Texas Killing Fields

Reviews from the Dark Side presents:
Texas Killing Fields
Released 2011, now on DVD

Texas Killing Fields is inspired by a string of real-life unsolved murders.  It follows detectives Souder and Heigh.  Heigh is a transplanted NYC detective who seems to have a troubled past with serial killers.

Wouldn't you know that's exactly what Souder and Heigh have to deal with in this movie.  There are a string of murders in Texas.  Mutilated bodies of women are being dumped into the marshes that are chillingly known as the "Killing Fields."  Souder and Heigh are called in by a detective (Souder's ex-wife) in a neighboring town to assist.  Souder is reluctant to help for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is dealing with his ex again.  The killings are also out of the detectives' jurisdiction.  He tries to advise Heigh to leave this case alone, but Heigh is obsessed.  Heigh is even more determined when when a local pre-teen, Ann, is kidnapped.  Both Souder and Heigh know this girl.  Heigh has taken a particular interest in Ann.  To call her family dysfunctional would be the understatement of the year.  It also doesn't help that Ann is taken from under Heigh's nose either.  It's a  race against time as Souder and Heigh try to locate Ann before the killer makes her yet another victim.  Since this is a murder mystery, I'll stop here to avoid spoilers.

The movie stars Sam Worthington as Detective Souder and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Detective Heigh.  Ann is played by Chloe Grace Moretz.  It bothered me not knowing who this girl was for the longest time because I knew I had seen her before.  Then it hit me.  Vampire girl in Let Me In (a recommended movie by the way).  Michael Mann (Heat, Manhunter, Ali) is given the producer credit on this. 

The movie seems a bit choppy in places.  The scenes sometimes don't seem to follow logically.  What I did like is that unlike other Michael Mann vehicles, the movie didn't last three hours.  There isn't a lot of character depth here though.  Not a bad movie by any means, but nothing you haven't seen before.  There are some interesting shady characters that kind of saves it a little but overall, it's a little forgettable.  Nothing captivating.

The Dark Lord of the Sith says:

**1/2 stars out of 5

Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee. Buy this on DVD when released!
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here. Get this DVD goes without saying.