Meandering and somewhat derivative, but still interesting

Rating: 7/10 (15 November 2007)

The first half of 'No Country for Old Men' comes off something like 'The Terminator goes to West Texas'. All the elements are there: an unstoppable, determined, and soulless killing machine set against a hopelessly outmatched protagonist who is simply trying to stay alive another day. Derivativeness aside, this part of the movie is still quite gripping, though, which is more than I can say for the second half of the film. As things dragged on, I couldn't help feeling a little bored as Tommy Lee Jones' pseudo-philosophical and somewhat redundant sheriff increasingly wandered in and out of the story. Near the end of the movie, the story seems completely lost. The abrupt ending especially feels like the filmmakers ran out of gas and tried to pass it off as authenticness and artistry. It's too bad, because this movie could have easily been a 9 or a 10 based on the first hour or so.