Things that go bump in the night, long dark alleyways, and the idea of some psychopath roaming freely through the streets is enough to give anyone a good scare. What is it about this that makes us sit at the edge of our seats, biting our nails, anticipating the chase? I must admit that thrillers are among the best in film entertainment. Any movie that can make you jump and then slouch in your seat is definitely worth the time. Then there are the not-so-thrilling thrillers that tend to invoke a feeling of boredom, complete with overdone scare tactics and simpleton twists. The latest addition to this facet of the genre is The Bone Collector.
Denzel Washington plays Lincoln Rhyme, an injured detective whose vast knowledge of forensics has made him a well-known and respected expert. Okay, first of all, a young thirty-something detective having all of the knowledge to mess with Hannibal Lector’s mind without even leaving the constraints of his hospital bed? Highly unlikely. Add to that a sexy street cop, Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie), who offers all the means necessary to solving this case, mainly a pair of able legs. Together they must stop a loose cannon terrorizing the streets of New York before another innocent victim is claimed.
Based on the book with the same name, which was written by Jeffery Deaver, The Bone Collector lacks in the suspense element. Washington appears too young to be the sophisticated Rhyme, and Jolie is too naive and frail looking as the hard-nosed cop. Their relationship is more complex then the film portrays, and the progression of friendship to maybe something more is completely unbelievable. And all of this side-plot garbage is distracting from the real issue at hand: a serial killer.
The idea is there. I mean, the book was a real page-turner. Why is it when films based on books are released, the film’s outcome is a distorted version of that found in the book? Is it honestly that difficult to take a bestseller and keep the facts straight? I guess it was for director Phillip Noyce (Clear and Present Danger), who has this habit of twisting bestsellers into box office bombs. There is a reason a book makes the bestseller list. Perhaps it’s time someone picks one and lets the movie plot be guided by it.
The Bone Collector offered a few jumps, but not enough of a thrill. Complete with anti-climatic turns and a quick let’s-end-this-thing-now finish, The Bone Collector fails to rattle your bones. Instead, all you really get from it is some gruesome slayings and a pile of unanswered questions.
+ Ashley Adams
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