Taking Lives (film; 2004)

[ movie film ]

Taking Lives (2004)
My rating: 1.5

Yet another attempt at a "poor man's" Silence of the Lambs horror/thriller.

While the beginning is a prologue of the young serial killer (the only interesting portion of the film), it soon deteriorates into a blah "profiler" procedural with an uninteresting protagonist/investigator. Red herrings pop out of the dark at appropriately timed intervals.

There are so few supporting roles in this one, it becomes rather easy to pick out "who's it" just due to the lack of suspects. And the major red herring sequence is so inept, it only reinforces who you thought is "it."

The developing "romance" between the leads is completely unconvincing, and yet another cliche clue as to "who's it".

There is a clever twist that ultimately traps the serial killer, as the closing sequence; but that doesn't redeem this lame serial slasher movie.

My rating is high for the twist trap at the end and the extended nude sex scenes by Jolie (hey, I'm a guy), in the "unrated" director's cut DVD. But none of that is worth your time for this weak excuse for a thriller.

If you're wondering, I get all my DVD movie entertainment through a government welfare program - www.kcls.org They get all the major movie titles on DVD. Why should I rent when you buy my popular entertainment? I just wait a year for the titles to come out on DVD.

Seattle