I wish this had been better

Rating: 3/10 (24 February 2007)

I went into this movie expecting so much more than I got. The trailers made good use of the best parts of the film, making it look like a well plotted, suspenseful thriller. Neither of these elements were present in The Number 23. While the actors (especially Jim Carrey) were good, the screenplay left them nothing to work with.
I was really hoping that this movie would finally redeem Joel Schumacher (whose only good film I consider to be 8mm), but it did not. There were many glaring inconsistencies, omissions and plot holes. It saddens me that Jim Carrey has done some films that were just terrible, though he was good (How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Liar Liar) and this is just another one to add to the list.
All in all, this movie had lots and lots of potential and it threw it all away on a poorly written screenplay. I think Schumacher should have had Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en, Fight Club rewrites, 8mm) come in and do a major script overhaul. Maybe that could have made for a better picture. In the mean time, if you want to see a good psychological thriller, do yourself a favor and rent The Game, Mulholland Drive, From Hell, or 8mm.