MY SOUL TO TAKE REVIEW

  Option one: the Ripper disappears and comes back 16 years later to kill the 7 children born on the day of his supposed death. Option two: the Ripper really dies and comes back in one of the 7 children born on the day of his death to collect the souls of the other 6. That is what one of the characters points out, and is basically what the audience is waiting to find out. Throw in some crazy talk about souls and condors (yes condors), and that is what makes up My Soul To Take.
  The movie starts off with the events of the night where the serial killer called the Riverton Ripper is caught, but soon enough mysteriously disappears. 16 years later, a bunch of high school students are celebrating the day of the Ripper’s death, and the birth of 7 students. Brandon, the bully of the group, introduces the 7, and talks about the annual ritual where one of the 7 has to face the Ripper. Before it can finish, cops put an end to their fun, and the story begins to follow Bug until the mystery of the Ripper is revealed.

  The opening scene is one of the better scenes in the movie. There is murder, blood, shooting, and some confusion. The funniest thing about it is how the Ripper just doesn’t die. Every time I thought they got him, some how he would come back for some more. That is until they leave it as a mystery to whether he died, or just disappears. It is a good promising start to the movie.

  Then the back-story sets up with the high school students holding their ritual along side the river where the Ripper disappeared. Brandon reminds everyone, as part of this apparent tradition, that one of the 7 must turn back the Ripper if he appears. I understand the need for the back-story here, but at least make it a little more realistic. Brandon mentions they have been doing this since they were able to. Then he makes it seem like 6 out of the 7 have already turned back the Ripper, as he appoints Bug this year’s choice to turn back the Ripper. Doing the math, it doesn’t seem to make sense that these students have been doing this since such an early age.

  So we have a good action packed opening scene only to be followed by a questionable ritual of some local high school students. What is next: the same old boring high school themes. As the movie follows Bug, the most important and definitely strangest one of the infamous 7, it displays several things that a typical high school student watching the movie could relate to, but is just more of the same for someone who has seen it time after time. There is the bully picking on the weaker students, and boys and girls talking about whom they like, and dislike. The only thing that is entertaining is a scene in a classroom where Bug and his friend Alex put on a very interesting presentation.

  The movie takes too long before the real killing begins. It spends too much time focusing on Bug’s unusual behavior. It turns out there is an explanation for the behavior, which is really just being used to further confuse you as to who the Ripper is. As for the killings, there is nothing exciting about them. The Ripper uses a knife, so all the deaths are by stabbing. Since they are trying to hide the Ripper’s identity, you don’t get to see too much more than a little blood, and the mask of the Ripper. Some of the deaths are too fake looking, while others don’t seem realistic after learning how the story ends.

  Ultimately it is just a guessing game as to who the Ripper is. I admit that I was guessing as the movie went along, and that I was mostly wrong. I should have known better because there are only a few possibilities as to what is really happening after seeing the Ripper kill off some of the 7. Actually, it kind of made me dizzy watching the combination of them hiding what happened to the Ripper, and Bug’s strange behavior. What is particularly odd is how one scene towards the end basically takes place twice. Once where you think the Ripper will be revealed, and then again where the Ripper finally is.

  Before watching this movie, I thought there would be more to it. However, it just boils down to the two aforementioned options. My curiosity to which option it would be is the only thing that kept me watching. The problem is that it takes too long before getting you to even think about these options. After a pretty good opening scene, there is a questionable set up to the story, lots of strange behavior by Bug, and finally some weak deaths. If you are looking for a guessing game, you may like it, but it is no Scream. On a side note, I did not see it in 3D and saw no scenes that would make it worth seeing in 3D, so I am sorry if you wasted additional money to see it in 3D. With that said, I give this movie 2 pools of blood.

  HorrO