Quite entertaining, quite good.

Rating: 9/10 (6 January 2005)

The Usual Suspects is not ground breaking, and it doesn't have to be. Why do people always bash on movies being unoriginal as being bad? Since when did a movie's merit become so dependent on its originality? There are plenty of bad original movies that weren't well developed, and there are plenty of good movies that built upon those bad movies by incorporating all the positive aspects. To me The Usual Suspects is not original, but it's very well done on many levels. The overall plot is very solid with only a few holes, the acting of main characters is collectively superb, the non-linear story unfolds at a reasonable speed and keeps the audience focused, and there are light hearted dialogs to give this movie just the right amount of humor.
For those that are whining about the ending being predictable, give yourself a pat on the back, Sherlock, and shut your yapper so the rest of the people can enjoy it. If these people are so observant, then it should've dawn on them that there was SUPPOSE to be enough hints toward the conclusion so it won't seem out of place.
The bottom line is I expect to be entertained and not educated by The Usual Suspects, and it did just that. It is very well done on many levels as I've said before. Overall: 9/10.