A half-step away from excellent

Rating: Null/10 (27 June 2002)

Beautifully acted, well-directed, compelling and often exciting, this film just misses the level of excellence. The story is well-constructed, and the pivotal performance of Tom Hanks is sterling as always (the man hasn't made a single real clinker in his entire career-even "Bachelor Party" and "The 'Burbs" were good of their type). But the cumulative impact of the finished product just doesn't attain the level of profundity the filmmakers were shooting for; that "spark of synergy" that teases the last 20 minutes or so of the film never catches fire, and one is left ever-so-slightly disappointed.