‘Screamboat’ Review: Mickey Mouse Attacks a Handful of ‘Terrifier’ Veterans in a Twisted Disney Ferry Tale

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In films such as “Screamboat”, a low-budget horror movie that exploits intellectual properties once their 95-year copyright protection expires, two distinct forms of harshness can be observed. On one hand, the gruesome fates inflicted upon characters, ranging from being impaled by forklifts to having their faces thrust into Staten Island Ferry propellers. However, the true brutality – and likely what draws audiences – is the transformation of these characters themselves. There’s an illicit excitement in defiling powerful brands, like Disney, that adds a layer of illicitness to these cinematic experiences.

Screamboat” isn’t the first horror film to mock “Steamboat Willie,” the 1928 short that debuted a black-and-white, early version of Mickey Mouse, but it’s far more entertaining than last year’s “The Mouse Trap.” In “The Mouse Trap,” a man in a Mickey costume brutally kills his friends inside a Chuck E. Cheese-like amusement center – a disappointing attempt to make money. In contrast, director Steven LaMorte (who previously made fun of the Grinch character in “The Mean One” three years ago) attempts to preserve the essence of Steamboat Willie while satirizing his parent company as much as legal restrictions allow.

LaMorte’s directing style, reminiscent of filmmakers like Peter Jackson and Eli Roth who are known for their blend of slapstick and horror, is characterized by mature humor that can be quite crude at times. This is in stark contrast to Scott Chambers’ more conventional approach to Disney characters, as seen in “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey”. In this production, LaMorte portrays a scruffy rodent character, dressed in oversized shoes and knickers, who seems comically small compared to his human victims. This role is played by David Howard Thornton, who dons even more intricate makeup than he did while playing Art the Clown.

The screenplay, co-written by LaMorte and Matthew Garcia-Dunn, offers enough background details to clarify how the character Willie wound up trapped inside the Staten Island Ferry’s underbelly. In the storyline, an intoxicated old man (Jarlath Conroy) shares a local myth about an experiment supposedly left behind in the cargo hold. This is illustrated through a simple black-and-white animation that appears on screen, so basic it seems more advanced than “Steamboat Willie” in comparison. After escaping captivity at the start of the movie, Willie embarks on a violent spree throughout the rest of the film, dancing and chuckling after each of his mischievous acts.

As a devoted admirer, I’d argue that LaMorte might have managed to pull off this work as a parody, even without the backing of copyright law. He certainly sets the tone with Cindi (Kailey Hyman), a blonde-haired, blue-dressed birthday “princess,” accompanied by her annoying friends who are color-coded to their nicknames: yellow for Bella (Stephanie Bates), turquoise for Jazzy (Poonam Basu), and so forth. The movie introduces a multitude of other characters, such as a take on the Times Square “naked cowboy” and someone dressed like Peter Pan, but it only maintains a casual connection with their whereabouts, leading to a few vanishing without so much as being killed off.

Instead, confining everyone on a boat is an ingenious scheme for a twisted fairy tale reminiscent of Disney, where romance appears to be blooming between the talented and intriguing Selena (portrayed by Allison Pittel) and the less charismatic crew member Pete (Jesse Posey), who happens to be the less charismatic brother of “Teen Wolf” star Tyler Posey. Selena is new to New York City, considering returning home, but if she can make it through this harrowing journey, there’s little that the city can present her that she won’t be able to handle. While Selena radiates ambition, Pete seems resolute on not advancing in his career – a challenge given that Willie keeps offing his superiors, which means Pete is destined to become captain eventually, either by default or through elimination.

The murders might be gruesome, yet they’re predominantly used for comedic effect, with numerous lighthearted allusions to various Disney films. The film “Screamboat” strains most when it aims for seriousness, pushing the acting abilities of its cast to their limits. For instance, Amy Schumacher, who portrays Amber the onboard medic, manages to remember her lines, but struggles with delivery. It seems Tyler Posey made an appearance in a goodwill gesture, appearing in a few scenes that don’t add much value, such as a teaser for a potential sequel during the end credits.

Even though it might not be essential, it seems more considerate towards the original intellectual property compared to numerous Disney-approved live-action remakes, and undeniably more engaging than the recent “Snow White” adaptation.

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2025-04-03 10:16