

That person never saw "Cell." LOL.

 

[hliasdio]

2) Yes, the plan was to make a a series of movies and TV show.
1) I've been thinking about that. Here's what I came up with: The horn is a powerful item that was lost at Roland's battle of Jericho Hill. In however many tries he's made at the Tower--we don't know how many, but the last chapter of the last book gives the impression that he's made the journey to the top of the tower many times before the one in the books--he's never started again with the horn in his possession. At the end of the book, he had the horn, and we see it in the movie, in his rucksack.

I've thought a lot about why that is significant, and I did some research. In both "Childe Roland to The Dark Tower Came" and in the "Song of Roland" (an old French romantic poem), the horn is used to call ones 'people', to gather the team, so to speak. In Arthurian legend, Cuthbert's horn is used to 'call your dead', when blown at the right place and the right time. It all comes back to calling the ones you love.

Still with me? Okay, so maybe Roland never really loved anyone--at least more than he loved the Tower--since Jericho Hill. Even then, it was "a work of three seconds to pick it up" (quote from the book), but Roland didn't. He didn't care to call anyone, because he was going to do it all himself. And then... he let Jake fall. And he did care. Then he got Eddie and Susannah, and he cared about them, too. Hell, his heart broke when Oy [what happened to Oy]. Roland grew a heart. And was worthy of the horn.

Now we're to the movieverse. This Roland was overwhelmed by feeling. He FEELS Walter's betrayal, not because it endangers the Tower, but because he HURT PEOPLE. Steven and his mother, to be exact. So he's lost his focus on the Tower because he's overwrought with matters of the heart. The Turtle would be okay with that, in the short term, anyway, because Roland is finally learning something! Remember, the books tell us that he's a bit thick and singleminded. Roland's challenge in this movie/series is to find his balance between too much heart and not enough. And he gets there, makes the same arc book-Roland took 3 novels to make in a single movie. That makes sense, because he's just getting back to where he was at the end of the last turn of the wheel--the pattern was there already.

I liked this movie way more than I thought I would. I can't wait to see it again. And my heart overflows to think that at the turn of the next wheel Roland might have to ascend alone again (another hallmark of Arthurian legend--quests must be ended alone), but when he gets to the top he can blow that horn, save the Tower, and all those he loved will be with him again: Jake. Susannah. Eddie. Steven. his mother. Susan (Oh, Discordia!). Alain. Cuthbert. Cort. Jamie. Maybe even Mordred. Whoever else he's loved over the however long (decades? Centuries? Millenia?) that he didn't understand that love is the main support for the Tower that supports everything else.

*Sigh* Now I feel teary. I love Roland and his sad, sad eyes (Elba got that exactly, perfectly right).

I am sorry but how that answers my question?
I know the deal with the horn. Thats why i was so exited about the movie. (Stephen kings post on instagram with the horn and the message. "Last time around")

 

[hliasdio]

Nope. I stick to Twilight & Harry Potter.

I have read Harry Potter........ 1 ....... and 2!!!!
And i liked them there i sayed that outloud!

 

[carrie's younger brother]

That person never saw "Cell." LOL.

Or the TV version of Under the Dome...

 

[recitador]

As someone else who has seen the movie, I think that score is elevated if anything. This is absolutely the same quality of film as the last couple Transformer movies and nowhere near as good as the first. It was poorly lit in numerous scenes, poorly acted in numerous scenes (Roooland? Is that how we say his name Matthew?), and was piss poor whether you approached it as an interpretation, a "re-imagining", or a continuation. Oh, the Dark Tower is there to keep DEMONS out. Okay, that's a thing. Oh, this Walter is the guy who seduced Roland's mom? Oh, no, wait....Walter has Jedi powers?????? Okay, great. Arcel made a superhero movie with just enough dog treats to keep DT fans paying attention. I HATED it.

good for you i guess. at least half your complaints are book related, so if anything, you're proving my case. i'd suggest you go watch some transformers movies again to get an idea of what exactly it is you're saying, because the notion that this was as bad as michael bay at his worst is patently unfair

 

[jagermaster22]

It's not nearly as terrible as everyone is saying lol

 

[jagermaster22]

i figured i was going to see battlefield earth or slither the way every one is bashing it.Name one time a movie or series has ever been close to the book it was based on?

 

[jagermaster22]

I know everyone wanted to CGI Clint Eastwood for Roland but let's put that discussion to rest please.