Just kinda blah (*possible spoilers*)

Rating: 6/10 (14 February 2000)

Am I the only one who felt like I was watching two different movies? There was the generic "idyllic paradise" movie, and the "Richard wigs out kinda out of nowhere" movie. The two parts just didn't seem to match up and the ending left me feeling kind of unsatisfied. During the "idyllic paradise" section, there wasn't much action, just the establishment of the beach community and the characters; I kept waiting for something to happen, and when it did (ie: Richard's breakdown), it seemed to come right out of leftfield-there had been no previous evidence to indicate that he would have a breakdown like that. I read a little bit of the book in a bookstore, and right from the start it establishes the fascination Richard has with the Vietnam war and how his fantasies will eventually become reality, and I think the movie could have benefitted from a little foreshadowing.	Leonardo Dicaprio's performance was good, not his best, but still good. Danny Boyle's direction seemed nonexistent until Richard's breakdown. Up until then, there was nothing of Boyle's style to indicate that he was indeed directing the film, it looked like it could have been done by any director. Somewhat disappointing.	As far as Leo's return to the big screen goes, "The Beach" is just kind of mediocre....although he does look good without a shirt--sorry, just my hormones creeping in there, I'm actually a mature, intelligent adult. Go see it for the Leo eye candy, otherwise, wait for video.