Entertaining, but that's about it

Rating: 6/10 (7 June 2003)

I agree with several people - this film is entertaining. But that's about it. It's perfect for teenage girls - Charlize Theron is definitely the gem of this movie. But everyone else comes off as some sort of overblown caricature (even of their ethnicity - Mos Def, and Franky G come to mind as bumbling or over-macho colorful characters, and the white people are always "IN CHARGE" here). My favorite
character was Jason Statham as Handsome Rob - he pulls off the character with class and wonderful acting. Seth Green and Mos Def were more intriguing than the main character, Mark Wahlberg as "Charlie". WAAAAY to much product placement in this film - you can't help but notice it. The Red, White, and Blue minis driving around as some sort of ??? American statement really reminded me more of the French flag. And if that is some sort of stupid patriotic statement, then why do the main characters engage in acts of crime so huge that I'd consider it terrorism (shutting down a government computer system). The best things about this film were the big golfing guy, Skinny Pete, and the Ukrainians. Edward Norton doesn't deserve this... he did pretty good (you've seen Edward in so many good performances at this point that he always SEEMS good), but was he under some contractual obligation? He seems unhappy making this film even as he's acting. Some wonderful action scenes, on par with anything that I've seen, but a better story with less big budget solutions and big plot and realism holes would have made this a better movie than it is. 6/10