I'd rather watch "The Shining" over...

Rating: 3/10 (28 December 1999)

A surprise hit of the year, and completely undeserving attention at that. The plot of this slow-building horror-noir, heavily drawing on cult classics like the certain 1980 movie directed by the late, great Stanley Kubrick, is not without merits, courtesy of a poignant treatment of a disturbed, misunderstood child prodigy. The supernatural elements of the film, on the other hand are contrived to such extremes that they are not believable at all and lack the power to truly frighten. Bruce Willis, as the child psychologist with a tough case and an unhappy marriage, should be given proper credit for restrained, realistic acting. But neither he, nor his gifted young patient can fix the holes in the scenery, which, if properly scrutinized, will reveal inexcusable and ludicrous inconsistencies. The consistently solemn, dour tone set to painfully conventional "gloomy suspense" music, does not improve the picture either; and the so-called "surprise ending" which everyone seems to be so fascinated with, makes VERY LITTLE SENSE if given sufficient thought.