Feeble, Formulaic and Dull

Rating: 5/10 (21 May 2006)

I suppose you would call this a 'worthy and honest' adaptation of the book ... but unfortunately the quality of the novel really needs a bit more effort to make it good entertainment let alone a good film. Whereas Crichtons novels read like film scripts and need little tinkering with, this is a ripping yarn within a flawed book that needs a lot of 'oomph' to make it work. Bettany and Reno are good, Hanks and Tatou are wooden, McKellen overacts like a demented victorian shakespearian thespian ... and most of the supporting cast is sub-wooden - nay ... concrete... to say the least. There is no characterisation that engenders any empathy .. except Bettany's ... whose side story would have made a better film in itself alone ... and the final denouement is flat and mawkish in the extreme. It was along 150 minutes ... which is bizarre as the books pages fly. Just how they managed to de-excite this film beats me with all the money and alleged talent at their disposal. OK it's a mildly entertaining evening out .... but it looked pretty thin stuff even compared to Woody Allens slight tale 'Match Point' which I saw in the same cinema the night before (with 6 people instead of a full house) ... which left me with a much more lasting impression and more food for thought. Shame. It could have been so much better.