A Let Down

Rating: 6/10 (24 May 2007)

I have to say after all the hype, after all the hoopla - when I finally saw this film I was terribly disappointed. It was supposed to be this smart, scary film, and instead it went for shock value and plot twists that made absolutely no sense at all. As a shock film, it works, but on any other level it just doesn't.
Let's start with all the elaborate traps (which if you haven't seen the film you can see them in the trailer). These things are a forensic expert's dream - there's no way not to leave trace evidence behind somewhere. The police act with predictable stupidity for these kinds of films: the two detectives close in on a known serial killer - who they already know has a proclivity for booby traps - WITHOUT backup? A doctor who apparently doesn't know the first thing about actual first aid and can't tell... well, no spoilers here.
I think if the movie had just been two guys locked together in a room, and left at that, this would have been so much better. But by the time the third victim is trundled out it becomes clear it's all about the body count. The puppet's creepy, but it's the only original thing here. The pacing is good in places, and in others ruined by predictable plot clichÃ©s and unnecessary exposition that only further underscores the incredulity of the overly-complicated premise.
So why six stars and not lower? Because for the kind of viewer who likes this thing, there was nothing wrong with it. And if it hadn't been for all the hype, I probably wouldn't be so harsh on it, either. But for everyone who hailed this as the second coming - and all the films that followed in it's wake, it's just not worth it.