What a bloody bore!

Rating: 1/10 (28 February 2007)

Yet another example of a poor film boasting a good trailer. The Number 23 fails on almost every level. Joel Schumacher (widely regarded as a hack with a few fluke hits) just doesn't have the talent to take an already asinine story and make it into an entertaining film.
None of this really is the fault of Jim Carrey. But if he wants to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor then he really ought to choose scripts better than this. I can't articulately describe to you just how stupid The Number 23 is. Normally I would say see it for yourself and find out. But, even at 98 minutes, this film felt like it would never end.
Carrey is a dog-catcher who is given a raggedy book on his birthday called The Number 23. A book which claims that this evil number rules the world and all the logic and circumstances within it. The main character of the book goes insane because 23 is everywhere. As you do. But Carrey recognizes his life in this book and is drawn into its stupidness...I mean its mystery.
This thin, confusing, misjudged and flatly handled premise gives way to further plot developments, all narrated with heavy exposition by Carrey. And it's so, so boring. And once the plot twist finally comes it contradicts what has come before it and totally doesn't add up. You'll never see a film so desperate to be clever yet end up being so moronic.
The one thing I liked about #23 is that there is a nice, lonely atmosphere in the small town setting with weird perpetual sunset in all scenes. But it's still not enough to dig the rest of it out of the grave it's already made for itself and I'm afraid that 1/10 is a perfectly justifiable rating.
Carrey, I am disappointed. As much as I do like seeing you expand your range, this really was a poor choice.