Tame as the enigma surrounding 23

Rating: 5/10 (23 July 2008)

Hardly scary and mostly tame, The Number 23 is a film that neither succeeds as horror nor as a thriller. The numbers and incidents indicating the enigma of 23 are so far-fetched that it is difficult to believe any of those. The film is better in the first half when the suspense is built up using some slow, but occasionally intriguing, storytelling. By the end, the director tries to pull a Nolan-esquire twist to turn the story on its head and turning the movie into a sub-standard affair. Too much time is spent explaining the twist, quite contrary to classic thrillers that invite the audience to use their intelligence (and imagination). There are some nail biting moments, but they are interspersed between too many lifeless moments to have any impact. Left completely at the whim of a placid story, the actors struggle to perform in any memorable way. While Jim Carey tries to carry the film on his shoulders, we have definitely seen much better performances from him (comic or otherwise). Too convenient in its explanation of major plot elements and too slow to help you suspend disbelief, this movie is a mediocre fails to thrill. Watch it only if you are obsessed with 23 (and bad thrillers).