Dances With Wolves meets Woodstock as told by Oliver Stone

Rating: 6/10 (12 March 2006)

I first saw this during it's initial theatrical release and about a year later I was taking to Doors guitarist Robby Krieger who is credited as a technical adviser on this film. I noted to Krieger that Jim Morrison is often depicted as a dark, brooding doomed poet and I felt that was an unfair one dimensional view of him. I said that I bet Jim Morrison was probably also a very humorous guy and since Krieger knew him I asked if I was right. Krieger said I was and that Jim Morrison was one of the funniest people he had ever known. That's an example of what's wrong with this movie. Director Oliver Stone strips away the fun and humanity of Jim Morrison and makes him a dark psychedelic cartoon character. This film goes nowhere and has nothing to say. Just another example of Oliver Stone's love for revisionist history. The film looks good thanks to one of the best cinematographers of contemporary times Robert Richardson who previously had done Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July and Wall Street and would go on to do A Few Good Men, JFK. Natural Born Killers, Kill Bill, Wag the Dog, and the Horse Whisperer. Val Kilmer did an excellent portrayal of Morrison in his looks and speech and mannerisms and must have put a lot of work into his role. Unfortunately for Kilmer he's all dressed up and has nowhere to go. The Indian shaman angle to this film grabbed on to this movie and wouldn't let go. It was overdone, overblown, distracting and confusing. Every time you thought this film was about to go somewhere it would come to a halt and go in some other direction. Kathleen Quinlan, Kyle MacLachlan and Meg Ryan are among a nice cast including Crispin Glover and actor/musicians Paul Williams and Bonnie Bramlett. I would give this a 6.0 because it's not a total loss but I would not recommend it.