Candyman…Candyman…Candyman…Candyman…

In 1992, the legend of Candyman came to life as it followed the same path as the Bloody Mary mirror trick we all learned as children. The only difference, Bloody Mary could be bloody scary whereas Candyman probably could have been.

The story takes us to the rougher parts of Chicago where there is a legend of a murdered slave who can be summoned by repeating his name five times into a mirror. Virginia Madsen plays a skeptical grad student who wants to study the myth to see if it is true. She comes to find out, that it is.

Tony Todd plays the title character (a.k.a. Daniel Robitaille) with his hook hand and creepy tone of voice. He comes to show Helen Lyle (Madsen) that he is most definitely real and he has come to make her life a living hell.

There are a few bright spots with a jump scare here and a comical moment there. But this is where the entertainment ends. It is very slow paced, a mostly dull story, and plenty of other directions it could have gone which would have made it a hundred times better. Eerie as the possibilities might be, this movie left a lot to be desired and gave an open invitation to anyone who might be able to present it in a much more fantastical way.

The overall idea of the story is a fairly decent one, but where this movie falls short is in its ability to tell the tale.

Throwback Lesson: As unenjoyable as it may have been, still don’t risk summoning the Candyman by saying his name five times (the same goes for saying Bloody Mary three times in a dark bathroom towards a mirror with your eyes closed).

ROASTED RIPPER SCORE – D (6/10 Bees in the Mouth)