“The Dark Tower” begins when protagonist Jake Chambers sketches the two shadowy figures of Gunslinger (Idris Elba) and The Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey) who often appear in his dreams with the intent to save or destroy two world dimensions that signify places such as heaven and hell.
On a fast-paced journey with Gunslinger, Jake attempts to save the planet before The Man in Black appears from another dimension to burn everyone to death on his destructive warpath.
McConaughey is an evil, destructive villain who signifies that no matter how long humans have lived or died, there will always be wickedness between life and death that cannot be destroyed. His deep voice, stern facial expressions and mannerisms fit the character perfectly and make the film a masterpiece.
Tom Taylor portrays Jake Chambers in the film. He realistically pulls off the emotion, especially as his character realizes that The Man in Black killed his mom and stepdad in order to find out where he’d gone while exploring another world with Gunslinger.
Idris Elba, as Gunslinger, represents a classic old western cowboy that shoots anyone he deems to be a demon in disguise. After watching the ones he loved die in an instant, Gunslinger began to seek revenge and ensure that nothing would stop him from defeating The Man in Black.
Although the film has great action-packed scenes, there are a few plot holes. In particular, some scenes are explored at great depth, but other scenes are presented without being explained any further than their introduction. There is also a point where children are being turned into demonic creatures, but they are forgotten without any explanation of what’s happened to them.
Overall, the film had shining moments but it felt rushed from start to finish. Timmy, a character that took an important role in the beginning, was forgotten with his fate unknown by the end of the film. And more dramatic scenes could have been incorporated at certain points in the movie.
In the end, Jake starts a new life with Gunslinger as his relatives are now deceased and his next door neighbor has yet to be seen or heard from again. The ending hints that while he’s begun a new life with his partner in crime, another film might come sometime in the near future. The film was great, but it did have a few flaws in continuity with some unexplained plot holes.
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