Rating: 
Summary: RATED "R" FOR *REEKS!*
Review: What an awful movie! Truly amateurish stuff disguised by hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of computer graphics and wild outfits. Visually, the movie is stunning and I gave it a bonus star for that reason. I must give credit where it's due - the computer landscapes and the outfits were the result of MUCH time and imagination (although the red Twizzler-like outfits have to go). They're the reason why this mess even gets two stars from me. But the acting, the plot and the dialog (oh, that dialog!) were strictly grade-school. And boring. You read right. Other than for the special effects, this is one b-o-r-i-n-g movie. Yes, Jennifer is pretty but she certainly didn't stretch her acting skills with this one. I must give Vince Vaughn kudos for not repeatedly busting out in hysterics at some of the truly awful lines he had to deliver ("it's up to us to stop him...'cuz he's not gonna stop himself!"...OH PLEASE!). The DVD has many extras including one of the most-laughable and self-serving featurettes I've ever seen: the director's assistants gushing on ad nauseam about his previous works and how marvelous and stupendous they (and he) are. If you didn't know better, you'd swear this guy had single-handedly discovered the cure for cancer *and* eradicated famine from the planet! When watching the deleted scenes, you'll be most thankful that they *were* deleted...they're that bad. From a technical aspect, the DVD sound is poorly balanced. You'll be toying with the volume button on your TV remote the whole time. The dialog is low and terribly difficult to understand unless you crank the volume way up. But watch out when the sound effects and the bombastic orchestral music start to blare! The house will rattle! This DVD is not a keeper. Worth a rental, perhaps, if wasting almost two hours is something you enjoy doing.
Rating: 
Summary: An visually disturbing film, that is not for all taste.
Review: The Plot:When a serial killer(Vincent D`Onofrio in a intense performance) falls into a coma for life. But he has keep his last victim alive somewhere. A child therapist(Well played by Jennifer Lopez), she using unlike new expierence on her patients, an experimental tratement. The tratement is about someone entering someone mind, while the doctor(Lopez), she sees on your mind, how it`s like. She try to learn his mind and secert before the victim could die. Then she is trapped into his visually haunting world of his. Now, is up to the FBI Agent(Vince Vaughn) must her from his mind also find the victim before she`s dead. The film is well made, it has visionary, not too brilliant or suspenseful but a film worth watching but not for all taste. An fine written script by Mark Protosevich and Good direction by first time director by Tarsem Singh. DVD has strong widescreen print(2.35:1) and excellent Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. Extras Features:Two different commentary tracks by the director and Production Designs. Commentary with or without Deleted Scenes. An isolted Music Score and more. An cult film of the year of 2000. Strong production by New Line Cinema. Grade:B+. Super 35.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful Cinematography
Review: The opening scene for this movie really sets the stage for the myriad of beautiful cinematography that abounds throughout this movie. Jennifer Lopez rides across a majestic desert atop a beautiful snow-white horse in a long and flowing white dress. The sky is as blue as the rooftops in Santorini. This is just the prelude for more. Jennifer Lopez stars as Catherine Deane, a highly esteemed child psychologist who is attempting to enter the mind of a comatose little boy in order to communicate with him and bring about his recovery. She's part of an experimental process that allows her to literally enter his dreams and interact with his subconscious through the use of a machine that sort of melds their minds together. At the same time, a serial killer is on the loose. He takes his victims to an underground chamber, which automatically over a forty hour period tortures and then drowns his victims. After abducting his last victim, the killer is captured by the FBI. Unfortunately, however, he has suffered a rare form of schizophrenia which has placed him in a comatose state. In order to infiltrate his mind in an effort to discover the whereabouts of his latest victim, Catherine is asked to go inside of his mind. The dream sequences that follow are stunning. The costumes, the make-up, the settings are all awesome. Some of the most memorable scenes for me are: The Horse - Catherine is following Carl (the serial killer), who is, in this sequence, just a little boy. He runs into one room where a horse is standing in the middle of the room. She tries to talk with him, but he runs into the corner and watches her from a distance. She moves closer to the horse, rubbing him, and talking to Carl. Carl, then, rushes towards her and pushes her out of the way. At that moment, this clear box descends from the ceiling, cuts the horse into multiple pieces (which are captured within clear panels), and then separates. Catherine walks among the panels, and you can clearly see the insides of the horse. In one panel, you can still see the horse's beating heart. It really is an incredible visual to see, almost like something you'd see in a science class. The Purple Robe - Catherine enters Carl's mind; and after a series of events, winds up on the floor in front of this "demon" on a throne at the top of the stairs. This royal purple cloth is attached to his back, via hooks, and surrounds the gold room. As he stands and starts walking down the stairs, the cloth begins to "unfold" itself around the room and trails the "demon" down the steps. It is a stunning scene and reminds me of the "Hellraiser" series. Mother Mary - Catherine becomes a savior to Carl. All I can say about this dream sequence is you have to see it for yourself. It is stunning. I think this film is just incredible. Jennifer Lopez was excellent, and I can't tout the cinematography enough.
Rating: 
Summary: Crap
Review: I saw this in theater and it bored me to death. Annoying performances, ridiculous script and dialogue, and bland visuals. Everyone talks about the bizarre visuals and creepy styel. HA! Just because there are some off the wall colors and sets, it doesn't make a movie "wierd", "scary", or, most of all, GOOD! What a joke. And all the reviewers calling this "gruesome". Huh? A movie that combines gruesome S&M visuals, good plot points, dialogue, acting, and story is Hellraiser or Hellraiser II. This is like Hollywoods glossing over of those flicks. The plot seems a bit similar to Hellraiser II (i.e. heroine gets lost in killers world, must find way out of bizarre landscape of macabre images). Pointless.
Rating:
Summary: The sublime to the ridiculous
Review: Visually overwhelming display of disjointed surrealistic scenes broken up by episodes of phenomenally bad acting and elementary school level dialogue. Numerous sudden blasts of volume thrown in for no apparent reason. Perfect movie for stoners to watch with the lights off, sound down and Pink Floyd turned way UP. The lead character does a splendid job portraying a painfully beautiful mannequin.
Rating:
Summary: Surface, Surface, Surface
Review: I can not in good conscience even give this film good marks for being "visually stunning" as others have done before me. Just about everything that can be said has been said about the horrible plot so I won't bother restating any of it. But on the DVD (which I rented and still felt like I spent too much money on it) director Tarsem muses about how much the dream sequences were inspired by those of David Lynch. He talks about how real dreams are "visceral" and that they make intuitive sense to us precisely because they speak to us at such an unselfconscious level. Sorry Tarsem. If your intention was to get under our skin you failed. All the extremely self-conscious camera angles, elaborate lighting, and baroquely outlandish S&M costumes managed to do was to be so distracting that the dream sequences seemed hollow and bloodless. Very surface oriented film both from a plot standpoint and a visual standpoint.
Rating:
Summary: Hard Cell
Review: When "The Cell" came out, it seemed like the critics really lambasted it, so I took their advice (whoops!) and didn't see this on the big screen. I regret this decision. This is a pretty good movie, with fantastic visuals and some amazing effects. The story is pretty basic Hollywood fare, although they manage to make the serial killer storyline not just another "Silence of the Lambs" rehash. I don't want to spoil any of it, but there are sequences of shots and images that will stick in your head for quite some time after seeing this movie. It is frightening, disturbing, disgusting, and at the same time beautifully rendered. Jennifer Lopez does a serviceable job in her role as the psychic equivalent of a social worker (?) and Vincent D'onofrio does a great job in his role as the schizophrenic serial killer. This movie is filled with interesting visual details and cues, which communicate the semi-dream state/world of the schizophrenic killer -- that may be jarring to people who expect a more linear progression of scenes (e.g., "hey, Lopez's outfit just changed...") but that's all part of it. Maybe the "anything goes" aspect of madness is what turned off the critics -- with a villain who is insane, it removes him from responsibility for his actions, and, perhaps, diminishes his villainy? Certainly, the killer is at odds with himself, and we're never really sure who his nether self truly is, although we're shown certainly why this could have happened through heart-rending scenes of abuse.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing film, outstanding DVD
Review: "You can't go too far," director Tarsem Singh urged his production and effects crews in visualizing the inner workings of the mind of a psychotic serial killer. Singh and crew hit their goal of pushing the envelope to new highs, or lows, depending on your perspective. They've created a visually stunning film that deserves multiple awards for cinematography, special effects, sets, and costumes in its depiction of surreal and deeply disturbed worlds. I don't agree with critics who lambaste "The Cell" for poor acting and a thin plot. Jennifer Lopez as angelic social worker and mental sojourner Catherine Deane and Vince Vaughn as heroic FBI agent Peter Novak are both low-key but quite effective at meshing with Singh's vision. Vincent D'Onofrio as homicidal nutcase Carl Stanger delivers as strong a performance as in his similar roles in "Men In Black" and "Full Metal Jacket". The planned ending was revised, we're told in the DVD, to give the audience an upbeat sendoff. Hmm, maybe, but the cynic in me saw the not-quite-final-resolution ending of "The Cell" as a manipulative setup for a "surprise" sequel featuring the return of the three principals with the Edward character. Did I *like* the film? No. It's meant to be disturbing, and succeeds, but is too grotesque and over-the-top outrageous for me. Do I recognize the achievement here? Yes. Singh has a unique vision and realizes it quite effectively. Do I recommend it? To adults with a strong stomach who are curious for a look at state-of-the-art cinema, yes. This DVD is a terrific value for fans of the film. If only they were all this good at this price! The DVD only displays in 2.35 anamorphic widescreen format, perhaps a bit too wide and short a perspective for some tastes in 27" and under TV monitors. But the DVD includes multiple soundtrack versions, including 5.1 Dolby Digital (no DTS), Dolby Surround 2.0, Howard Shore's music soundtrack with no other sounds over the film, a director's commentary over the film, and a production crew commentary over the film. There are also English subtitles, but no foreign language tracks or subtitles. The colors are vivid and the contrast strong. The surround effects in 5.1 are surprisingly subtle. I wasn't sure my rear speakers were on until I checked. The sound field blends very believably and advances the story. The soundtrack also has a wide dynamic range to punch the big moments when the volume is set so the quietest dialogue is audible. There are some other very well done special features on this DVD. Highlights include close looks at six visual effects sequences (though the commentary here is quite "jargony", more easily understood by people with some prior knowledge of special effects) and eight deleted (actually, generally truncated) scenes, each with director commentary that can be turned on or off. It's clear that this first-time director, working with someone else's big bankroll, understandably did not have complete creative control of the final cut of "The Cell". One scene that Singh did not want cut but reluctantly edited (for the U.S. release) when the studio threatened to totally delete it was the necrophilia scene. You can see it both ways on the DVD, but I think we got the point in the edited version. The edits shown help pace the film briskly, after a slow and deliberately vague initial five to ten minutes. All the commentary tracks are great fun for viewers interested in learning more about this film. There is also a fine "making of" featurette. The DVD also includes trailers and some text screen filmographies and basic but interesting brain science facts. The navigation menus are unusually well designed. Four stars for the film, five for the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: I credit "The Cell" as the first example of a new genre...
Review: I really give Tarsem Singh and Mark Protosevich credit for a truly unique approach to filmmaking. It's really a great idea - borrow elements from several films in multiple genres! It's cost-effective, and it should allow focus groups to truly maximize revenue from the lowest common denominator of audiences. The trouble is, most of the previous films did it better the first time around. Let's see, how many films does "The Cell" resemble? Let's list them! 1. Dreamscape 2. Brainstorm 3. Silence of the Lambs 4. Se7en 5. The Matrix 6. Total Recall There are undoubtedly more....by all means, feel free to post additional examples!
Rating: 
Summary: Losing My Religion
Review: This movie in a nutshell is a 2 hour long music video with mediocre acting. Yes, "The Cell" is filmed extremely well, very creative directing and set dressing. The problem I had with the film is the story dragged you down and lacked a certain gripping intensity. "The Cell" is yet another film that seemed to be subconsciously inspired by the movie "Seven". It also incorporated elements of the classic "The Silence of the Lambs". I was repelled by the glaring similarities, and I took offense to the blatant thievery. Great to watch and marvel at, the grotesque nature of the film is shocking indeed. But the absence of intellect damage this film's credibility, due in part to a meandering plotline. The saving grace to the film's demise is a brilliantly bottled visual splendour.
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