Kevin Costner has done it again. With the release of "Dragonfly," he has officially agreed to reprise his role from "Message in the Bottle" - the grieving husband who can never get over the loss of his wife and is always thinking that she is trying to reach him from beyond the grave.
How many times has this movie been made?
I should start by saying that as a thriller, the film is a failure. Kevin Costner and Kathy Bates, however, will scare the doodie out of you and have you running for the door in no time. Not because of the frights, but because of the boredom and the realization that Costner still can't act.
Costner plays Joe Darrow, an emergency room doctor, who is grieving the entire film over the loss of his wife Emily, played by Susanna Thompson, a pediatric doctor in the same hospital. The film's title refers to the faint birthmark, resembling a dragonfly, on Emily's right shoulder.
"Dragonfly" opens with Joe speaking to Emily on the phone while she is on a mercy mission in rain-soaked Venezuela. Soon after, Emily boards a bus that meets with disaster when a rockslide forces it from the road and into the rushing river below. Everyone on board dies, but Emily's body is never recovered.
Costner plays a role that is perfect for him - down and out with a twist of redemption. Mind you, he isn't very convincing. He looks constipated most of the time rather than portraying true grief. Costner believes that his wife is trying to reach him through her patients who have had near death experiences. Pictures, bright lights and lots of dragonflies play big roles in the film, but only as well as Costner plays his. Questions are answered, but one can figure out Joe's next move before he makes it.
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"Dragonfly" is a paranormal film that pretends to be a thriller, but lacking any suspense, it becomes dull and unentertaining. The film may have the worst ending Hollywood has strung together in years. Although it is supposed to take you by surprise, its delivery is ridiculous and unfathomable. The film as a whole is forced with little momentum. If you want to see this film, check it out in the dollar theater because it's cheaper than renting.
