The Ninth Gate (2000)

Only Johnny Gets To Climax

So the Devil, having eternity to pass the time and no XBOX 360, got bored one night in 1666, thought it was fun to play a game by conjuring up a puzzle. Whoever solves this puzzle is granted the powers of a god. You know, immortality, invincibility, ability to fly, walk on water, all that god stuff. The keys to this puzzle are hidden in 3 books, in the form of 9 illustrated pages signed with Lucifer's initials, that when properly deciphered, unlocks the "ninth gate" to the ultimate "power-up".

Nobody is able to solve the puzzle until now, when book dealer/detective Johnny Depp is hired by a wealthy collector, who owns 1 of the 3 books, to compare his copy with the other 2 that belong to separate owners, located in Portugal and France.

Okay, nice concept. I was hooked. I was entertained. I was liking almost everything in this movie; the visuals, the creepy sometimes circusy soundtrack, the mystery woman, the performances by Depp & Langella. Everything except when I got to the ending, which left me going "Huh? What the hell? That's it? That's the end?". It feels incomplete, unsatisfying, anti-climactic.

And here's why. Here comes the spoiler.
For the main character he gets his reward -- he gets laid with a hot chick and this she-devil grants him the final key to ultimate power. For the viewer, all the reward you get is to see Johnny Depp's back as he walks to the entrance of an old castle, gets engulfed by light and fades out. Man, that is SO LAME! I expected something more dramatic than that. Remember that scene in the coolest movie of all time, Matrix Reloaded, when Neo finally reaches the doorway to the Source and engulfed by light? Imagine that the movie ended right there, without proceeding to the Architect scene & the saving of Trinity. That's how it feels. Well, okay the Architect scene was pretentious B.S. anyway, but that's another story. The point is, it leaves you feeling hanging, feeling that there's something missing.

Hell, I'd even settle for a Michael Jackson Thriller type of ending with a shot of Johnny Depp grinning, demonic eyes glowing, with or without the maniacal Vincent Price laughing in the background. Just give me a more tangible, tactile way to express that he acquired some of the Devil's powers and I'm happy. Other than that, I wouldn't mind watching this again.

September 18, 2008

Good

If you like a mystery with supernatural overtones then you will like this.I liked the sound track too,in helping with the overall feel of intrigue.The ending could have been a little more in depth.I felt I wanted more information.Acting good. September 7, 2008

Great story and great acting!

Ostensibly providing insights (funny and otherwise) into the world of rare books and the lengths some book collectors will go to...it also has "religious" overtones due to a subtheme of devil worship. This may not be a comfortable subject for some. However, being an avid book reader, I found the storyline extremely interesting with some surprising twists and turns. Johnny Depp, as always, turns in a superb performance. The supporting actors and actresses were also excellent. There was some gratuituous (and fleeting) nudity (not Johnny! sad to report!) that didn't add anything to the story snd could/should have been left out, in my opinion. It is a very entertaining film with a satisfying ending. August 30, 2008

The only point of this movie is the nudity...

Because I've become somewhat of a Depp fan in recent years, I picked up The Ninth Gate from a $5 bargain bin at walmart.I had never heard of the movie and the premise was wonderfully intriguing and full of potential. Unfortunately the movie did not fully take advantage of this potential. I actually enjoyed the first 70% of the movie. The mystery alone had me glued me to the screen. In the last half our or so, however, all of the movie's worth was nullified. I enjoy a movie that leaves questions unanswered, but this movie left the WRONG questions. Because of this blunder, the story didn't matter to me and, in the end, it seemed that the entire point of the movie was to facilitate two nude scenes.

If you're into movies that are just for nudity, I'm sure there are better ones out there. If you're looking for a wonderfully compelling and thought provoking story, I suggest you look elsewhere. I, for one, want my $5 back...

~Ben H July 15, 2008

Great movie!

Great Movie!
Everything about this movie is really good!
Cast, acting, story, locations, filming.....a really goos thriller! July 11, 2008

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