The Bone Collector Reviewed - Movies - http://maxpages.com/xanadu/bonecoll

2 Stars
Starring: Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Ed O'Neal, Queen Latifa
Director: Phillip Noyce
Writer: Jeremy Iacone

As if we hadn't seen enough sadistic serial killer flicks, The Bone Collector is now on the rental shelves. This cardboard cut-out flick is your typical long, drawn-out game of cat and mouse that culminates with a twisted, implausible motive to an overexaggerated psychopath who has taken way too many pains to leave way to many hints which the experts have figured out way too easy.

I have always been a big fan of Denzel Washington. From Glory to Malcom X and especially Devil in a Blue Dress he has never ceased to impress me. He does have some moments as this know-it-all parapalegic, and I understand that the fellow can only move his index finger, but for the most part his character of Lincoln Rhyme lacks depth and interest. Angelina Jolie on the other hand is brilliant as usal. The now-Oscar winner is perfect as the hard-boiled rookie who is (in yet another gorss stretch of versimilitude) picked by Rhyme to work the crime scenes. Queen Latifah is surprisingly tolerable. And why the hell Ed O'Neil was cast is beyond me. He was funny as Al Bundy, but he is so pathetic as an detective that there wasn't even a smile on my face. And you thought he could get no lower than a shoe salesman.

The thing that did impress me was the forensics aspect. Having taken two classes in investigation, I noticed how technical the knowledge was in this movie. Most of this comes from the Jeffrey Deaver book from which it is adapted, but Jeremy Iacone also had to know a good bit to script this. Still, when Jolie's character (Amelia Donaghy) moves one of the clues, then sits it back down and photographs it, I had to cringe. I think the French would call that tainted a la O.J.. Ouch. Still, as technically correct as this film was, it was equally improbable.

Deaver's book of the same title was lackluster at best, yet far better than the movie. Yet another of Iacone's intolerable offenses were his changes in the plot. For starters, there was no heat in the book between Officer Donaghy and Rhyme. But I suppose your typical Hollywood screenwriter knows that there has to be some sort of sparks flying for the masses to keep interested (as if the grisly images of tortured bodies weren't enough). On top of that, (and this is a spolier for the movie and the book, so if you have not seen it, skip to the next paragraph) though Iacone decided to add Rhyme's mentioning a desire for euthanasia, he ends the movie with a horridly sappy Yuletide reunion with Rhyme and his estranged sister. However, Deaver ends on a much darker note, leading the reader to believe that Rhyme went through with his plans. A much more credible ending, but we all know how Hollywood has to have that feel-good uplifting BS at the end.

With a twisted plot, a less-than-terrifying villian, and one bloody disgusting image after another, this movie is your average run-of-the-mill serial killer flick. Silence of the Lambs and Seven were both brilliant, but I've seen them. Why not scrap this equation for movies and plug in some different numbers. Why? Because serial killers sell, and the average moviegoer is not bright enough to figure out he is watching the same movie with a different cast. Though it is almost worth the watch just to see Jolie's tough chick performance, I would recommend those serious movie fans pass this one up.

My verdict: Make it a dust collector on the rental shelves.

Xanadu8503@aol.com

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Page Updated Wed May 3, 2000 3:41am EDT