Plot rip-off - *SPOILERS*

Rating: 6/10 (26 July 2008)

The plot is a rip-off of No Country For Old Men from the moral ambiguity of it's characters right down to the coin flip to decide who lives and who dies.
Heath Ledger chews up the scenery every time he's on screen delivering an over-the-top performance that resembled Jack Nicholson playing the part of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Yet, I found myself longing to see him again during the dull "character development" scenes which, considering he's the villain, says a lot. Still, Ledger leaves no doubt that he was one of the truly talented actors of our time, making his premature departure all the more tragic.
I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone mention Michael Caine's sublime performance as Alfred the butler, but considering he could perform that one in his sleep, perhaps it goes without statement. Morgan Freeman's talent is wasted in yet another throw-away role which makes you wonder why he keeps doing that. (answer: because he and Caine can't say 'No') The good news is that this film packs plenty of action thrills and special effects that will keep you entertained on a warm Summer evening even if the script is a shameless plagiarism.
One more comment for parents: I don't think this movie is appropriate for children. I was surprised it has a PG-13 rating given the level of violence and mayhem combined with dark moral dilemmas. I will not let my 12-year-old see it.