The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2006)

Director:

John Carl Buechler

Writers:

John Carl Buechler (writer)
Robert Louis Stevenson (novel)

Release Date:

1 February 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Release the Beast!

Plot Keywords:

Robert Louis Stevenson | Paranoid Schizophrenia | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Cast

Tony Todd	...	Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde
Tracy Scoggins	...	Karen Utterson
Vernon Wells	...	Dr. Dennis Lanyon
Danielle Nicolet	...	Whitney Weddings
Stephen Wastell	...	Detective Richard Enfield (as Steve Wastell)
Deborah Shelton	...	Donna Carew
Judith Shekoni	...	Renee (as Judi Shekoni)
Tim Thomerson	...	Arnie Swift
Peter Jason	...	Lt. Hamilton
Peter Lupus III	...	Gerald Poole
Tyler Kain	...	Colleen Woodbe
Nicholle Tom	...	Carla Hodgkiss
Elina Madison	...	Cindy Shivers
Jacob Tawney	...	Jimmy Iverson
Michelle Lee	...	Kim Li

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence/gore and language.

Runtime:

USA:89 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Fantastical Cinema LLC

Movie Connections:

Version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912)

Todd is Great

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The (2006)

** (out of 4)

John Carl Buechler (Friday the 13th 7) wrote and directed this updated version of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel. In the film, Dr. Jekyll (Tony Todd) is experimenting with chimps when he decides to take the drug himself, which of course turns him into the murderous Mr. Hyde. If it weren't for the excellent performance from Todd, who most people will remember from Candyman, this movie would have been a lot worse. These types of horror movies are made each and every week but not all of them feature some a great performance so it's rather sad to see Todd wasted in a pretty weak film with an even weaker screenplay. There are a few switches from the original novel but for the most part this film is pretty faithful and since we've seen this story countless times the original aspects here aren't good enough to keep the film moving. The supporting cast are all pretty bland to bad and this really sticks out when you see them acting with Todd. Buechler's direction is a tad bit all over the place as well. It's never quite clear what he's trying to do with the material even though he wrote it. At some points it seems like he's wanting to make a suspenseful story but then at other times it appears he wants to throw tons of gore at us. Another problem with the film is the use of some bad, fast editing and poor CGI effects. Back to Todd, he alone makes it worth watching the film as he pulls off both roles very well. Like Christopher Lee, I think Todd could branch out into more serious roles but most of the time he's wasted in films like this.