Dark Tower, The (12A)

Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

The last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, has been locked in an eternal battle with Walter O'Dim, also known as the Man in Black, determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the ultimate battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.

The critical consensus

Elba is genuinely great as the tormented Roland, but the film does its best to suffocate him under a mountain of plot-heavy nonsense. Disappointing.

(*) (*) (*) Helen O'Hara, Empire Online, 05/08/2017

As baffling as it is dull, The Dark Tower is a disappointment for both hardcore fans and the King-curious. Stick with the books.

(*) (*) (*) Ken McIntyre, Total Film, 08/08/2017

As the heroes rush from one set-piece to the next battling monsters and shooting bullets there's little tension or gravitas attached to their journey. Arcel rarely conveys a sense of crippling fear to the audience, despite the fate of the entire universe being at stake.

(*) (*) (*) Katherine McLaughlin, The List, 16/08/2017

The film is an unwieldy mish-mash of sci-fi, western and a Huck Finn-like kids’ yarn, with some Harry Potter elements thrown in for good measure.

(*) (*) (*) (*) Geoffrey Macnab, The Independent, 16/08/2017

Dull, cheap-looking.

(*) (*) (*) Allan Hunter, Daily Express, 18/08/2017

Not even bad enough to be fun.

(*) (*) (*) (*) Elena Lazic, Little White Lies, 19/08/2017

Too many genres spoil the interdimensional broth in this adaptation starring Idris Elba.

(*) (*) (*) Jonathan Romney, The Observer, 20/08/2017