SUGAR COATED, SHALLOW, INFANTILE, PATRONISING, OVER-LONG HUMBUG

Rating: 1/10 (11 April 2001)

This is the worst film i've seen all year, in fact I thought it was aimed at children. How anyone can call this a piece of uplifting cinema is beyond me. Okay, Tom Hanks gives a pretty good performance for a one-dimensional do-gooder, but the rest of the film is pantomime of the cheesiest kind, Puss-in-Boots at my local theatre was less predictable. The characters are cliched stereotypes bar none. We have good kindly guy, comedy good guy, insane bad guy, nice but dim black guy (particularly offensive for this millennium) which leads us to a tedious sermon on good v evil of the most simplistic sort . The director is clearly living off his reputation, having directed the excellent 'SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION' and poor old Stephen King must be turning in his bed (hopefully he's recovered now). The best thing about the film is Mr Jangles the comedy reincarnating mouse who makes a glorious reappearance in the final reel with slightly longer fur. The death of Mr Jangles earlier on in the proceedings probably arouses more sympathy from sentimental American audiences than the sight of nasty prisoners frying in 'Old Sparky'. Please go and watch 'Midnight Express' instead for a slightly more realistic representation of prison life. Risible.