I admit the whole Twilight craze left me skeptical to any form of entertainment with a semblance of romance combined with anything remotely supernatural.
When I saw the trailer for "Beautiful Creatures" I couldn't help but roll my eyes as another romantic teen fiction novel became a motion picture, this one with obnoxiously fake southern accents instead of sparkling vampires. Although the ridiculous accents didn't let up, this movie made leaps and bounds compared to other films of the same genre.
The story is told from the point of view of Ethan, a high school student who wants to leave his small southern town and all its inhabitants behind when he comes across Lena, the new girl in town and the niece of the local hermit. Of course since her uncle is anti-social, he must be a devil worshipper, making her one as well to the popular church going crowd. The other students only hate her more as Ethan falls for her. The more Ethan falls for her the more he realizes that she is actually a witch, or as this movie likes to call "casters."
To harp on the negatives first, the main mistake is one that Hollywood doesn't know much about the South. I'm not saying that there aren't Civil War reenactments or a plethora of religious zealots, but you could make a drinking game off of how many side characters say "my mamma said." Between that and the filming in Louisiana looked like Louisiana rather than South Carolina (where it claims to be set), the film makes only minor offenses that most non-southerners won't notice.
Overall, this movie is an entertaining addition to the genre and is probably one of the better options for heading to the movie theatre this spring. The effects might seem a little cheesy, but it's written well enough with a decent cast. Unlike some other movies previously mentioned in this review, the main actors are able to give their lines without melodramatic pauses and even have chemistry. It doesn't hurt that the rest of the cast is rounded out with great actors such as Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons, and Viola Davis. It is definitely an enjoyable pick for anyone wanting something romantic or supernatural.
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