Real life Ripped off

Rating: 6/10 (31 March 2005)

From Hell takes a genuine theory about the identity of Jack the Ripper and dramatises it. We follow opium addicted inspector Abberline played by Johnny Depp as he tried to discover exactly who is stalking Londons East End. It had better not be Phil Mitchell again.
The film is stylishly shot and really brings grimy victorian London to life. The story is interesting and well known. However the film is just far too long. I felt it would be far better and more gripping had it been a good half an hour shorter. It was littered with useless scenes which dragged on leaving you bored as much as you tried to get into the story. It was like the director just couldn't make up his mind what to cut and said to hell with it.
The character of Jack the Ripper needing a carriage driver to get around London (with no one noticing a huge black carriage at every murder scene) reduced the impact of the character. He just didn't feel as evil or as vile when you knew without his lackey he'd be waiting for the bus like the rest of us.
Just a few niggles like this prevents me from giving it my highest scores. It had potential to be a fantastic murder mystery but instead ends up too long winded for its own good. As a result is not a film you would like to see too many times.