Both the cast and the moviegoers deserve a better film than "The Bone Collector."
And in this case, "better" doesn't just imply that the quality of this horror-thriller, which attempts to cross "Rear Window" with "Seven," is spotty. It also means that actors like Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie should be in something else -- anything else -- instead of yet another serial-killer film.Not to say that something interesting can't still be done in that genre -- despite how you might feel about the proliferation of such films. After all, both "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Seven" were accomplished works.
But this film isn't nearly as clever as those two. And it's not as smart as the filmmakers obviously think it is.
Still, "The Bone Collector" does have a few chillingly effective moments, and a genuine sense of tension, at least until the ludicrous, bloody final 15 minutes, when the entire thing collapses like an extremely shaky house of cards.
Washington stars as Lincoln "Linc" Rhyme, a decorated New York City detective and author who is paralyzed while trying to rescue a fellow officer. Only able to move his head and two fingers, and suffering from intermittent, life-threatening seizures, Linc now feels he has no reason to live -- until he's thrown into the midst of a perplexing murder case.
Rookie cop Amelia Donaghy (Jolie) discovers the mutilated corpse of a millionaire developer, with clues indicating that another killing is about to take place. So, with encouragement from other officers, Linc decides to lead the investigation.
Naturally, he needs to find a "body" to search the crime scene, and the street-smart Amelia would seem to fit that bill. But the street-smart policewoman has to be pressured into accepting the assignment, which brings her into close contact with some of the killer's other victims.
Also, the decision to reassign her, as well as to give Linc the primary investigation role, doesn't sit well with their superiors, who threaten to take the case out of their hands.
That director Phillip Noyce manages to make the grisly tale interesting for at least an hour should come as no surprise, considering some of his earlier works ("Dead Calm," "Clear and Present Danger"). But at about the midway point, the film quickly slides out of his control, largely due to the inane and -- toward the end -- lurid plotting.
However, Washington and Jolie do their best to lend some credibility to the proceedings, though their efforts go for naught -- as do those of supporting cast, which includes Queen Latifah, Mike McGlone and Ed O'Neill.
"The Bone Collector" is rated R for gory makeup effects and other gruesome images, a particularly violent confrontation, as well as some gunplay, scattered profanities and some crude sexual references.