A twelve-year old boy has an extreme fear of the dark, so much so that his parents have invested in backup generators and keep the entire house brightly lit. One stormy night when he and his teenage brother are left home alone, there’s a blackout and both have to face what’s hiding in the shadows.

Except for a few bones to pick, Fear of the Dark was a decent flick. The Dark Things looked great, and except for the CGI fest at the end, everything was done well. Good acting, decent characters and a plot that was predictably predictable, but not horribly predictable. I was entertained, even jumped once or twice.

I found that the kid’s phobia was to an extreme that it was kind of annoying, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. I just don’t know how a kid can know that a bulb’s close to burning out, and I don’t know what kind of father would change it before it did, considering the other bulbs burning brightly all around it. In the beginning of the film he’s afraid of a less-brightly-lit area of the house, and that’s just a bit much.

Also the teenage love-interest went from bravest chick ever to a puddle of terror when she saw some dogs barking. People are afraid of dogs, but rarely to the extent that they’d be afraid of a demon from hell.

However, it was an entertaining flick. After the slow start it kept my interest throughout. The ending could have been miles better, If I’d written it, it would have been way creepier. I didn’t, though, so it’s mainly scary to the twelve-year old crowd. I’d think it would be a really great one for them, though. The amazing thing is I’m complaining about this flick, but compare it to the blockbuster “dark = scary” flicks that came out last year and it’s miles beyond them in quality. Not bad for a direct-to-video, not bad at all.

7 out of 10