Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing Se7en knock-off
Review: I admit I was suckered into purchasing this DVD because another site said it was "reference quality" audio. The audio, while good, doesn't make this movie a disc you throw in to impress your friends. I am impressed that both DTS and DD5.1 audio is included, along with a few extra features. For that, Universal is commended. The video is sharp also; it's good enough that you wonder if Angeline Jolie's lips have been augmented with collagen.However, the problem with this movie is that it just isn't very suspenseful or scary. The cast is good, but it can't help the fact that script is sub-par and the dialogue forced. Denzel Washington ("Lincoln Rhymes") stars as a former forensic expert who has been paralyzed in the line of duty. He becomes involved in a case anyway when a young NYPD cop ("Amelia Donaghy", Angeline Jolie) stumbles onto a gruesome murder scene. The movie doesn't draw in the viewer into caring about the serial murders being committed because it focuses more on Rhymes tutoring Donaghy in the art of forensics rather than the victims or crimes itself. The movie doesn't bother to develop the murderer's character, so a viewer doesn't fear him nor really feel interested in the case. To make matters worse, the sappy character development made me roll my eyes a couple of times. In fact, there isn't any other that of Rhymes or Donaghy's character and even that seems awkward. For example, it's just not believable when Donaghy suddenly is enamored of and friendly with Rhymes when until then Donaghy had no respect for Rhymes at all. This movie might be worth a rent, but definitely not a buy. Try Silence of the Lambs or Seven instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Spooky, Voyeuristic Fun
Review: You would think, given the many bad reviews this movie has gotten, that all movie-goers know what makes a good movie. We don't; it's all based on taste. And MY taste highly enjoyed this movie. Contrary to what one reviewer said, I think Denzel and Angelina were PERFECT for the roles of Lincoln and Amelia. They had a subtle, flirtatious chemistry that managed to capture the essence of budding romance that the book held. Angelina was perfect as a tough-as-nails cop, and Denzel played the nuances of Lincoln as a despairing quadriplegic to the hilt. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, despite having to turn my head away at some of the more grisly scenes, especially the rats. My only qualm with the film is the way the clues were put together as opposed to the way the book put the clues together. Two entirely different scenarios, and I thought the one in the book was better. All in all, though, a very well-acted, suspenseful movie, if you're one of those people who watches movies to enjoy them, rather than to pick apart every little flaw, problem, and inconsistency.
Rating:
Summary: The Bone Collector - A fairly respectable thriller!
Review: "The Bone Collector" is a good but somewhat predictable thriller that has the good fortune of a good casting director. Don't get me wrong about this movie, it is good, it just isn't one of those super thrillers that catches the imagination which is somewhat evidenced by a fair to midland run in the theaters and on the DVD racks. One major note of caution when watching this thriller; if you're a videophile such as myself and can easily match voices with faces, watching the trailer for this movie will easily give away the killer and somewhat spoil the movie. Denzel Washington, as usual, performs brilliantly in this film as he does in most films he stars in. I think that when I purchased and watched this particular movie some time ago that it had been the first film that I'd watched that had the ever beautiful and alluring Angelina Jolie in it. I hate to admit it but at that time and upon a second viewing now, her performance in this film is somewhat lackluster which, having watched several of her other movies, is somewhat disappointing, but then again, the role she's taken for this film may have had a lot to do with her performance as her character is a somewhat subdued character in the first place. Director Phillip Noyce may best be known for such films as "Clear and Present Danger," "The Saint" and "Patriot Games" over this particular film but I would note that he most likely did the best with this film that he could considering the overall predictability of the script. The Premise: Denzel Washington plays Lincoln Rhyme, one of the best known forensics detectives who a few years earlier suffered an accident and is now bedridden and seriously considering suicide but for the help of his full time nurse Thelma who is played quite well by Queen Latifah. Angelina Jolie plays Amelia Donaghy who is a street cop that stumbles across a particularly gruesome crime scene and handles it quite admirably until the rest of New York's finest shows up. The detectives handling the case take the evidence to Lincoln for his opinion and he seeks Amelia's assistance in handling the case as he suddenly finds himself leading the entire investigation from his bed and there is a killer out there that continues to murder people and leaving clues... What follows from there is a respectable thriller of a movie that does somewhat suffer at the hands of predictability which keeps it one notch below some of the bigger thrillers of the last few years. Despite the minor predictabilities I would still recommend this film to any and all who enjoy a "good" thriller. {ssintrepid} Special Features: -Spotlight on Location
-Feature Commentary with Director Phillip Noyce
-Dolby and DTS Audio Tracks
-Production Notes
-Cast and Filmmakers
-Theatrical Trailer
-Universal Showcase
-DVD-ROM Features
Rating: 
Summary: My opinion: Waste of time!
Review: Shallow characters and a story with many holes. Judge for yourself, if you must...I want the time I wasted watching this BACK!
Rating: 
Summary: It's worth a look
Review: Denzel Washington stars as Detective Lincoln Rhyme. But Rhyme, being a good and established detective, is laid up for life. Years before the story takes place, he was hit so hard in an accident that his body was almost cut in half. He survived the incident, though he now has to work from his bed with the use of only his brain and his pointer finger. The plot, as noted by other reviewers, is not too original, but the movie does has it's high points. For instance, the sensual Angelina Jolie co-stars with Washington as she plays Amelia Donaghy. What makes her character so interesting is that she's very good at what she does. Yet, she's afraid to move on due to the fact that her father killed himself doing the same type of work. And throughout the film she is faced with many hardships and danger that she is not used to. What the two (Washington and Jolie) are studying is the recent trend of murders involving small clues that appear to tie together. By now you're probably thinking the plot is similar to that of "Seven" or even "Kiss The Girls"; and for the most part you are right. Again, it's not very original and it doesn't quite compare to either of those two films. But it will keep you guessing. I can honestly say I didn't see the ending coming. And the appearance by Ed O'Neill (aka Married...With Children's infamous Al Bundy) as Detective Paulie is a definite plus for the movie. To conclude this review, I can't recommend this movie over the much better "Seven". But if you enjoy, as I do, Denzel Washington's movies/work then you'll certainly enjoy "The Bone Collector". I gave it 3 stars for its lack of originality and seemingly 'too happy' ending. It's a good movie and undoubtedly worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: Unwilling Suspension of Disbelief
Review: The Bone Collector is two movies in one; the good movie has some nice acting from Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, some creepy special effects, and a couple of really terrifying and suspenseful moments for the killer's victims. That's the movie you'll want to suspend your disbelief for--and that suspension would consist solely of accepting that this serial killer would leave clues to engage the police in a game of Cat and Mouse rather than just go directly for his real target. That fictional convention would have been enough, and had the premise that forensics will triumph been followed though, the film could have been truly excellent. The other movie just asks too much; that a patrol cop who's never worked a crime scene would be the only policeperson allowed on a scene; that the scene of a crime would reveal only those clues intentionally left behind by the killer (isn't that the whole point of forensics, that you find out things the killer didn't intend you to discover?); and on and on. This second movie apparently takes place on that alternate Earth on the opposite side of the sun from ours, where the writing is all backwards and the superhero the Flash looks like the FTD florist's logo. When audience members find themselves thinking (or saying aloud) "That wouldn't happen!" over and over, there's something drastically wrong with the plot and the screenplay. It's certainly not a problem unique to the Bone Collector; in fact I'd venture to guess that plot implausibility is one of the leading cause of death for Hollywood's hit status, only capable of being overcome by the infusion of massive star power. Washington and Jolie, as attractive as they are, don't quite make it here. All in all, The Bone Collector is probably worth renting, probably not worth owning. I certainly wouldn't bother to see it again.
Rating:
Summary: Got a Bone to Pick...
Review: Two things bother me about crime movies: figuring out the killer too easily, and not being able to figure out the killer at all. Each is a result of poor writing. Either the story is not complex enough to fool the average reader, or the writer cheats and pulls the killer's identity out of left field. In the case of The Bone Collector, the investigation was doomed from the start. I grew up on a steady diet of television detective shows. From "Barnaby Jones" to "The Rockford Files," I watched them all. One of my favorites was "Quincy M.E." The idea of solving crimes based on forensic evidence fascinated me. Naturally, The Bone Collector interested me from the beginning. The central character of the film is Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington, The Siege), a disabled ex-cop, a forensic scientist now paralyzed from the neck down. Years after his accident, Rhyme is approached by Detective Paulie Sellitto (Ed O'Neill, "Married... with Children") to help in the investigation of a murder. Someone has abducted a man and woman from the airport, leaving the man buried in a train yard. Only the man's hand is above ground, with his wife's ring on his flayed finger. Adding to the unusual nature of the body found, the killer also left a number of clues at the crime scene to lure the police to the next body. One of the clues indicates that they may have time to save her if they find her fast enough. Aiding Rhyme as his eyes, ears, and legs in the investigation is a patrol officer named Amelia (Angelina Jolie, Pushing Tin). Although the premise is interesting, the movie breaks one cardinal rule of mystery stories. I'm not spoiling anything to mention that the killer essentially comes out of left field in the last reel of the film. Trying to solve these murders is an exercise in futility. There is no way anyone watching could have imagined the identity of the killer and his motives. I was disappointed that the forensic procedure -- the meat of the book -- was missing from the movie. It is understandable, considering the restraints of a two hour movie. To it's credit, the movie provides a better ending, something the book sorely lacked. Washington is a man of extraordinary talent. When I saw that he had been chosen to play the quadriplegic Lincoln Rhyme, I knew he could do it. He has the ability to convey so much emotion through his eyes and face. Even limited to moving his head and one finger, he can still dominate a scene. Although it probably deserves a 6, I'm giving The Bone Collector a 7. Washington delivers an outstanding performance, and makes the movie worth watching even though the storyline is watered down and ineffective.
Rating:
Summary: Fractured Bones
Review: Why does almost every film about a serial killer, made after Silence Of The Lambs, have to be compared to it? I can't think of one example where that turned out to be true. Despite the prescence of Denzel Washington and a usually surehanded director, behind the camera, The Bone Collector is just another predictable thriller, devoid of any real spark. A murderer is loose on the streets of Manhattan. The killer leaves a trail of cryptic messages hidden at the scene of the crime. Clues which only a brilliant mind can interpret. Lincoln Rhyme (Washington) a gifted New York City detective specializing in forensics, was one of the the country's leading criminologists. Rhyme has a keen eye for details and a nose for clues. Following a near fatal injury in the line of duty, Rhyme is left bed-bound, his arms and legs useless, and with little will to live. Now as the city lives in fear, Rhyme is persuaded to help with the case. A rookie cop Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie) is assigned to become Rhyme's eyes, ears and legs. The two must work together in order to get inside the mind of this madman and defeat him before the next victim falls. Phillip Noyce, the man behind the intense Dead Calm, and actioners Patriot Games & Clear And Present Danger, certainly knows what he's doing. But as is the case with the thriller, the film rises and falls, with its script. Unfortunately, the screenplay, based on the book by Jeffery Deaver, adapted by Jeremy Iacone is pretty weak. The killer reveal and other twists and turns are easy to figure out. It's a shame that Washington makes almost no connection with Jolie. In one of her other thrillers, Taking Lives, she had similar troubles with Ethan Hawke---Do I sense a pattern here? What tension the film does have, is moot, thanks to the problems the movie has. As far as the extras found on the DVD are concerned, most of it, comes across as fluffy filler. The audio commentary track from director Noyce is worth a listen, if only to get insight on directing in general. The "making of" spotlight on location is just a pre release bloated commercial for the film. The theatrical trailer, production notes, filmographies, and previews for other Universal products, top off the disc. The Bone Collector is just for those Washington fans or when there's nothing else to watch
Rating:
Summary: The Bone Collector - A fairly respectable thriller!
Review: "The Bone Collector" is a good but somewhat predictable thriller that has the good fortune of a good casting director. Don't get me wrong about this movie, it is good, it just isn't one of those super thrillers that catches the imagination which is somewhat evidenced by a fair to midland run in the theaters and on the DVD racks. One major note of caution when watching this thriller; if you're a videophile such as myself and can easily match voices with faces, watching the trailer for this movie will easily give away the killer and somewhat spoil the movie. Denzel Washington, as usual, performs brilliantly in this film as he does in most films he stars in. I think that when I purchased and watched this particular movie some time ago that it had been the first film that I'd watched that had the ever beautiful and alluring Angelina Jolie in it. I hate to admit it but at that time and upon a second viewing now, her performance in this film is somewhat lackluster which, having watched several of her other movies, is somewhat disappointing, but then again, the role she's taken for this film may have had a lot to do with her performance as her character is a somewhat subdued character in the first place. Director Phillip Noyce may best be known for such films as "Clear and Present Danger," "The Saint" and "Patriot Games" over this particular film but I would note that he most likely did the best with this film that he could considering the overall predictability of the script. The Premise: Denzel Washington plays Lincoln Rhyme, one of the best known forensics detectives who a few years earlier suffered an accident and is now bedridden and seriously considering suicide but for the help of his full time nurse Thelma who is played quite well by Queen Latifah. Angelina Jolie plays Amelia Donaghy who is a street cop that stumbles across a particularly gruesome crime scene and handles it quite admirably until the rest of New York's finest shows up. The detectives handling the case take the evidence to Lincoln for his opinion and he seeks Amelia's assistance in handling the case as he suddenly finds himself leading the entire investigation from his bed and there is a killer out there that continues to murder people and leaving clues... What follows from there is a respectable thriller of a movie that does somewhat suffer at the hands of predictability which keeps it one notch below some of the bigger thrillers of the last few years. Despite the minor predictabilities I would still recommend this film to any and all who enjoy a "good" thriller. {ssintrepid} Special Features: -Spotlight on Location
-Feature Commentary with Director Phillip Noyce
-Dolby and DTS Audio Tracks
-Production Notes
-Cast and Filmmakers
-Theatrical Trailer
-Universal Showcase
-DVD-ROM Features
Rating:
Summary: Horrible
Review: One reviewer states that their are undertones of "Seven" in this movie and I think that's an understatement. This movie has the dark mood, vengeful plot, and murky lighting of "Seven," but is not nearly as good.
I will first acknowledge that I have never been impressed by Angelina Jolie, but it was this movie that really made me unimpressed by her and gave me reason to wonder about the otherwise redoubtable Denzel Washington too.
This is a dark, grotesque movie, with unrealistic and stagy murders. The denoument is a joke, with a character that probably had five minutes screen time in the film as the killer. By the way, the clues to who the killer is are all in the opening credit sequence, something that I find annoying in the extreme. You should not miss out on a what is apparently a crucial part of the film just because you had to wait in line for popcorn.
I am saddened that I spent any money at all on this film (at least I went to a discount theatre). If you must see it, rent it, don't buy it. You won't want it sullying the rest of your DVD collection.
| 
