just so overrated....

Rating: 3/10 (23 September 2005)

Crowds are strange and odd things. They love and adore, hate and repel in equal measure and often without little thought. Nothing could be more applicable for the praise that has been heaped upon this seemingly 'epic', 'brilliant' and 'masterful' film.
This is simply a shallow movie that has been dressed up by directors, fans and critics alike to be a great critique of humanity, modern society and amorality. A complete contradiction is what I would ideally see as a kind translation of the truth.
There is no point to this film. The violence is repetitive and eventually banal, the acting decent and appalling in equal measure, the characters (oddly enough) so badly formed and unoriginal.
But wait, say my inevitable army of detractors, this is a great saga of good vs evil, of humanity vs evil, this is a great display of acting, cinematography of immensely talent and above all original film-making. Well I say, no no NO NO. The supposed 'goodguys' are just thugs with no compassion or mercy; what this film is basically a great advertisement for misanthropicism - no great case study of people struggling to fight their morals. All Rourke, Willis are fighting for is to 'look' cool and glamorise violence - its just so prosaic and deficient in any depth whatsoever.
All this film wants to achieve is that teenage boys will gawp at Jessica Alba's body, cheer at Mickey Rourke's gruesome atrocities and revel in the constant and unrelenting bloodbath. All this film is good for is some interesting camera shots and use of colour. Otherwise it is one immensely powerful deterrent to disregard any critic who labels this movie anything near decent.
This is one stupid and unintelligent movie, and anyone who thinks it is anything resembling a masterpiece is as bereft of logic and depth as this film.