Search - Masters of Horror - Dream Cruise on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 4/1/2023...

Had its moments and they were definitely intense!

Terror from the murky blue

Simon | Brampton, ON | 10/01/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is an installment from season 2 of Masters of Horror. An American living in Tokyo is having an affair with his client's pretty wife. When the husband finds out he takes them in his yacht to confront them on the open sea. But restless spirits return to seek vengeance from beyond the grave.

I believe this is the second show of the series to be helmed by a Japanese director and filmed on-location in Japan, the first being last season's controversial 'Imprint.' Compared to that 'Dream Cruise' is a much more conventional horror experience, though still an effective one. If you've ever seen other Asian horror films you know how creepy vengeful spirits can be, and there's some good scares and nerve-wracking tension here. It helps that all the players are linked to the same sin, and that each has an equal chance of falling to the spirit's wrath. And if death by drowning doesn't sound pleasant to you, there's even more to be scared about.

Whereas other MoH installments have played up the camp, gore, and sex in lieu of actual scares, Dream Cruise contains little-to-none of the above but did keep me in decent suspense till the end (where admittedly, the ending gets predictable). There's no new ground broken here, but there's a satisfying evening rental and a possible spot in your horror library."

The dream cruise to hell

Dave. K | Staten Island, Ny | 11/13/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Despite the listing here on Amazon and the box cover, Dream Cruise is actually the 87-minute version. When it aired on ShowTime it was cut to 60-minutes, but the DVD is actually the original 87-minute cut despite the listing here and the back of the box stating 60-minutes.

Going into Dream Cruise I wasn't sure what to expect. Over the last couple of years the Asian ghost story has really run out of steam. Asia has a lot more to offer the horror genre, but these films are popular there and the rest of the world. It's sort of like the American slasher movie. They seemed to dominate the early to mid 80s. While there were plenty of non slasher movies it really did seem like, that's all that was out there. Filmmakers found something that worked and milked it for everything it was worth and now that has happened to the Asian ghost story.

The last few Asian ghost movies I have seen after it was over I just felt like so what? It's the same story over and over again and it really has gotten to the point to where you can't even tell these films a part, but unlike the American slasher movie, I do feel as if the Asian ghost story can still work.

Let's face it Dream Cruise doesn't really offer anything we haven't seen before. If you're well schooled on these movies you should know how this one will play out. But it's about how you take these clichés and work it. And the makers of Dream Cruise are able to take a clichéd story and sort of make it work.

Jack played by Daniel Gillies is an American businessman working in Japan; he's also having an affair with Yuri Saito played by Yoshino Kimura who's married to Eiji Saito played by the very cool Ryo Ishibashi who happens to be a client to Jack. Eiji takes Jack and Yuri on a cruise that turns out to be the ultimate horror.

Like most Asian horror flicks, Dream Cruise does run at a slow, but steady pace. In many ways the movie starts off as a drama. Eiji knows his wife his cheating on him with Jack and they both know as well, but Eiji drops little hints that he knows and doesn't come right out and say it. Those scenes actually play out quite well and to be honest might be the strongest scenes of the movie.

Dream Cruise is based off a story by Koji Suzuki who has been dubbed the Japanese Stephen King. Koji wrote the novel Ringu so this guy is one of the Icons of Japanese horror. The screenplay was written by Naoya Takayama & Norio Tsuruta. And overall the script is quite well done. While it doesn't offer anything we haven't seen before it does work well as do the characters.

Norio Tsuruta also served as director and is able to keep Dream Cruise running at a slow, but steady pace. While Tsuruta doesn't really offer us anything we haven't seen done before he does make the best of everything and is able to create an overall solid movie. The first half has some decent tension with Eiji knowing about the affair, but after that the tension does lack at times.

The fact I have seen so many of these movies I suppose it's kinda hard for me to really feel the suspense and tension and even though Tsuruta does a solid job, I can't help, but feel I have already seen this before and seen it done a bit better. The last act though does feature some solid tension even if it never reaches the greatness some other movies like this did it does play out rather well.

The actors all do a solid job unlike Imprint from season 1; most of the Japanese actors in Imprint spoke no English or very little. So you have to understand it's not easy for the actors to deliver their lines in English and sound good. Dream Cruise though the Japanese actors do a solid job; Yoshino Kimura lived in America therefore her English was very good and Ryo Ishibashi who is best known to horror fans from Audition also does a solid job. I don't know how well he knows English, but regardless he provides an excellent and very creepy performance.

When the Japanese actors talk to each other they mostly speak in Japanese, which was something I was pleased with. I hate movies that feature characters from a non-English speaking country, but yet they speak to one another in English. So I was pleased that the Japanese actors actually spoke to each other in mostly Japanese.

Dream Cruise despite the clichés actually plays out rather well while it does lack the suspense and tension for the most part it still works well and the final act does have some solid tension. Dream Cruise isn't the best Asian ghost flick I have ever seen, but it does work and was able to hold my interest despite the clichés.
"

Not your parents love boat

Neil Kloster | Dekalb, IL | 10/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've tried to figure out how to start this review nearly four times. But let me just say that this edition of the MOH Series is without a doubt the scariest one of the bunch out of season 2 (possibly season 1 as well).

It deals with a vengeful spirit of a woman whose husband has an affair and then kills her on his boat for his new lover. She is then tossed over board and never seen again... until about a year later when all the guilty party are on the boat and 'surprisingly' the same spot where she was killed. Anyways... thats the plot jist... now lets get to the good stuff!

Shes a vengeful spirit who is looking to exact revenge upon her ex - husband, and the woman that he killed her for and the man that is sleeping with her now. (pretty screwy love triangle). Oh and I didn't mention that the man who is on the boat has a fear of water from his own brother being drowned many years before and sees his ghost haunting him too? Oh, ok... then I did now.

Without giving too much away, the scares in this one are far more abundant than any other episode thus far. It will seriously creep you out beyond no end and make you think twice about entering the water - or a bathroom. You'll know what I mean. I highly recommended it, but make sure the lights are totally off for the full effect. Why ruin a good horror moment, right?"