The Raven

Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem provides the title for The Raven, but the real inspiration seems to lie more in a combination of Sherlock Holmes and “CSI.”

It’s a mid-19th century detective story that features the author himself as the sleuth unraveling the mystery, a bizarre concept that works for a while, until the script completely falls apart in the final half.

The source material has been adapted for the screen many times over the years, and almost always with a different interpretation. Yet it seems doubtful that the creator of such classics as “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Pit and the Pendulum” would be satisfied with this cliche-ridden pulp.

The story is set in Baltimore, where Poe (John Cusack) is a struggling poet whose work appears in the local newspaper, where he enjoys a love-hate relationship with the fiery editor (Kevin McNally). His fictional short stories, however, bear an eerie resemblance to a series of local murders, causing a young police detective (Luke Evans) to involve Poe in his investigation.

As the serial killer remains at large, using his violent tales as inspiration each time, Poe turns from suspect to crime fighter, especially when his romantic interest (Alice Eve) becomes a potential target.

Cusack seems an odd choice to play Poe, especially a version of him that shifts wildly between raving lunatic and quiet intellectual. He’s most convincing in the few moments where he gets to play the latter.

Most of the film takes place at night, of course, which Australian director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) uses to convey an ominous atmosphere along with some haunting imagery, even if it lacks some of his usual visual flair.

The film adequately re-creates the period and offers an intriguing premise, then runs completely off the rails in the final half as the screenplay by Hannah Shakespeare (Loverboy) and newcomer Ben Livingston becomes convoluted and melodramatic.

Perhaps the film might have a side benefit of introducing a new generation to some of Poe’s work, but it hardly seems worth all the trouble. Because of its script, The Raven never takes flight.

Rated R, 111 minutes.