A Bizarre View of the Ripper Tale

Rating: 5/10 (27 July 2004)

The classic "Jack the Ripper" story has evolved to incorporate clairvoyant inspectors, heavy laudenaum usage, prostitution as prolific as religion, and sacred orders and sects. This is, in a sense, what this movie is about.

The serial-killer story is delivered well in London with great visuals of the times (late 19th century). And the street life, while horrible, is plausible enough. But the mysticism that was intended to be created in a psychic inspector's (Johnny Depp) pursuit of the enigmatic "Ripper" falls short. The director should have given Depp a "Sherlock Holmes" role and cut the whole visionary bit out, although Depp did play his role well.

I won't ruin the biggest part of the movie for you, the "Who dunnit". But I must say while the film does good at keeping you guessing, the discovery appears lame and perhaps far-fetched. The film then really starts to head south as cult-ish intimations develop and later deadlock into a depressing ending that has nowhere to run but down the tubes. 4/10