Excellent Movie

Rating: Null/10 (6 July 2003)

This movie is probably one of the best well-crafted films I have ever seen. It's visually stunning (just look at the vivid colors of the sets and costumes and try to say otherwise), has great pacing and dialogue, and (dare I say?) pretty good acting. But what about the plot? I mean, that's what really holds the attention of the viewers, right? Granted, it's not the most normal story ever told, but then again, that's what makes it stand out. Why, as an American movie-going audience, be subject to the same old cookie-cutter stories that we so often see? Well that brings up my point.
Okay, so I've read the other user comments and I'm a little bit bothered. Half the people really enjoyed this movie, and the other half...well, they fell on the opposite end of the spectrum. I know I can't change what those people believe, but I think I know what the problem is: the majority of the movie-viewing public HATES anything out of the norm. People saw Bruce Willis's name on the poster and thought, "Hey, another great action/adventure movie starring my favorite action/adventure hero!" Well, sorry...that's not what this is. And that's why some people didn't like it. They went in expecting one thing, and were totally given the opposite...and it made them mad. "How dare they fool us!" they would say as they finished watching the film. "This isn't what I expected!" Well, the thing is, if more people would go into a film without preconceptions of how it should be, then they would enjoy it much more immensely. Okay, now I'm getting off my soapbox.
Now my major problem with the movie: the ending. It seems that after trying to stay away from the norm and trying to give the audience something new and refreshing, Luc Besson felt that he needed a crutch to prop up the ending, basically using an old tried and true storybook resolution. It kind of dimmed in comparison with the rest of the film, but, oh well. Let's just say that The Matrix suffered from the same fate. But despite this, I believe the movie is strong enough to carry its own...9.5/10.0