Picks Up Steam As It Moves Along

Rating: 6/10 (18 May 2003)

After the first hour or so of this movie I was thinking "this is truly bizarre." I was finding it very difficult to follow and in all honesty not particularly interesting. But it does get better as it moves along, and by the end of the movie it had actually turned into a decent sci-fi adventure whose ending I was really very interested in.
The story, as I suggest, is a bit confusing in the first hour or so and it takes some real commitment to stick with it, but it's helped along by better than average performances from the main leads - Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz. The love triangle that's represented by the three is a bit of a mystery, particularly the nature of the relationship between Cruise and Diaz, and how that relationship ends is quite shocking and was the point at which I really started to sit up and pay close attention. From there on it's interesting to watch as Cruise tries to sort out fantasy from reality and comes to terms with his ultimate fate and the decision it leaves him with.
Overall this is a better than average movie; a bit long perhaps, but worth the time to watch.
6/10