Stephen King's Cujo [DVD] [1983]

In terms of this film, let me say that, while there have been a number of less successful and ill-conceived adaptations of Stephen King's work, Cujo is my least favorite of all the Stephen King films. Let's start with the fact that the novel is not conducive to a film adaptation in the first place - the idea of Cujo is a good one, but the characters and atmosphere of the story are as unappealing as meatloaf left out in the hot sun for about three months. Vic Trenton (Daniel Hugh Kelly) is the only half-way sympathetic character to be found here, but he, unfortunately, looks like a reject from The Brady Bunch. Then you have his wife Donna (Dee Wallace); not only is she unattractive, she is having an affair with one of her husband's friends. And young Tad (Danny Pintauro) - I know he's a little kid, and we were all scared of the dark at that age, and all of us would have squawked incessantly if we were trapped in a car by a giant rabid hellhound, but he is just so incredibly annoying. Less important characters, such as Donna's illicit boy toy and the dysfunctional Camber family, suck what little air is left over out of the room. The town itself looks like it should have been abandoned ten years ago. And the lighting - a sunny day has never been as depressing as what you see here. I don't like the music, either, but I guess I've complained enough already.

And what of Cujo himself? Normally, as an animal lover, I would fall in love with any animal in a film. Not Cujo. Sure, he didn't go out and get rabies on purpose, but he had no business chasing that cute little bunny rabbit in to the bat-occupied hole in the ground in the first place. On top of that, he proved unable to finish the job when he had the film's two least likable characters trapped. I've got to give the canine actor his props, though, as he gave everything he had to this film. He had to endure all kinds of miseries to take on the look of a rabid gigantic killer, and he held nothing back when told to attack people, cars, doors, windows - whatever. He also, I am quite sure, did all of his own stunts. Sadly, in yet another slap in the mug to canine actors everywhere, he was left entirely out of the credits. He was the only actor in this production who deserved to have his name in lights, yet he didn't even rate the same dignity as the film's best boy and assistant cooks.

Finally, I must say I was disheartened to find that the director lacked the courage to end the film the way Stephen King ended the novel. A lot of people complained about King's ending, but it was the right one and should have carried over to the film adaptation. Obviously, I pretty much hated watching Cujo, but I must admit that, by and large, it was a pretty good adaptation of King's novel (except for the ending, of course). Effective it may be, but enjoyable it is not.

GET THIS ONE YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED.....