Tedious, derivative...ho, hum

Rating: 6/10 (28 December 2008)

I'm not an Aronofsky fan, but I went to this, I hope, with an open mind. First, I think the critics have focused on the wrong performance; Marisa Tormei walked away with this film as far as I was concerned. O'Rourke is a great actor, but there was something calculated and obvious both in the conception of the role and the performance. Everyone seemed to forget Evan Rachel Wood and her character were in this movie (which really was a disappointment; she shines in what little she has to do here).
As a metaphor for America's spiritually bankrupt, "U-S-A!" chantin', hero/celebrity oriented, Muslim fearin', self-loathing, economically dying culture, I suppose this has value. But I'm guessin' not many in the audience latch onto that. Instead, Aronofsky's need to alienate his audience with despair, gore, and ugliness is stripped bare of his usual excess with cinematic "tricks." Glad for latter anyway.
I mean, didn't anyone involved in this see "Rocky?" "Rocky II?" "Rocky III?" "Rocky IV?" "Rocky V"...?