Amazing

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2005)

What a film. This is, without doubt, definitely a contender for film of the year, and will no doubt be memorable for many years to come.
It is rare to find a big motion picture event like this, with a big celebrity like Will Smith at the helm, based on a classic story, and still get something relevant and touching.
The story is the firm drive behind this film, with the effects never gratuitous. In fact, the plot was quite complex, far more than I would have thought before hand. It played out wonderfully, to an extremely satisfying conclusion.
Will Smith as Detective Del Spooner actually played down his well-documented comedy ease, and there were several scenes were the actor came right to the surface. The surprise element of Spooner's robotic arm played very well in the context of the story, and was handled wonderfully.
Bridget Moynahan was perfectly cast against Smith, with her character going through a subtle transformation from beginning to end that impressed me greatly. I was also very pleased to see that the cliché of a possible relationship between the two was avoided.
James Cromwell, a particular favourite of mine, fit in well, and I was happy to see him play an integral role.
In terms of effects, this film has easily the best effects seen for a long time. The level of detail was certainly very impressive, and it heightened the realism of the story greatly.
All this add together to create a truly sensational film.
10 out of 10.