Too blustery and overblown to be entertaining

Rating: 6/10 (1 February 2005)

This remake of the 1938 Cruze film of the same title, seems rather over-wrought, pondered too deeply, and executed with an epic stylization which this work frankly did not deserve.
While it is entertaining for a while, about half way through, you realize that the story, while poignant, is grossly overdone. So much so, in fact, that it virtually falls apart right before your eyes.
"Those five points is a finger. When I close my hand, it becomes a fist." Well duh! With "winning" dialog like that, what ever made me think it was trite?!
DiCaprio is more than adequate in his portrayal, but this film honestly did not rate his efforts. Anyone could have played the part of Amsterdam Vallon just as well. While I am not a fan of DiCaprio's, I find that I am a fan of his work. His style is honest and forthright, giving both fans and casual viewers a frank and easy avenue through which to appreciate his work.
But as I said, this work did not rate his performance, as it was too blustery and overblown to be entertaining.
It rates a 6.3/10 from...
the Fiend :.