James Spader stars as Joel Campbell, a former detective traumatized by the death of his lover at the hands of a serial killer he'd been hunting--a psychopath who has taken their combative relationship a little too personally, and has now tracked the retired Campbell down in Chicago. The killer, who methodically studies his victims before killing them, starts sending Campbell photographs of prospective victims and gives him a day to find them before they're killed. Campbell rises to the challenge, returns to his role as detective, and launches a comprehensive manhunt for the killer and the women in the photographs.
The Watcher is surprisingly watchable--though it does suffer from an excessive use of arty cinematography. But while the psychological interpretation of the killer's behavior is a little too schematic to be convincing, the portrayal of Campbell is quite strong, particularly due to Spader's performance. A much-underrated actor, Spader is lean and efficient in his portrayal, rarely given to flashy histrionics, but compelling and emotionally complex. Unfortunately, the killer is played by Keanu Reeves; and though Reeves isn't as terrible an actor as some critics may say, he's out of his depth here. Still, Spader carries most of the movie, and the sequences in which the police are trying to track down the victims are nicely suspenseful--in fact, the movie is overall more interested in suspense than gore, making it a pleasant change from most contemporary thrillers. Also starring Marisa Tomei as Campbell's psychiatrist and budding romantic interest.
--Bret Fetzer
Keanu Reeves turns up the heat as a stone cold serial killer playing a sadistic game of cat and mouse with a burnt-out FBI agent (James Spader). This action-packed thriller zooms along against a wild backdrop of twisted streets, screaming sirens and pure adrenaline!
1 Don't Watcher
I've always believed that Keanu Reeves would make a really good bad guy, ever since I saw him in action in The Gift. I was hoping that The Watcher would provide the answer. Netflix to the rescue!
The plot of The Watcher revolves around Joel Campbell (James Spader), a former FBI agent who has moved from L.A. to Chicago to escape his demons. And his demons are many, including an affair with a married woman, the death of said married woman, and the choice Joel had to make between catching a serial killer (David Allen Giffin played by Mr. Reeves) or letting the woman he loves burn to death. Unfortunately, Joel was too late to save her.
Joel moves to escape his past, but his past moves with him. David decides to relocate his serial killing activities to Chicago and continue their game of cat-and-mouse. He's gotten so used to killing that Joel is now a part of the thrill of the hunt. So David invents a little game: he mails a picture of his next victim to Joel, who has until 9 p.m. that day to find her before it's too late.
In the middle of all this is Dr. Polly Beilman (the lovely Marisa Tomei), Joel's psychiatrist. She tries to help Joel deal with his issues: he never really sleeps and has perpetual migraines. Can you guess why she's in this film kids? I knew you could!
There are two powerful flaws that make the film distracting instead of creepy.
PROBLEM #1: The film alternates between several "point of view" speeds. One of them is the normal film of day-to-day life. The second is Stalker Cam, from the perspective of David who watches his victims. Just to mix things up, occasionally the screens flashes bright white and we hear the sound of a camera flash. `Cause David's watching. Get it? The third and worst film speed is the Memory Cam. We see bits and pieces of Joel's past life and the death of his lover in weird, Six Million Dollar Man slow motion blur. It's annoying the first time and becomes extremely tedious as the film revisits the same scene over and over and over. Worse, this effect is used whenever action takes place on screen. It's almost as if the director didn't know what to do during action scenes and resorted to blurring things a lot to cover it all up.
PROBLEM #2: At bizarre, inappropriate times, we get rock music interludes. The music varies so widely in scope that it never establishes a mood. American Psycho used music to excellent effect (covering up the screams of the victims as well as establishing the decade of the movie). In The Watcher, it's like someone flipped to MTV during the boring parts.
The main thrust of the film is the horrible anonymity that we all suffer in cities. Even though Joel knows who's going to die, even though the police put posters of the victim everywhere, even though the TV news broadcasts who the victim is...nobody notices these poor, lonely girls. It's a compelling message that's utterly lost in this film.
The actors work with what they've got. Spader comes off as patently unlikable. Tomei looks bored. Everyone else is there to act as typical foils. Reeves' dialogue makes him sound and act like an idiot.
And that's the problem. Serial killers are human wrecks, built from abuse and neglect. We never learn more about David and why he does what he does. To make him truly frightening, we need to get inside his head (stalker cams don't count). But half the time The Watcher is about Joel, who comes off as kind of a jerk. Heck, David's kills aren't even scary. The trailer showed David's shadow as he strangled a woman with piano wire...but get this, it was SPED UP.
In other words, the guys making the trailer decided the murder scenes in The Watcher were too boring, so they sped it up for the trailer. That one scene was what made me want to see the movie. But in the actual film, that scene is filmed in slow motion flash. Forget Joel's migraines, The Watcher tries to give YOU a migraine.
This is Joe Charbanic's first film as a director and presumably his last, since IMDB doesn't list anything else since 2000 when The Watcher was made. It shows.
2 The Watcher Is Worth Watching!
I think i'm becoming more of a Keanu Reeves fan. After just watching Constantine, looking back at this movie was a fun thing to do.
The plot is an interesting plot. Simply about a serial killer connected with his investigator... causing the murders to happen seeing if they can be solved before committed. It is perfectly shown throughout the entire film good against evil.
Keanu Reeves(matrix trilogy) acting can look alittle out of it at times, but he still delivers a selfish dark kind of personality. James Spader(Wolf/Secretary) always giving his great performance of keeping the audience interested and following his every move. marissa Tomei(my Cousin Vinny) was the hugest addition to this movie, she probably was the best one for her role out of everyone casted.
The CGI in this movie can really take over the ending and make it look fake. But for that being the only part of this movie with little CGI goes unrecognizable. The action when it does every so often occur... you're given great suspence in all of the stalking/murder scenes.
The actors could've definitely been chosen differently. The movie could've explained a lot more in certain aspects like the killer's background... which it didn't. However, The Watcher is a great serial killer film that is worth to take a look at. Not to be scared, not to think too negative about this movie I hope. But to enjoy everything it does keep you interested with.
3 Abel kills Cain but evil prevails somewhere
Another serial killer, will you say. Yes. But this one has some originality, though not in subject or theme but in emphasis. The emphasis is set on the ambiguous relation between the serial killer and one particular investigator, as well as between the investigator and one particular victim. The investigator saved the last victim from the piano string of the killer but instead of freeing her so that she could escape from the last trap the killer had set, he runs after the killer and will come back, when he realizes his mistake, but too late. This investigator will follow the victim from Los Angeles to Chicago and the killer will follow the investigator the same way and start killing again in Chicago. This killer sets his new series of murders as a direct provocation and challenge to the investigator. They will finally confront each other and the relation appears to be self nourishing and self destructive. The stake is who will win. Of course the investigator who uses his portable phone creatively, and the killer will not realize it, and because the investigator will find a weapon in the most improbable place possible at the right moment. The killer appears then as a cannibal personality who needs this relation with the investigator as if he were a brother of his, so he says, but that brother will betray his brotherly killer. This raises a question that is not too difficult to answer. Who is the real Cain ? The killer who is trying to invade and possess the investigator, and eventually destroy him ? The investigator who accepts to go along with his forced relationship with the killer but trying to betray him all along and destroying him in the end ? It is easy to answer because we cannot accept murdering people as an ethical or even reasonable basis for such a relation between two people. Our ethics says that killing and murdering are evil by definition. Which means Cain is killed in the end by Abel. A revenge on the Bible, but also a story that has no possible sequel.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
4 Good, But Nothing Special
Detective Joel Campbell (James Spader) had been tracking a serial killer (Keanu Reeves) for years, always one step behind and unable to catch him. This killer, nicknamed 'The Watcher', methodically stalked his victims and took his time killing them, a man who obviously enjoyed his work. Detective Campbell was obsessed with finding the killer until a special woman worked her way into his life. Unbeknownst to the detective, the Watcher was just as obsessed with Joel as Joel was with him. Convinced that the woman was coming between them, the Watcher made Joel's lover his next victim. Distraught and horrified, Joel retired to Chicago and tried to bury himself in pills and sleep to keep the nightmares at bay.
Bored with the new detective assigned to his case, the Watcher moved to Chicago to renew his relationship with Joel. At first, Joel wasn't willing to play so the Watcher changed the game. He would send a picture of his victim 24 hours before he killed her, giving Joel a fighting chance to save whomever he chose. Unable to resist the urge to try and rescue the innocent women that the Watcher was stalking, Joel found himself too late time and time again. Desperate, he turned to his psychologist, Dr. Polly Beilman (Marisa Tomei) for assistance, completely unaware that the Watcher was dogging his every step and watching his every move...
The Watcher was a decent psychological thriller, but nothing spectacular. I found James Spader completely convincing as a burned-out detective, but there was never really any spark of life that came, even when he was working on the case. He still seemed pretty detached and cold, even during the final scenes. This should have given Keanu Reeves a chance to really steal the show, but he was just not creepy enough in his role as the serial killer. He was okay, pretty uncoordinated in his dance scenes, but just okay. I would have liked to see someone with that cold, creepy, chilly air like Anthony Hopkins or someone completely unexpected in the role as the serial killer. Also, Marisa Tomei was definitely underutilized in the film - the director should have just saved his budget and cast an unknown in the role because she played such a small part. Still, this movie did have its moments and I thought it was an entertaining enough film - entertaining enough to rent and watch once, that is.
5 WORTH WATCHING FOR SUSPENSE
The stars of THE WATCHER have had interesting and varied careers. James Spader who burst on the scene in SEX LIES AND VIDEOTAPE and then went on to such flicks as SUPER NOVA, JACK'S BACK and the current tv series THE PRACTICE, plays Joel Campbell with a sense of emotional detachment and fierce reserve. He's almost like a powder keg waiting to erupt. For me, there was no cathartic eruption, and I felt Campbell should have been played by a more intense and complex actor, say like Sean Penn or Colin Farrell. Even so, Spader is effective in those scenes where this detachment works. He just doesn't bring any real intensity to his performance.
Keanu Reeves, ah, what can one say about this attractive if dramatically challenged thespian? Think of him in BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE...or DANGEROUS LIAISONS or BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA...or most all of his films. As animated as a cucumber. But, there is hope, I think. While far from great in this role, he does bring a lot of life to his role, which is surprisingly underwritten. But if he can achieve this type of talent as also displayed in THE GIFT, Keanu may become an actor yet.
Marisa Tomei of course won everyone's puzzled surprise when she won an Oscar for MY COUSIN VINNY. Remember---they even said that the actor presenting the award read the wrong name. Well, Marisa remained dormant for a while until she came back with her strong Oscar nominated performance for IN THE BEDROOM. Alas and alack, there's not much Tomei does in this role. Embarassingly underwritten, Tomei serves little purpose and shows little emotion in this psychiatrist role.
With all that in mind, it's still a very entertaining, tense serial killer thriller. The victims are all worth feeling for, and Reeves' brutal nonchalance is chilling. Joe Cherbanic's direction is erratically captivating and Marco Baltremi's score is eclectically satisfying.
THE WATCHER is a good movie; it just could have been better with three other actors.
6 Interesting
I thought this was an entertaining movie overall, with a few of those parts that make you wanna just scream at the characters not to do something. I love movies that can do that.
I also thought it was interesting to see Keanu Reeves in the part of a killer. It wasn't as intense as you'd probably think it'd be but still was plenty good enough for me. But draw your own conclusions...
7 For Keanu Reeves fans only
This film feels more like a direct-to-video rather than a megaplex-worthy feature. This was probably originally billed as a James Spader movie, yet Keanu Reeves comes onto the scene and struggles to act the bad guy, alongside the other two, bit-part celebrities.
Keanu was originally never supposed to do this film. According to him, a friend faked his signature and signed the contract, forcing him to do the film for a much smaller actor's salary than he's used to. But thankfully for Keanu, his part as the bad guy, serial killer got extended, and he's in the movie a lot more than originally scripted.
Unfortunately, this movie comes across as being severely miscast. Keanu isn't really as evil as he was in The Gift, where he played another rare bad guy in his career. James Spader and Marisa Tomei are good in small doses, as supporting actors in other films, but they don't really light up the screen enough to succeed as lead actors.
There is virtually no suspense or insight in this and a lot of visual tricks are used to cover up what is lacking. It's pretty much known what is going to happen.
To give some of the plot away, this is one of the first films where Keanu dies. Sorry guys, but you know it's gonna happen, he's a serial killer. Of course, his character has never died in a movie, not that I know of anyway; I only have (unlucky) 13 of his films. Most of his earlier films haven't been released on DVD, and I suppose some of them I'll never get to see. I suppose you could technically say he died in Devil's Advocate, except afterwards it was like a dream, and it was what could have happened. And I suppose you could say he kinda died in the Matrix too.
What I really hate about Keanu - yes, me, I actually hate something about him - is that in Matrix, and a couple of other films, he's so lean and athletic looking, almost skinny. Or in Speed, with all those lovely muscles. But then in Chain Reaction, or The Watcher, The Gift, he's let himself go. The hair is all long and straggly, he's all chubby, and since he's hitting the big four oh this year, he's definitely going for the middle age spread. In these films, you can probably get an insight into the real Keanu - not cutting his hair, not looking after himself etc.
Nothing against James Spader or Marisa Tomei, but maybe if this film had more A-list stars in it, it might have been more of a success. Plus there are no extras on the DVD, not even a trailer (yikes!). If I'd known what it was like before I got it, then I probably wouldn't have bought it. But it's my 13th Keanu Reeves film, and it was only £3. Don't pay the full price for it.
8 mediocra action movie
I thought that the names Keanu Reeves and James Spader sounded quite promising for this movie, but in fact it is just an average action movie with a storyline you saw many times before. Many effects, but it's not really catching.
9 Missed Opportunities
You know when a movie boasts "and Keanu Reeves" you're in pretty big trouble.
Sometimes I go with the general flow when I put down actors. For example, Adam Sandler doesn't really bother me. He was perfect for "Happy Gilmore" (which I think is a great mindless comedy). But Keanu Reeves is one actor that I, personally, have never considered a great--much less good--actor. In "Bill and Ted" and "The Matrix" he's fine, yes, because he fits the parts given to him (new generation slackers)."Speed" is one of my all-time favorite action films, but not really because of Reeves himself.
The movies in which he is supposed to display true emotions--such as "Feeling Minnesota" or "A Walk in the Clouds"--are the ones that bother me, because I know that there are better actors putting on school plays who aren't getting paid--yet he's raking in the millions. Many of his dramatic roles are rather dry and laughable. When it comes to *real* roles, Keanu just fails miserably.
I'll explain why, since I'll probably get angry letters from "Matrix" fans and teenage girls with posters of him on their walls if I don't. My main problem with Reeves is that he's always the same. His face is always the same. His tone of voice. His expressions. His mannerisms. For the sake of comparison, imagine Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man." Now imagine Keanu Reeves trying to play Raymond Babbitt. See what I mean?
I've been observing Reeves since his days of "Bill and Ted," and my aunt adores him. I've been fed his movies for a long time. When I saw him in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," I thought he had talent. That he could really fit roles easily. Then I realized that he really WAS Ted, and that's when my expectations dropped.
But I don't want to turn this into a Keanu Reeves hating fest. The point of all those paragraphs is just an explanation of why I'm not a big fan of Mr. Keanu "Whoa" Reeves, or his dramatic cinematic ventures. I say that he should stay close to what he's good at (dumb slackers). But that's just me.
In "The Watcher," Keanu is a serial killer who toys around with an ex-FBI Agent (James Spader) whose lover Keanu killed years before in a fire. (Bad, Keanu, bad!) In fact, Joel Campbell (Spader) moved all the way to Chicago in order to escape his past, and even retired from the FBI.
Now David (Reeves) is back in Joel's life, sending him pictures of victims a day before they are to be murdered. He has twenty-four hours to find them before David does.
What a great premise. A pleasant twist on the serial killer routine, right? Err...no, not really. The direction feels like a long action-packed music video--from the opening titles blaring a loud Rob Zombie song to the end, complete with the stereotypical Killer's Point of View that was original in 1978 when John Carpenter's "Halloween" first invented it (and when it was indeed a very controversial filmmaking technique), but is now getting old since it's frequently being used incorrectly, particularly in the case of "The Watcher." Keanu's character seems to see things through some type of strobe music video vision--perhaps that explains his love of music in the film. "This is a good song," he says to one victim before strangling her.
In all honesty, "The Watcher" isn't really a truly "bad" movie (in fact, I've seen much worse), but if I had to pinpoint the problems with "The Watcher," it would be these three things:
1. Direction. Joe Charbanic, a first-time director with his outing in "The Watcher," proves that he should never get behind a camera ever again. As I mentioned before, there are just too many moments when I felt that I was watching some music video or product placement commercial instead of a smart serial killer film. Some people just aren't meant to get behind the wheel of a moving car. The same goes for a moving reel of footage.
2. The Script. What starts interesting and even compelling soon turns into a routine chase-the-killer film with extravagant car chases and bad character introductions. (Marisa Tomei's student psychiatrist is obviously there for two reasons--to fall in love with the hero and to be kidnapped by the villain. Take a wild guess if it happens or not.) In fact, this film had loads of potential to stand out amongst the rest of its kind by using the original plot--twenty-four hours to find the victim--but it is soon left forgotten and too many plot holes (why wouldn't the victim see herself on TV or on one of the millions of ads placed around Chicago?) are left unchecked.
3. The Acting. James Spader is at the very least marginally convincing as a gruff I-Don't-Care-Anymore cop, but he's no Martin Riggs. Instead, he comes off as a whiny, selfish little creep who likes to inject drugs into his body to get a momentary high. This is are hero, folks.
Also, is Keanu an invincible boogeyman or not? Lord knows that his mysterious character, David, is untouchable--he survives a foot chase without being seen, he manages to sneak past security cameras and cops and manages to kidnap/kill female victims; he survives a truly ludicrous car chase (that lowered my score for the film by a half a notch), gets shot, caught on fire, and STILL manages to jump out of a window on fire and into a lake? I half expected him to get up once more and give us all one last scare. Honestly, in "Halloween," the insinuations of Michael Myers' invincibility were more than hinted at. Here, we are left to wonder whether or not the killer is some type of supernatural force or not. The film is too eager to wrap all the loose ends up without digging deeper into the material.
10 Reeves keeps this one alive
Reeves makes this one work with his serial killer mood but Spader lets this one fall as the cop in search for him. and the movie runs out of steam after awhile but seeing Reeves with his piano wire and the finale is worth watching.
11 Quite okay
FBI-Agent Campbell (James Spader) is obviously missed by a serial-killer (Keanu Reeves), who follows him from L.A. to Chicago to continue to play a deadly cat-and-mouse game with him. The killer manages to kill two more women, but when he kidnaps Campbell?s psychiatrist Polly (Marisa Tomei) he gets into big trouble.
"The Watcher" by Joe Charbanic is a quite good thriller with parallels from "Seven" and "The Bone Collector" (both are better though). The use of some camcorder pictures and video-clip editing adds some speed and atmosphere to the movie, but these things don?t make the weak end better. Nevertheless "The Watcher" is worth a watch.
12 Utterly mediocre...
I do wish I could say something positive about this film as I'm a fan of both James Spader and Marisa Tomei, but they're both wasted on this, honestly.
13 Average thriller
This is your average thriller movie, and is worth watching once. I would not recommend purchasing it. Keanu Reeves is definitely the downfall of this movie. If you can look past the lousy acting from him as the psychopath who strangles young women with piano wire, you'll be satisfied after watching this. It was an okay movie with a definite flaw. Keanu is just not intimidating, and couldn't portray a person who would be. The Watcher was entertaining, and James Spader carried it well. It had some intense scenes, and an interesting plot which made it somewhat worthwhile. I certainly would not and will not add it to my DVD collection though. There wasn't really anything that stood out to me that was any different or more unique than any other thriller I've seen. It was average. I would not recommend that children see it though. Its R rating reflects violence (including some gruesome aftermaths of bloody killings) and continuous (and pointless) profanity. All in all, The Watcher was okay, and it is worth watching once if you can look past Keanu.
14 The Watcher Got Watched
This movie was decent overall. It was capably acted, especially by Spader, whose ability to really breathe life into his characters shines through as usual. I could not help but feel sympathy for the hopelessly depressed and drugged central character. Marissa Tomei is also featured, acting well and looking very lovely without being sickeningly pretty, and coming off as both intelligent and caring in her part as psychologist to the battered protagonist. Three cheers for casting a competent and compelling actress in the lead female role. Keanu Reeves is satisfactorily creepy in his role as the killer (no spoilers, I promise, the viewer knows who the killer is from the beginning). The plot was a bit typical to the serial killer suspense genre, but nonetheless entertaining, and I did not lose interest at any point during the movie. Suspense was built up nicely and there was a pleasant element of continuity to the plot which made it quite easy to follow. There are a lot of flashbacks, which are a bit more drawn out than they need to be, but three more cheers for building up a background to this story. Technical aspects of the DVD were all satisfactory to me. In conclusion, this film was basically average but I give it four stars because when I ask myself, "Did I have a good time watching this movie?" my answer is, "Yes."
15 You Like Scary Movies?
If you like scary movies this is a must have to add to your collection to make it complete!
16 HORRIBLE!!!!!
This had to be one of the worst films i have ever seen. I love spader, but why!!!???
overacting, just plain dumb and unbelievable...
in the first few seconds i felt embarrassed to be watching.
rent it and you will see what i mean.
17 Piano wire wouldn't leave you this breathless!
Now this is what we need more of; pretty boy actors renowned for nice guy roles taking a walk off the beaten commercial path to explore darker subject matter.
In Joe Charbanic's twisted little pressure cooker of a movie The Watcher, Keanu Reeves not only wandered into seriously more disturbing material, he took a tent with him, threw away the compass and camped comfortably in it, the results of which include a transformation that's as far away from Neo, his Matrix alter ego, as humanly possible. It's plausible that The Chosen One himself might have turned tail and fled if ever faced with Keanu's chillingly charismatic 'Watcher'(the killer of this piece), whether he knew Kung Fu or not.
Publicly violated and torn apart frame by bloody frame by the critics upon release, The Watcher, ironically enough, should be thankful that the reviews were so scathing. All this highly inaccurate reviewing does is further serve to lower your guard for what becomes a truly tense and highly strung game of cat and mouse. Taking the classic story of nemesis and cop and training a television camera on it, Reeves portrays David Allen Griffin, a smartly dressed and suave individual with a penchant for strangling young single woman with piano wire. After feeling abandoned by the FBI agent Joel Campbell (played with praise-worthy restraint by the impeccable James Spader) who was assigned to his case and who Griffin has come to admire and, in a way, almost depend upon to give his vocation validity in the grand scheme of things, Griffin relocates to Chicago in order to pick up on their unique relationship afresh, news that awakens a buried dread within the distraught and regretful Campbell. It's only a matter of time before Griffin is, once again, rendering his piano unplayable, dragging Campbell once more into a nightmarish paranoid world where every second counts.
Charbanic's tale presents the unfolding events from an original and distinctive perspective, one that lends itself admirably to the director's strengths. Namely, the media. With the superb inclusion of Griffin 'willing to try and make things work' between himself and Campbell by sending the agent photographs of the targeted victim and allowing the police twenty four hours to locate her, it serves as the perfect motive for the movie to truly tighten the tension screws which it succeeds in doing in excruciatingly spectacular fashion. The plot weaves tighter and tighter like Griffin's piano wire as by each murder, we witness Campbell's deterioration as the horrifying realisation that he may not be capable of saving the victims becomes an increasingly real sensation, a matter touched upon in a beautifully downplayed sombre moment between Campbell and his counsellor, played with admirable strength and vulnerability by Oscar winner Marisa Tomei.
Add to this stew the wonderfully haunting score, the truly shocking yet undeniably sylish violence and decidedly unsettling cinematography and you begin to wonder why The Watcher was ever so persecuted in the first place. Ignore the critics and don't go home alone. Take The Watcher with you.
18 Better than expected...
After reading the reviews here, I was not expecting much out of this movie but I was willing to give it a chance because of the great cast. The performances were terrific! It is Keanu at his creepiest and Spader was so vulnerable in his role. The suspense of the killers toying with his victims had us climbing the walls. We were all so tense watching this movie! If you are sensitive to graphic violence, don't even go there! This movie is not for family night. All in all it was a thrilling ride up to the end.
19 garbage
this could possibly be one of the worst movies ever made. the trailer made this movie seem like a movie to see, but then when you watch it you just want to walk out..if you ever wanted to be a psychic for a day though, i highly reccomend that you buy or rent this movie,..it's that predictable. 1 star.
20 Disappointing...
I'm not usually one to write a negative review about anything. However, sometimes there are things that are just irritating enough to prompt such a review.
This particular movie is really a waste of talent. James Spader, Keanu Reeves and Marisa Tomei are almost mere props here. Very little character development, very little depth. It seemed as if they were going through the motions, much like a group of actors/actresses under a contract they can't get out of.
The premise is decent enough but it is pretty much a stock formula psychological 'thriller'. It sounds as if it could have been good. But I kept waiting and waiting for some twist, for some rush, for something unique, but then the movie ended. I was left with a 'that's it?'
21 Really Really Bad Movie
All performances uninspired. Action sequences ridiculously unrealistic. In all a real snoozefest.
22 Keanu Reeves & James Spader
What can I say... "Keanu Reeves" & "James Spader" = Success! I've just recently gotten into the KenauWave but I gotta tell you, just when I thought Point Break, Sweet November and The Devil's Advocate was about the best of all Keanu movies, low and behold I catch "The Watcher" earlier tonight on StarzE and its coming on again in minutes and I am going to watch it again! It's good. Get it - Watch it and see why Keanu Reeves is the super star he so deserve to be. And James Spader is one that Hollywood should stop ignoring. Give this guy more films, please! I rate this movie a 5 for the Actors, the great thrilling scenes. It had me on the edge of my sofa clutching the pillow!...
23 Excellent
I liked this movie, mostly because of the depth of the characters. James Spader plays a burned-out (seriously burned out) cop with a guilty conscious and a psycho killer (Keanu Reeves) who "missed" him. The psychology behind the entire movie is intense, dealing a lot with the social aspects of city life, and it's apathy. If you're looking for a straight hack-and-slash serial killer movie, this isn't your bag... there is some of that, but this flick is more about the people involved.
24 This watcher hardly bears watching
The Watcher is one of those movies where you might find yourself thinking of what it might have been. The basis of a nifty little thriller is there, but in the hands of director Joe Charbanic, the story never flowers. There are all sorts of ultra chic film techniques and editing tricks. These are interesting enough to watch. They demonstrate that the visual arts still have some unchartered territory. In this case they also serve to emphasis the fact that the film is all style and no substance.
FBI agent Joel Campbell [James Spader] moves from Los Angeles to Chicago after a shattering experience in which his girlfriend becomes a victim of the same serial killer Campbell has been looking for. The man is now a wreck. He takes pills for depression and anxiety and must often inject himself with a drug for his crippling migraine headaches. He is seeing a therapist named Polly [Marisa Tomei]. One day Joe comes home to find police swarming around the apartment below his. A girl has been murdered. After an agonizing night of nightmares and migraines, Joe gets around to opening his mail the next morning. There is a FedEx package which contains photos of his murdered neighbor. He realizes that the killer he pursed in L. A. has come to Chicago. And what comes next is a gruesome game in which the hunter becomes the hunted and is taunted in the same way the police sometimes do to a criminal at large. Joe receives more photos and has twenty-four hours in each case to save the victim.
This truly could have been a taunt and suspenseful movie, if the director hadn't dropped the ball so often. Elements that start off interesting wind up going nowhere. For example, much is made by the therapist about how much Joe and the killer, David [Keanu Reeves], need each other, but no valid explanation of this codependency is ever offered. No reason is offered for David's doing the things he does nor is there anything about his character or mannerisms to hint at a motive.
James Spader gives us a great performance, but because Keanu Reeves has to work at being creepy and Spader doesn't, it might have been better if they had traded roles. I have always enjoyed Reeves's taking roles that are a stretch or a risk for him, but I have decided that he is successful commercially and artistically only in action hero epics like Speed and The Matrix. Tomei's role is small and is important only as a plot device. She deserves better.
25 Okay.
I watched this movie and it was okay.The plot needed a little work but its okay.Keanu Reeves does a good job playing the killer that stalks these women.I recommend that you see this movie,but don't think this movie will have the best plot in the world,but this is a decent movie.
26 This movie sucked.
This entire movie [was really bad].The script is boring,and the cast
gave really bad performances.Don't watch this movie.
27 Whoa!
I started watching this film and thought ok. This is shaping up to be an ok Thriller. Then the director said " LET'S BLOW THINGS UP. FORGET PLOT, ACTING AND SUSPENSE. THE AUDIENCE IS TOO STUPID TO NOTICE THESE THINGS ANYWAY. JUST GIVE THEM EXPLOSIONS!"
Very sad. It could have been so much more, it looked to be so much more and then it just lost the plot. It was quite gripping until the explosions started. The ending is poor and lacks suspense, but it does have some big explosions. Maybe one day they will do some Thrillers with some real bite and edge to them. Give it a miss.
28 Should be 1/2 a star...
Let me preface this by saying that I am glad I only rented this. I'm only out 3.95.
As much as I tried, I could not bring myself to like this movie.
It tried to be a game of cat-and-mouse. It tried to be full of suspense. It failed on both counts. The acting...atrocious. Though Keanu may not be the best actor on earth, at least he tries. Not here. I remember reading somewhere that he only did it so that he would not get sued. Feels like it. James Spader...well. Marisa Tomei...no comment.
An all-around horrendous movie. Recommended only for the masochistic among us.
29 *dazed and confused yet somewhat pleased*
First of all, i'm glad I only paid 10 dollars for it. It was pretty good, it did have some very suspenseful moments, those chase scenes, but what was UP with the dancing (I almost died laughing while watching that). The music sounds like it was slapped on in some parts (didn't really match that well), and Keanu's voice was very...weird. Was he forcing another voice tone or...I got used to it in the end, but still. And the scenes with the therapist. I was like...huh? What's going on here? I may rewatch the film again soon. And where did the lover thing come from? Yep, i'm gonna rewatch this. *o__O*;;
30 Spader's performance only saving grace
James Spader is an often underappreciated talent who usually manages to enhance whatever film he takes part in. The Watcher is another film that fits into that niche.
The movie itself is typical. Just another under cooked thriller with very little meat on it's bones. Spader does manage to elevate the film with his tortured but not overdone performance. His emotional struggle seems compelling despite the relative been there done that factor of everything else about this movie.
He helps make the search for the potential of Keanu Reeves stalker seem somewhat intriguing, even if we can already predict the outcome.
Unfortunately he can't save this film from utter ordinariness. Keanu Reeves makes a poor villian. Even though I've always found him likable, (and a better actor that he's usually given credit for), he just hard to take him seriously in this role. The film also manages to be slightly annoying. The directors had there early experience in music videos and it shows. During any scene that's supposed to be suspensful, they overload the screen with creative and flashy cinematography. There are weird slow motion and blur effects straight out of what you might have watched on MTV the night before. All this just manages to drain any sense of dread out of the proceedings.
All of this would have been a little less obvious if the ending had atleast been decent. To bad that's just not the case. Eventually the filmmakers seem like they decided to wrap things up before they actually needed to. We are rushed to an abrupt and easy conclusion after Reeves kidnaps Marisa Tomei's pshychiatrist character. On a side note, Tomei is out of place here to, any actress could have played this nondescript and thankless role. I won't tell you what happens but suffice to say it's very little. Any strength the film had built up to that point is just neglected. Somebody at the studio must have decided production was taking to long. Or those making the film just decided they didn't care anymore. All in all, instantly forgetable. I wonder if one of the studios is ever going to churn out another one of these factory made thrillers...and it actually turns out good. You can't manufacture originality.
31 Horrible
This movie was awful. There was absolutely nothing good about it. The acting was bad, especially, and unfortunetely from Keanu.
The movie had i plot(somewhat) but nothing interesting happens and the ending was predictable. I dont recommend this to anybody.
32 THE WATCHER IS SURPRISINGLY WATCHABLE.
This is a decent enough cat and mouse thriller in which a cop, Joel Campbell (Spader) comes out of retirement to catch serial killer David Allen Griffin (Keanu Reeves). The only catch is Griffin will provide Campbell with clues as to the identities of his next victim(s)and from hereon it's a race against the clock. While I expected this movie to be so-so, it's actually quite intriguing with a few suspenseful moments. Reeves ranges from blank to creepy as Griffin. If you want to see him in a better role as a bad guy, I recommend you rent or buy THE GIFT. Still, THE WATCHER is good for killing time and you could do far worse...
33 I was disappointed,,,.
First,I want to say that what is the point in this movie?
I could not understand this movie's point.
This movie left me nothing.
I do not say that actor and actress are bad, but the concept of the movie is poor.
Thank you.
34 JIMMMY SPADER'S BACK AT HIS BAD... BEST YET!!!!
This movie is truly much better than most of those critics really think.I found it to be frightening & beautiful at the same time when I watched this for about the fourth or fifth time. Plus Keanu's character was really freaky in the way he becomes emotionally & psychologically attached to James Spader's character due to the fact that K's character believes that he and James Spader's character need each other.Also,I found James Spader's character is beautiful, but mysterious in why he is so burned-out and emotionally troubled & what is his connection with this mystery woman, who we don't know about until later, was very appealing to me. Marisa Tomei pulls off her best yet as Polly, Joel's Psychologist,which I found to sympathetic without going on sacchrine overkill.
So go rent this movie, you won't regret it!
35 One of Keanu's best!!
I think "The Watcher" is definitely one of Keanu Reeves best movies. I liked watching him in a different role than he normally portrays. Keanu convinced me that he was truely a versatile actor in this movie. It shows that he can be more than just a hottie but, he can also be a little crazy. I am also a big fan of James Spader. He was most certainly impressive in the movie because he had to use his brain, and he was quick on his feet but, Keanu was just a little bit quicker.
36 the watcher
this movie is a good movie, I have no idea why people didn't like it but I dont agre with them. It dosnt have a lot of action in it but it isnt an action movie it is a thriller and it is a good one.
37 No more Mr Reeves as maniac, pleeeeaaaaase!
Although clichˇ-ridden unoriginal serial killer "thrillers" are conveyored as canned tuna now, I've not seen one so dull and insipid (and boasting two popular male leads) in months. I wonder how other reviewers find this flick full of suspense and good performances (well, it depends with whom you compare, of course. The world has seen worse, certainly. "Return of killing tomatoes", for example).
J Spader used to be a good actor, but he's nothing to do here besides faking migraines (unpersuasively) and acting completely out of FBI-protocol and sane person's mind. Why K Reeves was cast as the serial killer here escapes my understanding: besides having black hair and black eyes (attributes hinting at his maliciousness, no doubt), he's ridiculous dancing in slo-mo in front of his victims, harassing the detective and voicing his text with as much pomp as you can withstand. Also please tell me who decided that heavy panting of him behind the frame augments the tension?
Although the plot follows the well-trodden lane of such flicks, the facts and details are thrown at the viewer chaotically, probably supposing he'll accept everything (hate this concept!). M Tomei's character serves the only purpose she can have in such a movie, but her involvement with Spader (besides the fact that she's his shrink) is so poor and unemotional, no one cares about her. The preposterous last 20 minutes will not fail your worst expectations (if by that time you haven't switched your VCR).
An episode of the Simpsons that followed the Watcher contained 5 times more entertainment. Keep away; better spend your money on something else!
38 WORTH WATCHING
This movie has gotten such a bad rep,It just sickens me.Spader lifts this movie to a cool level,He should be getting a twenty million dollar pay check, Instead of reeves.I mean this guy hasnt acted great since the "Devils advocate".The two problems with this movie are reeves, and a little predictability,other than that the movie is good entertainment.
39 Good if you Think
The 3 good things are that it's a thinker's movie. The excellent special effects. And the plot kicks arse. The one bad thing is that Keanu is in it and I'm not prepared to admit that, yes he is a good phsyco. He is supposidly a bad actor but he can also play a good Christ character in Matrix and a good lawyer in Devil's Advocate. And he is awful at acting but can play these roles well, and they're diverse roles. There are same major things that you need to realize when you watch this movie. I came in giving it 2 stars, but after seeing it I loved it. My mom hated (3 weeks before I saw it) it until I told her this information: James Spader's lover that got killed by Keanu was an affair he was having. This is the only woman he has loved. Reeves is the only connection to the woman DONT READ ON IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET and he can't kill him because of that. The picture they flash up on the screen for Jane Doe 3 at the end wasn't of Mira Sorvino, but of the woman who Spader had an affair with. And that's how he knew to go the grave. It was cool touch. Spader had been living in the past. That's why spader couldn't kill Reeves. The flashbacks stopped when he was put at the cross-road in his life: continue to live in the past or live in the future. When he saw the wire to her neck he knew that he had to move on. Great job!!!
40 *~* KEANU REEVES IS A BELIEVABLE KILLER IN THIS MOVIE *~*
...I think that having a person that didn't look like some psychotic freak was one of the best things about the movie! Keanu was charming yet creepy, sneeky, cunning, & quick. I think Keanu Reeves did a superb job, as did James Spader, & Marisa tomei. This is a VERY good movie, and had I listened to all of these... critcs, I would've never of watched the movie -- and I'd of missed out on a BELIEVEABLE MOVIE ABOUT A BELIEVABLE SERIAL KILLER...
41 Watch it!
The Watcher is a movie that I surprisingly had high hopes for, even for the bad reviews, and the obvious miscast of Keanu Reeves. I was in the mood for a psychological thriller, and I got one. The Watcher was a good movie in many different aspects. The directing was superb. I have never heard of Joe Charbanic, let alone seen any of his movies. But I plan on checking some of his other movies out. He really knows how to mold and shape a film. The Cinematography was outstanding as well. Some of the scenery and camera angles left me in awe. The only hitch was the acting though. I thought everyone, especially James Spader, did an excellent job besides Keanu Reeves. Reeves is a good actor, don't get me wrong, it's just that this is not the role he is fit for. He didn't drag the movie down at all, but you had to think that maybe there are others actors out there that could have done the job more eloquently. Overall, The Watcher is a very entertaining movie that leaves you in shock at times. Don't base this movie on the reviews it got. Go watch it. 5 Stars
42 Very Watchable
Decent movie, but it is saved by Spader's great performance as burned-out FBI agent Joel Cambell, Reeves, does a horrible roll as Spader's rival David Allen Griffith.
Spader is in one of his most amazing performances, I personally think he is very underrated, his role in this probably only rivaled by that in StarGate.
Worth Watching on HBO, or renting, certainly not buying.
43 Worth Watching.
As films go, this was badly rated a little too much. The story was good, even though it left a lot of loose ends (Griffin's origin etc) hanging at the end. It focused a lot on the present, only flashing back when it was really needed, letting the main characters do a lot of the work. The chase scenes were well done, there were times I was really glued to the screen watching them. As for the acting, I liked Spader's take on the cop who was a mess, and Reeves, who was cast against type and did a good job. It could have done with more extras then production notes and cast and crew bios, this I feel is where universal really let itself down, leaving us dvd lovers disappointed. It is good saturday night watching (excuse the pun), and worth buying, if only for the film.
44 A terrible movie
This movie has got to be one of the worst films I have ever seen. Keanu Reeves wasn't even close to convincing and James Spader was just as weak. You can just as well skip this film. It's a waste of time.
45 this movie belongs on t.v. - not the big screen
I'm glad I waited to rent this movie instead of going to the theatre. This movie was slow, too slow. The story line was ok, but not enough to keep you in suspense. This movie belongs on t.v.- not the big screen..
46 Another Serial Killer Movie
The Watcher probably would've been good if there wasn't "Seven", "Silence of the Lambs", "The Cell", or any other serial killer movie. It's basically the same thing we've been seeing in all the other movies. Even though this doesn't make it very good, it has that dark atmosphere that makes it like a creepy thriller. Overall this movie was mediocre, but it was OK. I'd recommend renting it before buying the DVD.
47 zzzzzzzzzz
all style and no substance...an awful 90 minute cliche that is about 89 mins too long.
keanu simply proves he cannot act...i had to turn the movie off when he started dancing
there wasnt even any jugs in it.
save your money.
48 absolutely one of the worst movies today
imagine Keanu Reeves gave in by some friendly bagging and for a little extra buck working overnight, along with a bunch of less fortunate actors trying to get a movie deal with seemingly miscast roles, this film is really nothing but a very good example of how an unqualified movie is produced.
with a black jacket, long hair and a constantly artificial, eerie look, Keanu Reeves is truly risking his favorite big screen images he created through the years. a piece of advice for Reeves, if you are not even close to the role you are going to portraited, doing nothing is better than doing it.
on the other hand, not everything should be taken away for merely a bad taste. the story itself is far more interesting than what it has been made of. and the only cinematographic credit i might give is somehow the negative images from the killer's viewpoint when a victim is being pursued.
other than these, some faults on detail are hardly mentionable, such as a victim's pictures are taken by a point-and-shoot camera but with a significant professional effect ------ sharpness and highly blurred background (that requires a large f-stop of 2.8 or even 1.4 which no point-and-shoot could ever produce) and amazingly impressive enlarges, also Spader is apparently a messed-up guy but dresses up quite an orderly business man when reassigned to catch the killer.
after all, this movie is hardly qualified to be an unsuccessful effort.
49 READ THIS BEFORE YOU BUY
when i first saw the trailer for this film i thought it looked pretty good, how wrong i was , it was sad to see James Spader playing such a flat and 2 dimensional role as the detective, and to top it all Keanu Reeves a villain , i think not, hes a good hero but thats his limits stick to what your good at. So it gets 2 stars because of the dismal storyline and the disappointing ending which seals the films fate.
50 Don't Buy this, wait to see it free on tv
Bad, Boring and just plain dumb. I kept fast forwarding through most of it just to see how it would end.
51 Check Your Brain At The Door
This movie supports the argument to rent before you buy. The premise sounded intriguing enough; James Spader is a burned out Los Angeles detective who had let serial killer Keanu Reeves slip through his fingers. Now, some time later and in Chicago, Spader begins to receive pictures of new potential victims that Keanu is "watching". This sets off a cat and mouse game of, "can Spader get to the girls in time before Keanu strangles them with piano wire"? Oh, one more thing: Marissa Tomei has the thankless role of playing Spader's therapist, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out she's gonna be the ultimate victim. Here's the thing; I love a good thriller, "Silence of the Lambs", "Copycat". This ain't one of them. It asks the viewer to leave all common sense at the door. When the city is alerted to the fact there's a serial killer loose, and they show a picture on the news of his targeted victim (who works in a shopping mall photo shop),no one happens to call. Excusing the fact there are cops who know what she looks like streaming through the mall. This bit of celluloid pulp makes the Chicago P.D. look like the biggest group of idiots going. Eventually Spader and Reeves have what's supposed to be their big standoff, but the director has Spader playing it so cool we never fear for him. There's no threat at all so consequently no tension. Frankly I've seen more nail biting episodes of "Murder She Wrote".There's also never any explanations of why Keanu is smitten with Spader. Just some quick speech about them being each other's "yin and yang". Yet no explanation of why he kills or why Spader.I guess we're supposed to think, "Serial killers don't need a reason, they just are." Look, I seldom review movies, but I had to warn people about this. It's been a long time since I've seen such a disappointing movie, and I'd hate for people to waste their money on such a offensively stupid flick.
52 Ok,but not the best
Let me start this off by saying,Keanu Reeves is not good as a serial killer.He wasn't scary at all.He was way too friendly.I kept expecting him to say"Hey,how are you doing?I'm gonna kill you".Now I think he is a pretty good actor,but not in this movie. The plot was ok.There were a few scenes I didn't really like and should have been left on the cutting room floor.The main problem was,there was no character development at all.Ok,so all in all,rent this if there is absolutly nothing else to rent.This is one of those movies you see when nothing else is there.
53 Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is the Climax
I really hated this movie and it was a waste of 3 bucks to rent. Keeanu is just not a very good actor and he really can't do a serial killer...Nobody can do a role like Bill and Ted and then turn around and be a serial killer...He needs to find his niche and feed off of it...If Keanu keeps this up his career is going to go down the toilet like this movie did
54 Yuck!
I just finished The Watcher. I found it to be garbage. Keanu played Keanu. Dull, dull, duller. And what a stinker way to end a film. Ever notice how serial killers in these types of movies want to get caught, try to get and at the end of the movie, get caught?? The director of this movie had this meticulous serial killer who planned everything out. Then, the killer becomes sloppy and any old girl would do. Garbage. I guess if you can't find anything you have not seen yet you should watch this. But, don't buy it.
55 The Watcher
This is the best film ive ever seen,i saw it advertisd ages ago when i went to see charlies angels,i knew i really wanted to see it the first time i saw the trailer.i was really dissapointed that the reviews in magizines werent very good cos i thought it was brilliant.its definatly my kind of film!!i would reccomend it to anyone that doesnt mind blood.but dont see it if u r squimmish(sorry about the spelling!)Keanu Reeves is so gorgeous in it!!!this is a must see film!!!!!! Rachael :-)
56 I don' understand what this film means ...
Since I don't want to criticize this film, I'll just describe my experience. I watched this film with high expectations.Because I like Keanu Reeves. But when the film went to the end , I thought this film did not have a trick or a surprising soryline yet. Expecting a surprising trick, I watched to the end . Nothing happened! I was disappointed and went home.
57 Keanu and Spader, Perfect together!
There are two reasons why you should buy this flick, excellent performances from Keanu Reeves and James Spader, and an awesome sound track! The relationship between Keanu and Spader are natural and convincing. I like Keanu in the "Bad Guy" role; he puts his laid-back style into the role and totally sells it. I've read some reviews that knock his performance here, I obviously don't agree! His laid back style is a breath of fresh air from the "off the wall, over energetic, borderline spastic" killers that we usually see in this kind of role. In fact, Keanu's demeanor makes the character even that much more spooky! That being said, I do agree that James Spader is the shinning star here. Spader, as the "burnt out" Cop on the verge of a stroke, is painful to watch (in a good way), Spader makes you feel the pain and stress that his character feels. Marisa Tomei does an ample job at playing her role, the fact that the role she portrays isn't really a factor until the end of the movie, she does the job of keeping the character at the level it was meant to be at. Yes this movie has been done before, a few times in fact, but the combination of Spader and Reeves gives it a new face. For my fellow Home Theater owners, this movie is fun to watch. There is great base and crisp highs; explosions will surely give your subs a workout! My only knock of this movie is the over use of (what is considered by today's standard) hip music. When the scene seems to call for suspenseful music, all of a sudden the rap/rock type of music starts (Stigmata had this same problem), but if you can look (or listen) past that, this is a great flick to watch and own.
58 Obvious to the end -- A REAL waste of time.
Even though Keanu Reeves was cast as the villain (was his mother the casting agent?), this movie seemed to have promise at first.
Unfortunately, from beggining to end the film was obvious, and, at times, even ridiculous. As if the fact that this type of movie has been done over and over again was not enough; the characters have no depth and the story-line drags on due to a lack of intelligent matterial/ideas (how many times is the viewer expected to relive the hero's dream sequence?!?!?).
As I do not want to give away any scenes in this movie (out of respect for those lucky enough not to have seen it yet), I will not disect it scene by scene. (Though it would be fun.) Suffice it to say the prospective viewer should be aware that the villain is comic rather than terrifying, and the hero fbi agent has no depth (he's just there). Even the fact that the hero goes from emotionally troubled, to determined, to just totally inept does nothing to help him be interesting. (The whole story line is plagued by the same issues.) The Wathcer is not even able to draw the viewers' attention by making the special effects and action sequences anything more than bland.
The Watcher is a waste of time and money. Sitting through this once was difficult enough, but to put it into a video/dvd library in hopes of watching it over and over again is a waste of space.
59 So much wasted potential
The Watcher (Joe Charbanic/Keff Jensen, 2000)
This movie disappeared from theaters quick, and now I know why. Despite a fairly good performance from Keanu Reeves, who goes back to the days of playing the disaffected sociopaths that made him great (River's Edge, Permanent Record), this film straddles the line between confusion and predictability with a deftness I've rarely seen even from the most incompetent veteran directors. Charbanic and Jensen are to be commended for achieving Russ Meyer status on their very first try.
Joel Campbell (James Spader) had a breakdown after he saved his married girlfriend (Yvonne Niami) from a serial killer he'd been tracking in Los Angeles for years. Unfortunately, she still dies, as a direct result of his clumsiness (watch the film a couple of times, you'll figure out how to put all these pieces together... I think). Campbell moved to Chicago in order to be near her grave and get away from the job for a while, and now spends his time taking huge amounts of antipsychotics and living on disability pay. Of course, the serial killer (Reeves) follows him, and the game begins again.
Reeves-- and Ernie Hudson in a minor role as Spader's supervisor-- give the only two performances in this movie that can be called emotional without cracking a smile. Spader and female lead Marisa Tomei, playing his therapist, both seem to sleepwalk through the movie. A better performance by both might have turned this into at least a serviceable thriller, but that's not what we got. **
60 A 4 star nail biter!!!!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful movie! Had read and heard so many negative reviews from critics. I really didn't understand their point. The brightest light in this flick was Reeves.He played the best criminal/bad guy i've seen in a long time. And I felt that he really enjoyed himself!!!!If he should read this: *Please play more bad guys in the future!* He really gave James Spader a fit playing cat and mouse. A better script, someone other than Spader (who was very weak in his role)would have tightened this good crime drama into a 5 star. But don't let these "minor" issues stop you from buying and enjoying this one! *Also, loved the spooky music played on the DVD menu!*
61 Good Premise, But It's Been Done Before
In the continuing tradition of movies that James Spader just can't seem to turn down, "The Watcher" served as yet another vehicle for Spader to perform well in, while the rest of the cast just seemed to go through the motions of acting. The film had an interesting premise, that of a serial killer that stalks women in order to kill them, but first send photos of his intended victims to a cop that he has drawn into his web of murder. Unfortunately there are plot holes in this film that I could drive a bread truck through. For instance, Spader plays a LA cop that quits the force and moves to Chicago so that he can live in squalor, but before you know it, he's serving as a FBI agent hot on the trail of Reeves, over-playing the part of the serial killer. It was refreshing to see Reeves in a role where he didn't play some sort of goof, but instead was the antagonist of the film, although he acted in his characteristic style. While the storyline has been played before, the filmmakers decided to spice it up by adding a bit of history to the characters played by Spader and Reeves. Marisa Tomei plays the psychologist that is helping Spader deal with his inner demons, and of course is eventually confronted by Reeves, and drawn further into the plot of this film. The special effects are rather cheesy, and when things are set on fire, the flames look particularly cartoonish. I've certainly seen all three of these actors in better films, but this one is at least worth a rent.
62 An Interesting Piece of Film
The main thing that made me want to see this movie was to see if Keanu Reeves could pull off the whole serial killer thing. I was impressed with his performance. Actually I was impressed with the whole thing. It was done tastefully and well. It was really nice to see James Spader finally in another movie. In my opinion, he's a very under-rated actor. The main plot line follows Spader's character. He's an ex FBI agent that before leaving was heading a major investigation looking for a serial killer named David Allen Griffin. Griffin (Reeves) is fixated on Spader and wants him back in the game. There's a lot of action, and some cool cinematic shots done that made the movie have a really interesting feel. I recommend this one to the people looking for some good entertainment.
63 visually stunning
As a visual experience this film is well shot and features all the latest camaera trickery.But as an example of modern cinema it owes a lot to Fight Club and similar movies .Unfortunately Keanu Reeves is no Brad Pitt.An interesting change of role but he fails to convince as a serial killer ending up seeming to be bored rather than threatening,shame!
64 just another serial killer movie
"Th watcher" is a good movie, though very predictable. Keanu Reeves plays a serial killer who becomes obsessed with a cop who investigated his crimes. The policeman is traumatized and moves from LA to Chicago to forget all those incidents from the past. However, the serial killer follows him up to chicago, and starts sending pictures of the next victims for the policeman, giving him 24hs to solve the case, until he kills them.
The cast is fine, and keanu reeves plays the bad guy this time. This is the kind of serial killer movie you've already watched several times, but still can entertain you. Since the very beginning of the thriller, you can guess all the killer steps finding out exactly what he will do next time. Anyway, it's worth you money.
65 Save your Money
I am a man of few words.....this is a worthless piece of trite tripe. Once again Keanu Reeves proves he has the acting ability of a pear. This is a hackneyed plot....another serial killer pseudosuspense. Nowhere near the quality of Sea of Love.
66 Squandered potential by a first time director
This psychological thriller doesn't quite come together due to various flaws in the script and poor orchestration by a rookie director. Director Joe Charbanic's prior experience is with music videos. This is his first feature film. It is reported that he landed the project at the recommendation of Keanu Reeves, who liked his work. As is the case with many music video directors, Charbanic is extremely creative with the camera. He uses innovative camera angles, close-ups, jump cuts and strobe photography very effectively. Along with veteran cinematographer Michael Chapman ("Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull", "Rising Sun", "Primal Fear"), he brings some very compelling imagery to the screen. However, this is only part of the director's job. He must also pull the story together and eliminate any inconsistencies from the script. Most importantly, he must get the actors to properly interpret their characters. In these areas, Charbanic is far less capable and it hurts the film.
The initial workup is intriguing. David Allen Griffin (Keanu Reeves) is a serial killer who has developed an obsession with Joel Campbell (James Spader), the cop who has been pursuing him. When the cop retires from the force on disability and moves to Chicago, the killer follows and resumes the killings there to torment his adversary. Griffin sends Campbell pictures of his victims in advance and dares him to try to find them before he kills them. The story is fairly tight to this point, but unravels totally after Griffin lures Campbell to a graveyard and they meet face to face. From this point forward, the absurdities are piled on to the point of silliness.
The acting is problematic. Keanu Reeves is an excellent actor, but he is miscast as the killer. He is just too nice a guy to be a sociopath. Actually, it probably would have been better if they flipped the leads because Spader would have made a very believable killer. Spader is excellent at portraying Campbell's decaying life, but his portrayal is wrong for the action roles. Normally dynamic and energetic, Marisa Tomei seems almost comatose in her dialogue with Spader during the therapy scenes, although she is great as the terrified victim after being abducted. The entire cast seems flat and subdued especially for a thriller, the responsibility for which I put with Charbanic. While Charbanic's images crackle, the actors are soggy. Although images are important in a suspense thriller, they cannot make up for flaccid performances.
I was disappointed in this film. I rated it 6/10 on the strength of the photography. It had a great deal more potential that was squandered.
67 dont waste your time or money on this 1
dont waste your time or money on this one. THE movie was terrible so bad that the director fails to include his name in the final credits i feel as though the director should somehow attempt to repay me the money i wasted on this film and the time i spent watching it , maybe he can mow my lawn to compensate me. avoid this one at all costs
68 I asked myself "Why"..
Ok the beggining of the movie was promising with the modern rock sound and Keanu in Matrix-like look (more fat though)..
But after that in 10 minutes or so I discovered that there was no plot..Keanu was the watcher,though he never watched just killed girls..But the biggest question occupying my mind was "Why is he killing them?".The most simple answer would be because he is a psycho but he didn't show any emotions while killing,barring the possibility that this was what he was enjoying..Or maybe because he liked playing games with Spader's character,but then why he started to kill in the first place.At the end of the movie,we know as much about Keanu's character as at the beginning...nothing. This was really a stupid movie and mark my words because I am a person that usually tries to find something good in action movies that most people find stupid.In this one,I found nothing.The package was good but inside was empty...
69 Horrible
This movie was shallow in writing and weaker in acting. Marisa Tomei looks a hundred years old and James Spader should think again before taking such a bad role. Keanu Reeves? Just doesn't fit the bad guy image at all. Buy something else.
70 Not Very Good But Quite Watchable
Though The Watcher may be a very fun popcorn flick, it's missing some key ingredients in the make-up of a good thriller. The characters are flat, the acting is lame, the storyline is inconsistent and the plausibility, well there is none. Yet having written all that I can't say that this movie is really that bad. Afterall, it's hour and a half running time zips by faster than most forty minute episodes of CSI.
Keanu Reeves, despite being burried in the credits, is the star of this film as serial killer David Allen Griffith. He's a watcher (thus the title) who targets introverted young women and strangles them with a piano wire. And as it turns out his greatest pleasure is not in perpetrating the act itself but in the torment he inflicts on the federal agent working his case.
James Spader (as intense as ever) plays Joel Campbell, the L.A. lawman and object of this killers twisted obsession. But when push comes to shove Joel cracks under the pressure and moves to Chicago to get away from the killings, only to discover months later that his past has caught up with him.
David follows him to the Windy City and begins sending him pictures of his intended victims, daring him to try and find them before he strikes again. By doing this he imposes onto Joel the pain of having had the opportunity to save these girls lives only to blame himself when he fails. It's actually a pretty clever premise but is executed is such a way that the filmmakers seem more intent on going through the motions than having fun with the concept.
As the story continues to unravel, we're introduced in passing to Joel's psychatrist, who because she's played by Marisa Tomei, we know will play a large part in the film's conclusion. It's only too obvious and first time director Joe Charbanic seems intent on letting his audience get ahead of him. That's the movie's biggest flaw, that it tips it's hat too soon and, conversely, can't manage to build suspense. As we're engaged in a race-against-time car chase we already know what's going to happen because the killer can't very well be caught an hour into the picture.
I suspect this is material that would have been better suited to a veteran director and some tweaking in the casting department. Reeves' over-the-top performance is at times chilling but mostly ridiculous. He seems to shy away from the underlying homosexual themes of his character's relationship with Spader's. That wouldn't have been a bad thing necessarily except that was his only interesting characteristic.
Marisa Tomei on the other hand, is subdued in her performance, a role seemingly custom-made for Lorraine Bracco to reprise her role on The Sopranos. It's obviously been too long since My Cousin Vinney, for which she won the Oscar for (and deserved it too). I only hope she has more discretion when it comes to choosing future projects.
And she's not even the only actor to have their talents put to waste. Ernie Hudson is reduced to a bit part here, and even when he does manage to elbow his way onto the screen for some face time, it's usually just to clench his jowl and look angry. Chris Ellis is another one, an actor good enough to go unnoticed in box office hits like Armageddom and Godzilla, but this time is saddled with lines of dialogue so bad he's practically got a bullseye painted on his back.
I can't help but admit I found this movie at least mildly entertaining. Still, for all it's good qualities there are a half dozen bad ones and I can't in good conscious recommend it when such contemporary classics as Manhunter and Vampires Kiss have gone widely unwatched.
All in all, it's a decent movie that may be worth your time but definately is not worth your nine dollars.
71 RENT IT!!!
You will only be able to stomach watching it once,this movie was TERRIBLE!!K.Reeves most have squueezed this in during his tight schedule,acting was bad on all the actors parts.The storyline would have been more believable with a different actors playing the Watcher and the FBI agent.
72 NOT THE BEST
Parts of the movie were okay, but there were parts that were so mind-numbingly dumb I couldn't believe it. Take for instance all of the dumb cops standing in front of an all glass elevator, holding pictures of the intended victim and they are looking every which way but their gaze seems to bypass the glass elevator that the victim is standing in looking right at them....duh. Also, hi could they make Marisa Tomei look worse??? She is a pretty woman and they have her looking terrible. James Spader was very good. I'd never watch it again.
73 Bad Movie Warning!
There are masterpieces in the serial killer genre, like Silence of the Lambs. Then there are the excellent ones, like Seven, but most are just improbable and poorly acted. Unfortunately, this is where The Watcher wallows.
Ever the method actor, Keanu Reeves has grown his hair longer to play a conscience-challenged misanthrope who likes piano wire and young women's necks. See Keanu act. Act, Keanu, act. Reeves has shown much more earnestness. After Speed and The Matrix, I even started to like him, but this kind of character is beyond his depth, and he doesn't seem to even try. He hasn't been this boring since Bram Stoker's Dracula. As a serial killer, he exudes the menace of kelp.
James Spader is the FBI agent who is haunted by Keanu. He wanders glassy-eyed through the movie, apparently wondering what happened to his career after Sex, Lies and Videotape. He doesn't find his career, but he finds Keanu, and all too easily. It is a moment that should be rife with tension and I was more interested in my popcorn kernels. Then the movie steals a major plot device from The Vanishing (Dutch and U.S. versions) and I just had to leave the theater. I can't tell you what happened in the last fifteen minutes. I don't really care. This is uninspired film making, with the tension of Pee Wee's Big Adventure.
74 Nice filming techniques, solid acting.
"It's never quite that easy... you go through the door, they're never just sitting there waiting for you with a welcoming smile on their face. Best you can do is hope they screw up and do what you can to be there when they do."
"The Watcher" is the most recent addition to a long line of serial killer thriller films, and it does a somewhat commendable job in carrying out its plot. In reality, it is little more than a highly stylized showcase for all of the classic thriller cliches that have become so well-known throughout the last century, taking them and giving them an extra flare by using stunning cinematic tricks, a stellar cast and a pounding soundtrack. I am divided as to whether I like this movie or not: I enjoyed the vast array of shocking and vivid images, while I tended to become a bit bored by the cliches it portrayed throughout. I can't say that I completely hated this film, yet I cannot fully like it, either.
The movie begins when FBI agent Joel Campbell begins receiving phone calls and photographs from his arch nemesis, a serial killer whose last alias was that of David Allen Griffin. He takes special care in killing lonely women with piano wire, leaving the scene of the crime with no trace of his identity. Campbell has a personal connection to Griffin: through his flashbacks, we see his attempt to rescue a woman trapped in a burning house, and his relationship to this woman as well as his involvement with Griffin will all be revealed in due time, one of the movie's attributes. The beginning of the movie may seem draggy the first fifteen minutes, as we are taken into the depths of Campbell's psychological and physical problems, but the movie will pick up once Griffin makes contact.
We learn that Griffin has followed Campbell to Chicago from Los Angeles, out of some desire unknown to the audience. Campbell's therapist, Polly Beilman, believes that they have become so enamored with one another, the killer with eluding Campbell, and Campbell with catching his prey, that one would not know how to live without the other. Campbell receives a phone call from Griffin, who offers him a single chance to locate his victims within a 24-hour period of time. As he begins selecting his victims, the chase is on as Campbell picks up more clues and hints as to the location and identity of Griffin.
Sounds good, right? So what is it about this thriller that partially ruins it? For me, it was the extensive amount of cliches that the movie contains, from the very beginning until the ending, which is a little unsatisfying. The movie contains its fair share of bungling cops who always arrive one minute too late to save the victim from their grizzly fate. This leaves it up to one man, the only smart one of the bunch, to try and decifer all the clues on his own, temporarily aided in scenes where he needs it. This formula has been used so many times, it's a bit of a letdown that script writers David Elliot and Clay Ayers could not come up with something more original.
There is one of two good things about this movie, though, and that is its sense of style and filming techniques. The beginning sequences does a good job of instilling a slight sense of fear in the viewers, which is also carried on throughout the remainder of the film by the flashy cinematography which includes the grainy images as seen from Griffin's point of view, slow-motion flashbacks that leave us to use our imaginations when constructing crime scenes, and fast-moving scenes during intense action sequences. There is an offbeat vision and sensory style to this film which allows it to rise out of the depths of film hell. The soundtrack also adds a lot of pulsating bass beats to add to the unease intended by the filmmakers, while also delivering a killer soundtrack of alternative music to accompany the pursuits.
This movie is also not unlike one of Reeves' others films, "Chain Reaction," which contained some of the best action sequences while possessing a faulty story. The case for this movie is similar, as there is another stunning cavalcade of action effects and suspense-building scenes. The cops-versus-Griffin chase scenes offer a lot in terms of suspense, while also keeping the movie going at a steady pace. Another turnon for the film is the way in which the murder scenes are carried out. There is not a vast amount of blood or gore in these scenes, which allows us to use more of our imagination in putting it together as it happens. I like it when a movie is able to do this, instead of taking gore and passing it off as art.
Actors for "The Watcher" deliver quality performances that make the movie enjoyable. James Spader plays the delusional detective Joel Campbell, and he does a perfect job in delivering Campbell's emotions when it comes to pursuing his target. We are able to believe in his not wanting to give up despite the effects it may have on him physically and emotionally. Spader plays Campbell as a stern and aggressive character, the character to root for throughout. Keanu Reeves plays his rival, David Allen Griffin, and does one of his better acting jobs here. This is material he was born to play... he possesses wit and a certain twisted charm that is intrical to Griffin's character, and that makes him a better serial killer than most other movies. Oscar winner Marisa Tomei plays therapist Polly Beilman, though she is not really able to display a lot of her talent in this film, as it focuses mainly on the two leads and their physical and psychological battle with one another.
I give "The Watcher" three stars on the basis of its cinematography, its acting, its action sequences, and its unrealized potential. The story does leave a lot to be desired in terms of originality, but it can be a lot of fun if you don't think too much about it. The fast pace of the film never hinders, and the actors never fail in giving us performances to cheer for. We almost wish we could extract the characters and place them in a different movie, but nonetheless, it remains enjoyable on a strictly basic level.
75 WATCH IT ONCE
The serial killer thriller has become a fan favorite but THE WATCHER misses the mark. While it does hold some entertainment value it completely lacks in originality and character development. There are no tremendous WOWs that surface as the film progresses.
James Spader does a fair job with the role of Campbell, an FBI agent who moved from L.A. to Chicago to escape the memories of a haunting unsolved series of murders. The problem is that the psychopathic killer Griffin (Keanu Reeves) has followed him. Griffin puts Agent Campbell is a deadly game of beat the clock each time he takes another girl. The question is, Will Campbell catch him before the stakes becomes personal yet again? This question is answered in a predictable climax.
While the plot is unoriginal it still remains interesting. The main problem is that Reeves does not give his character what it needs. Where Griffin should be maniacal he comes across as silly . The character is nowhere near as menacing as he should be. James Spader and Maris Tomei are O.K. but they fail to deliver the pop that would have made this film a four star affair.
Overall the film isnt that exciting nor is it that boring. It is a good rental and microwave popcorn flick.....just dont have your hopes too high. A solid three star film.
76 GRIPPING...AND VERY SUSPENSEFUL!
Burned-out FBI agent Jack Campbell (James Spader) has left LA and settled in Chicago. Still tormented by the nightmares of a serial killer that has not been caught, Jack, tries to put back the pieces of his life, with the help of his psychiatrist (Marisa Tomei), but his life is about to take a turn for the worse.
David Allen Griffin (Keanu Reeves) is the killer that got away, and he has followed Jack to Chicago. He has a nasty game he wants to play, and Jack is the key player.
Griffin will send Jack a photograph of each victim on the day he plans to murder them, if they are to stay alive, Jack must find them before 9:00pm.
As the game of cat and mouse heats up, so do the stakes, for Griffin knows what makes Jack tick, and the next victim may be someone very close to him.
"The Watcher" is a gripping thriller, that glues you to your seat from the first five minutes, and hurtles you through a twisted maze of madness. Very few movies can give away the identity of the killer in the opening and still be suspenseful, but "The Watcher" pulls it off by creating an atmosphere of tension that never lets up.
James Spader is (as always) very good as the mentally scarred FBI agent, and Keanu Reeves takes a nice turn in the role of the totally deranged killer.
Exciting plot, suspense, action, and very good acting make this a must own for thriller fans.
Nick Gonnella
77 THE USUAL DOSAGE
There sure aren't a lot of great movies coming out these days, espesially in the "thriller" category. "The Watcher" bears this heavy burden. The movie is NOT awful, and it IS entertaining at key points, but at the same time it doesn't bring anything new or particularly interesting to the table either. It starts out quite unappealing but mid-way through becomes quite thrilling, but the ever-so-crucial climax is underwhelming. This is one of those movies that, ten minutes after you've seen it, you've already forgotten all about it. It's one of those movies that makes you wonder why it would be greenlit in the first place because of its complete lack of originality and wide appeal. James Spader DOES make a surprisingly good burnt out hero, and, without a doubt, he is the film's saving grace. Keanu Reeves is, as always, Keanu Reeves,except now he's got his long hair back and kills people. It's probably not something you'll regret spending a few hours to watch, but once you have it's doubtful that you will ever give it a second thought.
78 bummer !
This film has every "arty" camera angle you can think of, which may be cool in a music video, but 97 minutes of it is exasperating.
I'm a big James Spader fan, but he's utterly wasted here, and Keanu Reeves bravely tries to lift this out of the mire with a lovely performance considering the part (fortunately it's a small one), but to no avail. In the end, all you have is a feeling of emptiness...a sad "what a waste of talent and opportunity" kind of feeling.
The ending is an insult to one's intelligence, with a script that sounds as if it was scrambled together at the last minute. Not only is it unimaginitive and stupid, but illogical, because that kind of phone doesn't work that way.
Marco Beltrami's score is really terrific, probably the best thing about this film, so skip the movie, and get the soundtrack.
79 Unwatchable
I won't even jump on the bandwagon and bash Keanu because he did fit the role for the killer and do a decent acting job. James Spader also fit the role of a down on his luck "actor" I mean cop who is trying to drive his life into the ground by making bad choices like "Supernova" I mean using drugs. All humor aside this movie just lacked something. To many flashbacks, a non-existent supporting cast, and an anti-climatic ending make this movie UNWATCHABLE.
80 Superior offering
I saw "The Watcher" in September when it first came out, and found it to be an intelligent though not overly original thriller. The real highlight of the film of course is the charismatic James Spader, looking fabulous as usual, playing a substance abusing former cop. The premise of the film has been done before of course-serial killer becomes obsessed with the cop who wants to arrest him- but this movie is no "Kiss the Girls" but rather rises above its tired premise to new heights of suspense.
Reeves, not the greatest actor but surely as good as the overrated Ben Affleck, really gives a great and scary performance as the killer searching for connectionless young woman to prey on.
The film is interesting because it examines a phenomenon common in America today-lack of communication. It is very possible to get lost in the crowd and be a ghost in your own life.
The film was also deeply psychologically disturbing, and poses many questions. But above all, its a must see for Spader's performance alone.
81 Keanu Reeves make it get 5 stars
um...
This movie is ok. The plot is plausible, the characters believable, but do we really care? The only sane person in the whole picture is the killer himself David Allen Griffin [played very well by KEANU REEVES]. He's the only person with his head screwed on and going about with purpose in his life [albiet killing young ladies using piano wire...]
As Griffin says to Detective Campbell [played by James Spader] 'I want you to say thank you for coming here and saving your pathetic life' because man, it's depressing to look at him in this film ~ Overly depressing. Makes you want to slash your wrists...LOL
Now Ms Tomei's performance in this film is limited. They should have given her more scope, more lines. Then I would have been more simpathetic to her character. Either way, I couldn't have cared less for her situation.
Regarding the direction of the piece all's I got to say is it gave me a headache. All this whizzy blurriness just put me off. I didn't know if I was watching MTV or a thriller. Stop the rollercoaster Mr Charbanic.
That aside, the good points of this movie are it's use of suspense [you really wouldn't want Griffin lurking in your house after dark].
The underscore was superb [by Marco Beltrami] and highly recommended, and there are some nice action sequences.
Keanu lifts the movie above the average ~ well done!
82 Keanu just didn't cut it !
After viewing this movie in the theater, I walked out not really suprised because I kinda figured the movie wouldn't be that good, but I tried it because I liked Keanu in the Matrix. Well, let me tell you, his "Whoa" voice that he speaks in just ruined his serial killer character because he just talked too goofy and wasn't scary at all. The darkness and spookiness of the movie gave it kind of a cool tone, but without a good bad guy, it's not a good movie!
83 Overly Formulaic
This is a film that you could figure out the ending in a matter of moments. You know who the killer is (Reeves), and you know that he will be brought down by the "intelligent" officer (Spader), the real question is only that of how long is it going to take to catch him. This film is done in a way that makes it painfully dull to watch. We have seen all of these scenes of violence in other movies, but in the other movies they were done more tastefully. The real truth is that Reeves does not make a great villian. He may be torturing these women, but all you can help to think is that you saw him in Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure. You do not want to see Bill, or was he Ted, strangling a woman. You do not want to see anyone doing that. We, the movie going public, have seen these formulaic acts of violence committed numerous times, by now they just lose any merit and originality. This film should have tried to be original. Instead it is just a retread of many films we have seen before.
84 It Is Not So Perfect But Well Acted
I went to the cinema with a great desire to watch it.My thoughts about this movie was crashed with the end of it However I want to mention that Keanu was very succesful he acted very well also James Spader too but there are some missing in this movie .First of all the ending is not so good it can be made more interesting it is so ordinary.Then the atmosphere of the movie is not so high you can not get yourself into the movie , it is a mistake to make this well writen movie like a pop corn film .They could make it better but I don't know the reason why they make it so ordinary .To sum up I can say that watch this movie but don't expect many things however it is worth to watch it.
85 Not the best of movies, but A for effort!
I went into the theater expecting to see a total clunker. But I was pleasantly surprised. Not by the movie on a whole, but the individual performances were pretty damn good.
My instant reactions to the commercials were: Keanu Reeves and James Spader in a movie? Keanu playing a bad guy? I am *so* there! And I'll tell you, although the movie is not fast moving, and not that action packed, it was quite enthralling.
The commercials dressed the movie up as Keanu's character, Griffin, stalking his victims for awhile...maybe dating them, and then murdering them. But in the movie, it is not that way at all. Must less intimate you'll find, his real reason for killing is for the attention it brings him of Spader's F.B.I. agent, Campbell. His true obsession is not with murdering, but with the one trying to arrest him.
Good performances from Reeves, and as always, with the consistently excellent Spader. I really enjoyed the interaction between the two actors.
86 .......not a perfect movie but very interensting~~~
A detective (James Spader) tracking a serial killer (Keanu Reeves) gives up all hope of solving the crimes and moves to another city. After he's settled in the old acquaintance makes himself known. The serial killer has resurrected and begins sending him new pictures of new victims. One of which is the detective's psychiatrist (Marisa Tomei). OK, I have to admit that the trailer of this movie, The Watcher, gave everyone the feeling that the film it's self was going to be a horror movie. I also have to admit that I didn't expect to like this movie as much as I did and I mean that in a very good way. The plot it's self was written in a way to make the characters very believable and the actors made the film even more action packed and even more real and realistic. For instance, the character that one, Keanu Reeves played came out to be very extremely real and quite a bit scarry and even a bit more grim and I would like to also add that Keanu Reeves did even a greater job as a serial killer then he would of as a F.B.I agent ect. Instead of Keanu being the good guy in this film, James Spader takes his place and what a great job that he does playing a tired old burnt out retired police detective who suffers from flashbacks from the past because as it turns out .... David Allen Griffin (the serial killer) that Reeves played chose the character that Spader's plays' wife and as it turns out she was killed... "The Watcher" keeps you at the edge out your seat and it makes you wait until the great conclusion of this movie. You may find that parts in this movie are seemingly and suprisingly predictable but it doesn't really matter that much because every movie its self has its flaws and I have to be honest that this movie "the watcher" isn't all that perfect it is just one of those great movie that we love to enjoy and watch over and over and over and over and over again .... I am going to be honest as a truthful critic and give this movie about *** starts out of the usually ***** stars .........
NOT REALLY A SPOLIER ..... This movie contains some great scenes of the killer's girl victims being bound and gagged!!!! what a great movie!!!!!
87 2? stars
The Watcher-**1/2 stars-Rated R-Starring Keunu Reeves, James Spader- Another movie that is a lot of fun. It stays fun the whole movie and it is suspensful and interesting. Also good performances by Reeves and Spader. A good movie, but it has the feeling of a formula action movie. Wait for the video.
88 OK, so it wasn't scary...
OK, so it wasn't scary, but Keanu has really matured in his acting ability. The movie was a bit boring. The scenese with Spader are too long and drawn out. Tomei looks like she needs a nap throughout the entire movie.
89 This Is *The* Most Amazing Movie...
Keanu Reeves makes an excellent serial killer, if I do say so myself. James Spader is really cool as a burned-out FBI agent. Marisa Tomei puts in a good preformance too. The music is amazing in this movie - I highly recommend you buying the score. If you listen carefully in the beginning, you can catch one of the songs from The Matrix. (another excellent Keanu movie) The visuals are stunning, I really like the effects and off-center camera angles - they really add to the drama. You start to feel for the characters after a while - Keanu is tripped out in this movie! All in all it is a wonderful expirience - bad reviews aside.
90 All I can say is..wow
I saw this movie this weekend..wow...I don't think that I have been kept in awe from a movie for as long as I was...this movie was excellent..it wasn't quite as scary as I thought it was going to be, and despite all the bad ratings, I think its still worth going to see. Keanu Reeves does a great job playing the bad guy, something I didn't expect he would be good at. Its been years since I've seen James Spader in anything, and I thought his portrayal was wonderful. Marissa Tomei is a nice addition to the cast also. It wasn't what I would call a "nail biter"...but it was an excellent movie...
91 An unusual psycho
I saw the movie yesterday, despite bad reviews from local press. If you are looking for scariness, don't expect it from this movie. This is one very unusual psycho killer, who can cause you to laugh at the oddest moments. Predictible, maybe, in the sense the good guy always wins. However, you will experience some tense moments (mainly of how is he going to get away this time?). The different camera filters keep you off balance, along with giving you a sense of mystery. What is the connection with the burnout cop and this psycho killer? James Spader does a burnout cop without the sense of realism. He is more of a second banana to Keanu Reeves. Keanu Reeves plays the psycho killer a little off balance, not what one expects from the movies, but more real life. This is one psycho killer that you just have to kinda like, due to his humor and his just being a regular "Joe". Scary, in a strange way, because Keanu played it to real life psycho killers instead of the movie ones. A few good chase scenes and very nice explosions for those who need action. A bit of drama to add to the mystery. A bit of humor to lighten the movie, but at the same time to scare deep inside. Also the movie poses some interesting questions. Do we really notice people, even ones that we see everyday? Don't watch this movie expecting to see a movie version of a psycho serial killer. This movie is something far more complex and real under the layer of trash. At first glance you might just agree with the bad reviews and miss out on something unique.
92 My Review...
The "Watcher" is a movie about a serial killer who preys on women. The "Watcher" played very well by Keanu Reeves, follows a detective from Calofornia, were he murdered the cop's lover to Chicago where he takes some much needed time off.
"Watcher" is a very good movie. Keanu Reeves played the killers' role well. Being that it was so different than his other roles. I really would like to commend him on switching roles, usally he is the one chasing the bad guys.
This is, next to the Bill and Ted series {Just One More! LoL}, Keanu's best film.
A must see.
Hope my review helped your descion either way!
Have a NiCE LiFE!
Ryan
