Not quite worth the hype

Rating: 6/10 (20 May 2004)

The Shining is a pretty good movie, although I expected a lot more. Very few question the talent of Nicholson or Kubrick, and the idea of them working together is exciting.
However, the movie never seems to quite work for me. To me, there are no genuinely scary moments. Perhaps it has just dated in the same way as other classics like the Exorcist; or perhaps, as a member of Generation Y, i am hardened to this sort of movie.
After seeing a lot of low-budget Stephen King conversions (I'm thinking It, Pet Sematary), some of which were awful (Langoliers anyone?), it's interesting to see what a big-name director with a Hollywood budget makes of the book.
The over-the-top performance by Nicholson makes the rest of the cast look a little insipid - although i think if the rest of the cast had been of Nicholson's stature, he would probably have looked great.
This movie is probably worth seeing. However, not for a place in top 100 of all time.