Reviews

As a real fan of action movies I was looking forward to a great action movie from seeing the previews however I found it disappointing. First, the whole story line with the Marine Corps is very unrealistic (don't want to spoil anything here), there a lot of big explosions, but acting is just very wooden. While I don't look for a heavy complicated plot in an action film, it is always helpful to have something to hold it together. The story line is very linear and predictable. In the theater I was in, the audience actually started laughing out loud at the predictability and cliché lines. So go for the explosions and the star is good looking (although we only see his body in one scene unfortunately) but don't expect too much from a movie produced by the WWF.

Terrific plot development. Norton is excellent in playing an enigmatic character with a profound and quiet intensity. Norton does well with dark characters. But who is really surprising in his skill in a non-comedic role is Paul Giamatti (sp?) as the police chief. The theaters (I believe it is the same one used in Amadeus but am unsure) are beautiful. The time-period recreation is completely absorbing. The story takes several turns - it would be best to see this movie without talking to anyone about the plot and especially not reading any spoilers. Even well intentioned reviews might give away elements which while not profound twists, at least add to the enjoyment of the movie. Phillip Glass' score complements the film well.