Ink

2009 fantasy

Rating: 12/20

Plot: A reaper with a nightmare nose battles forces of subconscious good over a little girl's soul.

This is a hard one for me because I liked aspects of this and appreciated its ambition. Jamin Winans fills it with great ideas and some great visuals, especially with the glowing-eyed guys up there on the poster, a raggedy antagonist, and a television-faced guy. There's a terrific scene where we finally figure out why a blind character counts to four perpetually, human urban existence transforming into a machine in a whimsical yet profound way. Unfortunately, production values--as in, a budget that this never really can rise above--get in the way. Winans' editing, especially during these dizzying fight sequences, hurt my eyes. That antagonist's proboscis was a little goofy, the acting wasn't very good, and during normal scenes, the whole thing looked like a Christian movie.

It's been seven years. I'd be interested in knowing what Jamin Winans thinks about this as a finished product. There are intriguing or darkly touching stories dueling in alternative planes, but the execution, other than some inspired imagery, just never keeps up. I really wanted to like this one more.

This cat might be my favorite new villain though: