Odd Thomas: A Review

11th Feb, 2014.

OK,  RIGHT now … ?

Right now, as I write, I’ve got an album on accompanying me as I right.

Yellow Magic Orchestra’s ∞ Multiplies: which is definitely an experience if your unfamiliar with Japanese electronica … 

Or the sense of humour.

It’s … 

Well … 

Certainly an experience, I know that much.

I may have to embed a tune or two, before the end of this post.

~≈Í≈~

At any rate, telling you exactly what’s playing on my iPod at the moment — it’s still letting me play music and play Tetris, despite the smashed screen! — wasn’t how I intended to START this post.

Nope.

I was going to tell you about the film I’ve just seen.

The 2013 film of the Dean Koontz book that is … 

Odd Thomas … !

And, whilst both it and its central character may be odd … ?

It’s also entertaining … 

~≈Í≈~

Odd Thomas introduces us to its title character* — played by Anton Yeltsin — who’s a young man who can see dead people.

See … and help, dead people.   Indeed, the film starts with Odd helping Chief Wyatt Porter — Willem DaFoe — identifying a man who’s killed a ghost he meets at the foot of his stairs.

It’s only when he get’s to work, and mets his girlfriend, Stormy — Addison Timlin —  that he realises both she and a rather creepy new regular are being followed around by bodachs: otherwise unseen creatures that only turn up when there’s going to be seriously nasty trouble.

The sort of trouble that’s going to hit Odd’s home town of Pico Mundo, VERY soon … 

~≈Í≈~

Now … 

Does Odd Thomas cut the entertainment mustard?

Yes, it does, actually.

Arguably, it may be a fairly lightweight supernatural murder-mystery.

On the other hand, it’s a supernatural murder-mystery that asks nothing more of us, than to let it entertain us: and that, with it’s mix of competent writing, directing and acting, delivers solid gold that’s well worth watching.

It’s also left me thinking I should maybe check out Dean Koontz’s series of Odd Thomas novels: can we ask more than that … ?

Well … 

That’s all I’d ask …

Odd Thomas
★★☆☆

*        Apparently, the character’s name was supposed to be either Todd or Dodd: after an uncle.   But there was a mistake with the spelling on his birth certificate.