(1972)
1.5
Craig Butler
Willard, the film to which Ben is a sequel, was not a great movie, but it was a good example of how to take a premise that could easily be problematic and turn it into a fine horror film. Ben, unfortunately, makes all the mistakes that Willard avoided. First among these is making the lead human, who in the first film was vulnerable and sympathetic but still culpable and guilty, into a much-too-cutesy-pie ten-year-old. Ben compounds this problem by having the character of Danny treat the rats in a cloyingly sweet manner by letting them ride on his little trains, creating a Ben puppet, etc. This culminates with Danny sitting down and composing and singing the treacly title song to his rodent friend. There are many other problems, ranging from a screenplay that is structurally messy and filled with leaden dialogue to a cast that cannot find a way to breathe life into characters that are about as stock as they come. Ben does have its share of scary moments, and a few zingers really hit home, and director Phil Karlson deserves credit for delivering on these opportunities, but most of Karlson's work here is uncharacteristically stilted. Diehard horror fans may enjoy Ben, but most viewers should skip it.
Ben on AllMovie
Ben (1972)
