'Lazarus Effect' revives corpses, but not crowds.

• Author: LaSalle, Mick
• Position: Living - Movie review

Byline: Mick LaSalle

'The Lazarus Effect'

Distributed by Lionsgate

Rating: PG-13 for for intense sequences of horror violence, terror and some sexual references

Running time: 1 hour, 23 minutes

"The Lazarus Effect'' is not the usual mindless thriller, but it's as flat as an open soda can from last week, with dull characters and virtually every scene taking place in a single location. It looks like it cost about $12 bucks to make -- and somebody got robbed.

In talking about "The Lazarus Effect,'' a distinction must be made between the "Lazarus Effect'' within the movie and the effect of "The Lazarus Effect'' on audiences watching the movie. These are opposed reactions, with the first causing the dead to wake, and the second causing audiences to go all-but comatose. Further research is indicated.

Olivia Wilde and Mark Duplass play a girlfriend-boyfriend pair of scientists, working with two junior assistants, one melancholy and one jolly. (In horror thrillers, jolly assistants are preferred, because they make the best victims.) The quartet is devising a process -- combining a serum, neural stimulation and electric shock -- that can regenerate life.

Things start getting interesting when the team revives a nice old dog, but the dog looks forlorn about getting brought back to life, and tests indicate that his brain is overactive from the serum. The dog soon almost becomes hostile -- but only almost. As a script, "The Lazarus Effect'' too often stays confined to gestures, with feints in the direction of action, and promises of action, but with no action actually taking place.

It's also one of those movies -- there are so many -- made by people under the impression that creating deafening crescendos on the soundtrack will cause audiences to jump. This might be true, just as it's true that if you were to go up to people on the street and...