The Bone Collector (1999)

Released in late 1999, The Bone Collector was originally promoted as a thriller in the tradition of The Silence of the Lambs and Seven, suggesting that it would earn a place among those earlier, better films. Nice try, but no cigar. The Bone Collector settles instead for mere competence and the modest rewards of a well-handled formula. With a terrific cast at his service, director Phillip Noyce (Dead Calm, Patriot Games) turns the pulpy indulgence of Jeffery Deaver's novel into a slick potboiler that is grisly fun only if you don't pick it apart.

Noyce expertly builds palpable tension around a series of gruesome murders that lead us into the darkest nooks of New York City. Now a bedridden quadriplegic prone to life-threatening seizures and suicidal depression, forensics detective Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) gets a new lease on life with a sharp young beat cop (Angelina Jolie) who's a wizard at analyzing crime scenes. She does field work while he deciphers clues from his high-tech Manhattan loft, and as they narrow the search their lives are increasingly endangered. As this formulaic plot grows moldy, Noyce resorts to narrative shortcuts, using perfunctory scenes to manipulate the viewer and taking morbid pleasure in his revelation of the murder scenes. And yet it all works, to a point, and the cast (including Queen Latifah and Luiz Guzmán) is much better than the material. If you're looking for a few good thrills, The Bone Collector is a pretty safe bet. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Rob

I cannot comment on the the film. It would not play in any of my three DVD players and two computers. July 10, 2008

IT'S ONLY ME BUT:

JOLIE AND DENZIL, WHAT A TREAT. A GREAT MOVIE. DENZIL PLAYS A COP SPECIALIZING IN FOSENICS AND PROFILINF AND JOLIE IS A YOUNGE ROOKIE COP WITH A FLARE FOR THE SAMW. DENZIL TAKES HER UNDER HIS WING, THEN GETS SHOT AND JOLIE MUST TAKE OVER THE CASE. WONDERFULL ACTING ON BOTH PARTS. JM June 1, 2008

Nice little thriller

The Bone Collector is a nice little thriller with sharp direction by Phillp Noyce. Denzel Washngtion is once again great in the lead role of Lincolin Ryme and always Angelina Jolie is very sexy. The script and cinematography are very good and the revelation of the killer is a nice surpise. Phillip Noyce makes his best film since Patriot Games with this one. March 25, 2008

bone collector

I accidentally bought an HD disc instead of a regular DVD or blu-ray.
I thought that I would eventually buy an HD player, but now realize that they are out with 8 track players.

Can I exchange this unopened HD CD?

Gayle March 17, 2008

worth seeing

The bone collector is a great movie, full of action and suspense, but very predictable. Denzel of course was awesome in it. February 17, 2008

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