Beautiful Creatures - C+

Rated PG-13, 124 minutes

Charming "Beautiful Creatures" treads familiar ground

The new romantic drama "Beautiful Creatures" is part love story part sci-fi tale and better than any of the "Twilight" films. That might not be saying much in terms of cinematic quality, but for a film that has aspirations to become the next big series that might be saying a little something. Well-cast with some captivating moments, "Beautiful Creatures" is a little all over the place at times but still carries some comedic fun. When newcomer Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert, director Jane Campion's daughter) arrives in the small Southern town of Gatlin she quickly captures the attention of Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich), who only wants to escape what he views as a boring and dead end town. Lena and Ethan are drawn together but he is mortal and she is a witch (referred to as a caster here) who must decide between Good and Evil before her sixteenth birthday. Directed by Richard LaGravanese ("The Fisher King") and based on the young adult novel of the same name by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl that's part of "The Caster Chronicles" book series. A little slow-going at first, "Beautiful Creatures" is a mostly faithful adaptation that strives to be a character-driven piece but treads similar young forbidden in love themes that have become all-too familiar. Some of the sillier moments (and dialogue) make it essentially a Southern-gothic themed "Twilight," though newcomers Englert and especially Ehrenreich are ingratiating enough to keep you watching. And it also features a stellar A-list of character actors that keeps it from totally falling apart: the stoic Jeremy Irons as the uncle looking after Lena, the warm Viola Davis as a helpful seer and librarian (a combo of two of the book's characters), not to mention Oscar-winner Emma Thompson, wildly overacting, chomping on any scenery in sight as Lena's powerful mother, and Emmy Rossum, who seems too have fun vamping it up as Lena's evil cousin. "Beautiful Creatures" has a great story but its execution, particularly its script, are a little messy, though it features some entertaining moments along the way, and leaving it wide open for more of these if it catches on. An intriguing, if not overly revelatory take on forbidden love, "Beautiful Creatures" is worth a look for those who enjoy a mix of sci-fi, fantasy and romance.

Wes's Grade: C+