Chauncey K. Robinson

I firmly believe that not everything needs to be made into a horror movie. They did it with Winnie-the-Pooh (with dismal results), and now Mickey Mouse is getting the bloody-killer treatment based on his recently copyright-free alter-ego Steamboat Willie. The result is Screamboat, set in a gritty city with a rough-looking miniature killer mouse who likes to murder people on a boat. Interestingly enough, this isn’t even the only new horror movie about Steamboat Willy. Fortunately, this film at least attempts to do more than just have a killer with a Mickey Mouse (er-Steamboat Willie) mask killing people.

Synopsis: Be our guest on a New York City ferry ride that turns into a hilarious nightmare when a mischievous mouse named Steamboat Willie becomes a monstrous reality. As passengers set sail, their trip turns deadly when the tiny terror unleashes murder and mayhem. Packed with big kills, big laughs, and a miniature menace, Screamboat is a cinematic thrill ride that re-imagines Steamboat Willie like never before!

Verdict: The trailer depends heavily on the laughs and extreme gore. The jokes are all Disney references. Which is often the problem with movies like this. They rely heavily on the audience’s curiosity about a morbid perversion of something they already know. This means the story’s originality is often lacking, and the humor—if any—is pretty one note. Kudos to them for trying to do more than just a slasher movie, though! And given that it comes from Terrifier 2 and 3 producers, those who enjoy those movies will probably like this, too. Heavy on the blood and violence, light on the plot and sense. Guess we’ll see.

Check out the trailer: