Odd Thomas

Based on the series of novels by Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas follows Anton Yelchin’s title character, a young man with clairvoyant abilities, as he embarks on a perilous quest to prevent a worldwide apocalypse at the hands of a figure known as Fungus Bob (Shuler Hensley). Odd Thomas‘ premise seems, at the surface, somewhat of a departure for Stephen Sommers, as the director is primarily known for larger-than-life, summer-blockbuster fare like The Mummy and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. And yet it eventually becomes clear that Sommers is exactly the right choice for the material, with the filmmaker infusing large swaths of the proceedings with an appreciatively over-the-top sensibility that’s heightened by a blistering pace. It’s just as clear, however, that Odd Thomas suffers from an opening hour that, while entertaining, is perhaps a little more slick and plot-heavy than one might’ve liked, as Sommers, working from his own script, emphasizes the frenetic exploits of the central character without necessarily imbuing said character with compelling, sympathetic traits (ie it’s initially difficult to wholeheartedly root for Odd’s success). The movie’s shift from passable to enthralling comes at around the one-hour mark, after which point Odd Thomas, infused with surprisingly top-notch action sequences and an almost shockingly emotional final stretch, becomes a gripping thriller that easily stands as Sommers’ most accomplished work to date.

***1/2 out of ****