Good, but not Golden.

Rating: 5/10 (31 January 2007)

First, let me comment on the ratings skew given to movies by "Astroturfing". When a movie is released, industry shills assault supposedly impartial rating sites in an effort to adjust public perception. And IMDb is a prime target for such faux reviews.
As I write this, Blood Diamond appears to be an epic of the decade with a 8.2/10 average score. At the moment, calling this movie anything less than artistic perfection would seem to be the minority opinion. Help 'weed out' the astroturfing, watch this movie for yourself and rate it appropriately.
In my opinion this film is good, but not exceptional. Blood Diamond trips slightly on its own ambition. We have too many mixed themes that won't quite blend together into greatness. Some schizophrenia as to whether this movie wants to be a reality based drama, or an action flick spoil the final brew.
I generally enjoy DiCaprio's work, but his role and dialogue seem a tad forced in this setting.
I *do* like the movie. It tackles a thorny subject with zeal, and may open some eyes to the darker aspects of a commodity market.
This movie can be enjoyable, thought provoking and entertaining, as long as you aren't expecting authentic cinematic gold from it.