Wonderful special effects in search of a script

Rating: Null/10 (17 May 1999)

First, if you are at all interested in this movie, see it at a theater with a good screen and a solid sound system. Seeing it on videotape will be a disappointment, though a home setting with a large screen and an excellent surround sound system should work. It is definitely a one-view only film.
The movie is not a remake of the original movie, but instead belongs to the adventure genre, A.K.A. Indiana Jones. The special effects and sound track are excellent. However, unlike Indiana Jones it has weak acting, a tepid romance, and a script that is predictable, weak, and inconsistent. A horror film should rely on atmosphere and a gradual heightening of suspense - as a genre it has become largely extinct. .
This film works as an excuse to go to the theater between "The Matrix" and "Star Wars". Alternatively, if you like fast-paced extravaganzas, and equate special effects as horror, as opposed to atmosphere, you will probably find it worth your money. I was disappointed.