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The Bone Collector

The Bone Collector

List Price: $12.98
Your Price: $10.38
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not as bad as some reviewers would have you believe.
Review: OK, I heard reviews of this movie and how terrible some people thought it was. I also saw Silence of the Lambs and Seven and this one definitely doesn't compare with those. But if you don't want to spend two hours picking the movie apart, and if you'll remember that this is fiction and not intended to be scientifically perfect, this is an entertaining movie. The two main characters are fairly well developed, which I think is the intention of the movie. No, the killer really isn't an overwhelming presence in the movie, but I don't think that is what was intended here. I really think the movie was more about the relationship which developed between the two lead characters, which it does seem to cover fairly well. They do seem to go from clashing with each other, to mutual respect, and then to love. Denzel Washington's character does at first seem to know too much, but when you remember that he has read thousands of book, written twelve, and collected pieces of whatever for his research, it does seem logical that he would be such an expert. Angelina Jolie's character does seem that she will develop into a worthy successor in the field of forensics. Go ahead and buy this movie, sit down and watch it without being in the frame of mind to nit-pick, and remember that its main reason for existing is as entertainment. Actually, it's not bad at all!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: dissapointing
Review: this movie wasnt near as good as it looked on the previews. it was mildly entertaining and had good acting, but seriously good acting doenst always make a movie. you must have an interesting plot this one is semi-interesting.denzel couldnt even walk in this one which made it a bit boring. all the action scences had to be done by angalina jolie. i wouldnt buy this thing but it is barely rentable quality.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Credit To Jeffery Deaver's Book - It Did Not Disappoint
Review: I saw this movie in the UK shortly after release, and was immediately compulsed to go out and buy the book. While I consider the book to be a thousand times better, there are good reasons for this - firstly, the book contains a lot of description and the way in which the NYPD forensics team worked, which would not have worked in film - and I enjoyed it immensely.

This has a classic double-double-whammy ending. With a great cast and script, this was surely deserving of an Oscar nomination, which, unfortunately, was not forthcoming.

I would not advise everyone to watch it. It shows the element of the unsub's - The Bone Collector's - work in graphic detail. Great movie, but most definietly not for the faint of heart.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Worth the Viewing
Review: 'The Bone Collector' was WELL worth viewing. I thought it was agreat idea to have a cop, who's paralyzed and has to lie in a bed allthe time and has major technology going on so he can continue to be a cop, try to help a rookie (Angelina Jolie) try to solve a case in which a cab driver kills its costumers. The character developments made by the director and such make you feel for them, even the cab's customers who you only know for a bried period of time. All in all, I call 'The Bone Collector' a mystery drama with great acting that has a great plot with Queen Latifah playing Thelma who you gotta love kind of movie. And oh! Add to that list, a very twist-worthy ending.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: morbid, pointless thriller
Review: "The Bone Collector" is yet another in a long line of films that subject their audience to a mind-numbing assault by nonstop gruesome images, yet try to compensate us by offering ostensibly upbeat redemptive outcomes for their principal characters. Unfortunately, the intensity of the suffering endured by the innocent victims in the film overwhelms what positive feelings the story is trying to generate. Such is not the case in films with a higher thematic purpose - films, like "Schindler's List," which try to shed light on the dark side of human nature for a salutary purpose - but, in routine thrillers such as this one, the grotesquerie becomes both exploitative and offensive. And, for an added treat, not only are we subjected to the bloodbath resulting from the serial killer's tortures and murders, but the clinical details of the main character's degenerative neurological condition.

Denzel Washington, in a phone-in performance, stars as Lincoln Rhyme (there just has to be some symbolic significance to that name somewhere), a crack homicide investigator who, for the past four years, has been reduced to a bedridden invalid after a freak accident while on a routine investigation. Subjected to frequent seizures which threaten to reduce him to a vegetative state and seriously contemplating an early exit from this earthly existence, Rhyme discovers new purpose in his life when he begins to hunt down a serial killer with the help of Amelia Donaghy, a rookie cop with a natural eye for crime scene investigation. Together, they manage to hunt down the crazed killer by following the clues he so ingeniously leaves behind.

Probably the most impressive aspect of the film is that Donaghy is portrayed as a reluctant helper, made extremely quesy and disturbed by the human depravity she is forced to witness. This allows her to function as an effective representative for those of us in the audience who are also being dragged along for the ride. However, this does not enhance the credibility of the script. The acquisition and successful unraveling of clues seems highly implausible at times, especially when the turn-of-the-century gothic novel - that it turns out is the inspiration for the killer's crimes - literally drops into Donaghy's waiting hands. And would the NYPD really allow a woman not trained in crime scene forensics lead the investigations - even with the crack investigator Rhyme at the controls?

As Donaghy, Angelina Jolie is woefully inadequate, sustaining an expression of openmouthed insipidness throughout. Then again, all involved, on both sides of the camera, have little to be proud of in "The Bone Collector."

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A Gory Mystery Lacking Viewer Participation: Solves Itself
Review: Any good mystery should always have aspects that get the viewer involved. There should be clues, subtle hints, presented to the viewer that might help an eagle eyed, sharpminded viewer, have an opportunity to, with an educated guess based on evidence, figure out who the killer is.(In a murder mystery that is) It is impossible as a viewer to solve this murder mystery in "The Bone Collector".(A title that also has no significance to what actually occurs in this movie. The name seems better suited for a skin flick rather than a mystery gore flick) In "The Bone Collector" a killer who drives an unidentified taxi cab with a funny looking thingy majiggy dangling from his rearview mirror is killing people and leaving behind evidence for the police to find. That evidence left behind will lead the police to the next victim. The cops on the case are Lincoln Rhyme(Denzel Washington), his trusty apprentice evidence collector Officer Donaghy(Angelina Jolie), and a team of officers at Rhyme's disposal to assist. One of those sidekicks is Ed Oneil in a rare silver screen appearance.(Al Bundy from T.V's Married With Children) The twist in this flick is that Lincoln Ryhme is a bedridden officer, paralyzed from the neck down who was at one time a great collector of evidence before his paralyzing accident. In fact they even say that he wrote the book that the NY police department actually uses on evidence collecting and how to work a crime scene. The investigation is organized right inside his apartment where multi-million dollar gadgets are available to help Lincoln Rhyme in his daily life as well as solve this mystery.(An aspect totally ridiculously unbelievable in every way imaginable) As the killings mount and the evidence is discovered the viewer(you) is left out in the cold. The movie consists of a series of grisly murders that include discovering the victim, the collection of evidence, evaluating the evidence and the movement to the next crime scene where the next victim is discovered, evidence is found, evidence is evaluated and then it's off to the next victim. That cycle occurs until a few minutes before the movie ends. The ending is as dumb as they come, maybe entertaining if you just swallowed a bottle of rumb and your mind has completely gone numb. If you are sober and you have more live brain cells than dead ones you will laugh as it is at that moment the killer comes out of left field and reveals himself to Mr. Lincoln Rhyme. The mystery never gets solved. The police, as incredibly(and I mean incredibly) adept as they were at following the killers trail of evidence they never discovered who the killer was. As a mystery this movie is void of all entertainment value. Smart cops + Smarter Killer = "Seven". This movie is not "Seven". Watch "Seven" if you want to see a great mystery gore flick with a great concept and a wicked ending. The killer in "Seven" was ten times more evil than the killer in the "The Bone Collector". In unsolvable mysteries the motive of the killer is the making or breaking point of the movie. The motive of the killer in the "Bone Collector" made the movie a complete waste of celluloid. It wasn't very convincing. The chilling motive of the killer in "Seven" made the entire movie come together in the end and it is understood why the psychopathic killer did what he did. "The Bone Collector" just came to an end while "Seven" had an ending that was a resolution and gave the viewer something to think about. Steer clear of "The Bone Collector" unless you plan on drinking many alcoholic beverages prior to viewing.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Above-average Thriller
Review: Denzel Washington puts in one of his finest performances, quite convincing as an injured, bed-ridden forensic detective extraordinaire. Angelina Jolie is quite good, too, in a role that demands some subtelties.

I see every darn thriller Hollywood churns out, and this one is firmly above-average. Very good cat-and-mouse tension, some real mystery, and more than adequate suspense.

A warning: Some rather effective off-screen violence and gruesome crime scenes.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Certainly not an award winner, but still fun
Review: Yes, this film is a bit formulaic, but it's still a somewhat entertaining movie. Angelina Jolie does a great job as the police officer forced to collect forensics evidence from the serial killer's crime scenes. These scenes are rather suspenseful, but not as gory as other reviewers may have you believe. Or perhaps the movies have just desensitized me to gore! :-) I really like the tension the film builds by recurring the situation of "We've almost figured the killer out, but can we save the victim in time?" An additional bonus of the movie: Queen Latifah as the kind, yet tough caretaker. I can't think of anyone better suited to play this role.

This movie is not without its flaws, however. First, I just didn't buy the romantic subplot between Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. My biggest qualm with the film, though, is the ending. It simply felt tacked on. The fun of a movie like "Scream" is that the audience is constantly kept guessing as to who the killer is, and at the end, we find out who guessed right and who guessed wrong. In this movie, however, we don't get to have that fun. We're forced to sit on the sidelines and let the director be the only active participant. When we learn who the killer is, you'll be left with the feeling of "Umm, OK, if you say so." If you're expecting subtle clues throughout the movie to tip you off, you'll be sorely disappointed. We only learn of the killer's motives through his oh-so-lengthy monologue at the film's climax (in typical Hollywood fashion).

Most of the film is fun, although there's really nothing here that you haven't already seen in other suspense/horror films. The biggest drawback is the ending that just peeters out. If you can overlook the ending and enjoy everything preceeding it, you may want to check this out. To be safe, though, rent before you buy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Denzel Washington & Angelina Jolie are smokin' together!
Review: This was one of the best written mystery stories I have seen brought to life on film in a while. It took me all the way through the movie to discover who it was. I had guessed early on, but changed my mind because I couldn't find the motive. WOW! What a movie! I can't imagine why anyone would rate this less than 5 Stars! Another movie I am proud to own.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: typical hollywood contrived drivel
Review: What a depressing movie. Depressingly bad, that is. Can you say "contrived?". Denzel Washington's character is a bed-ridden siezure-prone parapalegic (can you say "gimmick") who enlists a super model-beautiful street cop (because she has "a gift") to aid him in his quest to solve a series of "horrific" (stupid is more like it)murders. She does all of the foot work, of course, because apparantly there is not one single cop, other then the super model-beautiful street cop, in the entire New York City Police Dept who has the ability to not contaminate a crime scene. The scenes where she single-handily ventures into these potentially dangerous crime scenes while an entire batallion of New York's finest stand timidly by, had me banging my head on the wall. We're supposed to develop much sympathy for Wenzel, you see, because any one siezure can leave him a "vegatable" (did his doctor's actually tell him this?) so he's already made plans for his "final transmission, or termination", or something like that. Actually, Wenzel's character is so annoying I wanted to punch him out, bed-ridden parapalegic or not. Of course, Wenzel's character is brilliant, able to decipher miniscue clues in a matter of seconds, while his dimwitted cohorts, including Ed O'Neil, serve little purpose, other then so one could say, "Hey look, it's Al Bundy in a dramatic role!". The ending of this movie is so ridiculous I almost cried. It would have made more sense if Queen Latifah was the murderer. I fast forwarded through the entire movie to find this guy, but sorry, no dice. I must have blinked. Or dozed. "The Bone Collector" is a blatant rip-off of much, much, more superior movies such as "Seven", "Silence Of The Lambs", even an old Vincent Price Movie, "The Abominable Dr. Phibes". "The Bone Collecter" has lots of dark, trendy cinematography, eerie, forboding music, lots of imaginative, gory murders, and plenty of stilted, stereotypical characters. Unfortunately, what it lacks, unlike the above mentioned superior movies, are realistic, believable characters, mystery, suspense, and imagination.


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