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	Movie Review - Taking Lives     (What this rating means)       Director: D.J. Caruso Starring: Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland, and Olivier Martinez Rated: R (strong violence including disturbing images, language, and some sexuality) Length: 103 minutes Genre: Thriller Website: Taking Lives PLOT An FBI profiler (Angelina Jolie) is called in by French Canadian police to catch a serial killer who takes on the identity of each new victim. French Canadian police calling on somebody else to do their job? Shocking. Angelina Jolie's lips ensue. JOHNNY'S TAKE They should just rename this movie "Taking Potential and Not Living Up To It." At times, "Taking Lives" is a very suspenseful, engaging movie. It could have been really good. But there's just something missing. The main thing that bothered me was the revelation of the killer. The whole time I was thinking, "This character has to be a red herring. They're making it too obvious. No way this person will actually be the killer." Oh well. "Come on Johnny, is it really that easy to figure out who the killer is?" Is it easy to figure out if the main entree on Marlon Brando's dinner table will be eaten tonight? Folks, my watch is more unpredictable. Did the screenwriter expect us to be surprised? It sure seems like it. In fact, I know it's weird to have a conversation with a movie, but here's what went down: Taking Lives: Heeeeeeere's the killer! GOTCHA! *points imaginary gun and acts like it's shooting* Johnny: Um, are you serious? That was too obvious. Taking Lives: *puts away imaginary gun* Really? But one critic said you'd never guess who the killer is. Johnny: Well, there's a good chance that that critic wouldn't be able to figure out your typical Scooby Doo bad guy. I suppose I just need to lower my expectations for every movie I see. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot about this movie that works well. There are two really great "jump scares," including one that truly caught me off-guard. It was one of those situations where I jumped, then I looked around to see if anybody saw me, and then I immediately started playing it cool and put a phantom toothpick in my mouth to remind everybody of just how bad I am. Angelina Jolie does a good job. I'm not her biggest fan (girl needs some meat on those bones!), but she looked pretty good. The long, dark hair really works for her. Not fairing as well is Ethan Hawke. I guess he was OK, but every time he was on screen all I could think was, "Dude, would you please KNOCK OFF THE TOM CRUISE IMPERSONATION! Sheesh." Seriously, he had the "Tom Cruise acting nervous" shtick nailed. Mannerisms, facial expressions, everything. I found it distracting. Kiefer Sutherland's role amounts to a cameo, but it is pretty pivotal. Oh, and Oliver Martinez doesn't have a lot to do. I laughed several times at his accent though. "Taking Lives" is one of those movies that keeps your interest, and it's never boring, but in the end it just leaves you wanting something a little more. There's just not enough mystery. I was hoping for something that truly kept me guessing. You've got a story about a serial killer who takes on the identity of the people he kills, but there is no real focus on the actual murders? I was expecting Jolie's character to piece together clues from each of the murders that would eventually lead her to the killer, but nope, the serial killer aspect serves as a mere backdrop. I must say that while the identity of the killer prompted me to yawn and say, "Wow, I only saw that coming about an hour and fifteen minutes ago," the final scene actually took me by surprise. The way the killer is caught is a nice little twist, and one scene of violence was so shocking that I was literally left sitting in the seat with my mouth wide open. I just pretended I was yawning because man, gasping at a movie does NOT a cool guy make. MAMA'S APPROVAL There's a good amount of profanity (several f-words), and there's a sex scene that involves Angelina Jolie removing her top. Quite a few disturbing scenes as well, though nothing too graphic or bloody. Leave mama and the kids at home for this one. TRAILER COMPARISON Unfortunately, the movie isn't quite as good or mysterious as the trailer might lead you to believe. After seeing the trailer, I was expecting a movie in the vein of "The Bone Collector," but it never reached that height. THE GIST "Taking Lives" isn't a bad movie, but it never maintains a satisfying level of mystery. I'm a big fan of thrillers and mysteries, so I'm waiting eagerly for something to come along that rivals "Memento" or "The Usual Suspects." For now, I'd settle for a thriller this year at least as good as "The Butterfly Effect." Nice try, "Taking Lives," but NEXT...	RETURN TO HOME PAGE Ghouls Eagle Eye Righteous Kill Tropic Thunder Traitor Death Race Star Wars: Clone Wars The Dark Knight Journey to the Center of the Earth Hancock Weekend Results: 1. Beverly Hills Chihuahua($29,300,465) 2. Eagle Eye($17,709,817) 3. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist($11,311,751) 4. Nights in Rodanthe($7,368,259) 5. Appaloosa($5,050,310)

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