Ready to sleep? You sure will be after this coma-inducing bullshit about a killer made out of sand – that’s if you can get past the unbelievably bad title track (which happens to be a staple of the film).
After presenting a somewhat interesting introduction which sets the scene for a disaster and an evil presence, the film presents its troupe who are off to hit the big time by writing about a group of local gangbangers. The most notable of these from start to finish is certainly Megan: a beaming, boyish blonde with a zesty attitude, colgate wink, and an intention to fuck the protagonist (she never does because he dies at the end).
From its workable beginnings, the rudimentary understanding of tragedy and suspense is rapidly punctured by a repetitive cycle of episodic nonsense. Minor characters are introduced, cycled and dispatched far too quickly, wasting their personalities and talent, and the entire adventure eventually rabbit holes itself into some unconvincing yarn about birthright.
The titular character kind of makes a cool antagonist. Their entrances are formidable and the voice acting is dynamic. His powers are reasonable, such as crumbling into dust, and limited to the point in which a mortal may defend themselves, like moisture or sunlight; the special effects being halfway decent to this.
Unfortunately, Sandman’s lack of intelligence is ridiculous. When he isn’t mumbling nursery rhymes to himself, his lines are atrocious “It’s bedtime!” Considering his powers, his creators may have known that high temperatures turn sand into glass, cement and sand creates concrete and so on, which would have expanded his deadliness.
No matter how bad it is, I can’t help thinking that with a little more work, the supernatural element of Sandman character and the preliminary experiments of realism could have been explored further to develop a more sophisticated monster which would surely have encouraged a meatier story and a darker horror.
2/10
Possession Media 