Better Than I Expected

Rating: 7/10 (1 July 2006)

Based on some other reviews  plus the ad campaign, I expected an unrelenting gore fest. Actually, this is a very Grimm fairy tale (pun intended) with just enough fantasy and allegory to keep you interested while not losing your lunch. Thematically, this is also a very political film that takes various swipes at the notion of anti-Americanism. (Note how Jay Hernandez' bi-lingual ability, unusual for mono-lingual Americans, is a plus.) Of course there are many incidents in the movie that are way over the top and highly implausible, but, again, this is a cautionary fairy tale, and it sticks to those old-fashioned rules of good, evil and retribution while being very entertaining.