One of the biggest disappointments of the year

Rating: 5/10 (20 October 2001)

This movie joins ALONG CAME A SPIDER (5/10) and DON'T SAY A WORD (4/10) in the category of movies this year that looked great in the previews and that I was really looking forward too, and then turned out to suck. What a horrible disappointment this movie was to me.
First, the good points. Johnny Depp is an incredible actor and he gives an excellent performance in this movie. Also, the death scenes were well done, and the gore gave me the "ewwwww.......cool" reaction I was hoping for. Good costumes and scenery.
But those are the only good points as far as I'm concerned. This is probably Heather Graham at her worst, and the chemistry between she and Johnny Depp was poor. Not that it matters, because the romance between the two was barely developed. The "bad guys" confused me, and yet I was able to predict who Jack the Ripper HIMSELF was right from the very beginning of the movie. The ending was also very predictable.
Worst of all, I found myself bored with the whole thing near the end. (Around the time when Jack the Ripper's identity is revealed. But, again, I had predicted who he was much earlier in the movie.) I was just waiting for it to end.
And why were the "visions" even in this movie? They weren't used very often anyway, and if they were eliminated completely from the movie it would have been at least as good or better.
To me, this movie looked like a darker, better, and more gory version of SLEEPY HOLLOW (8/10). I wish.
4/10