 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Bone Collector
- Review Date: October 28, 2009
- R
- Genre: Thriller
- 1999
Common Sense Media says
Grisly thriller with great performances; not for kids.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while the thriller elements revolve around a gruesome serial killer, much of the plot revolves around a paralyzed forensics expert who, at the beginning of the film, is planning his assisted suicide with the help of friends. There is a lot of very graphic and grisly violence, with dead bodies aplenty. Characters are shot, stabbed, crushed, bitten, and killed in horrific ways. There is also frequent profanity and some drug references.
What's the story?
In New York, paralyzed forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) has been confined to bed for years after an accident that crushed his spine, leaving him a quadriplegic; he's planning his "final transition," as fluid build-up in his spine will eventually induce more and more debilitating seizures before leaving him in a vegetative state and eventually killing him. But when a serial killer strikes, Rhyme is asked to help with the case -- and he asks rookie cop Amelia Donaghy (Angela Jolie) to be his representative in the field. Can Rhyme's tenacity and Donaghy's courage stop the killer before he strikes again -- and strikes all too close to home?
Is it any good?
Directed by Phillip Boyce (Clear and Present Danger, Dead Calm), THE BONE COLLECTOR feels like a franchise that never got off the ground; you can sense the studio executives setting things in place for a series of Rhyme/Donaghy films, but that never happened. Still, even as a done-in-one-individual-installment, The Bone Collector is a relatively satisfying thriller elevated by the charm and skill of both Washington and Jolie. Confined to a bed, Washington manages to make the act of thinking dynamic and dramatic; even though she's out in the world, Jolie makes Donaghy's inner life come through.
The killer's identity is neither a great surprise nor especially well set-up; the real pleasure comes in the New York locations and in seeing two actors at the near-top of their game work to make a mid-level thriller far better than it had to be. There's some nice supporting performances -- including the always-reliable Luiz Guzman and Michael Rooker -- and the pacing moves as you'd hope a thriller like this would. The Bone Collector may not have launched a series of films, but while it's on, it's diverting enough.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the challenges facing the severely disabled -- as well as the options, and support, they also have available. Talk about the ethics of physician-assisted suicide, as well as the kinds of injuries and hopelessness that would make this an option.
Discuss the popularity of fiction about inventive, diabolical serial killers, in spite of the much more prosaic reality of the phenomenon. What makes these characters such popular villains for Hollywood entertainment?
Families can talk about the popularity of police procedurals and forensics as an engine of suspense and drama; what does this say about our culture's thoughts about law and order?
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AGE
Thrilling film about a "Bone Collector"
A thriller about a brutal serial killer...I'm guessing your first thought is - `hasn't it been done before?`.
Yep, it definately has. I think the one and only comparison that can be remotely related to this witty and steadfast film is "Se7en". Although Se7en is quite a bit more horrific in terms of the murders and the plot, it does a great job at revealing the thinking behind the killer. This is exactly what The Bone Collector does - and you'd have never expected who the killer was, or why he did it. Its definately interesting, and quite thrilling (thankfully, for a thriller), and although I would argue that the violence is not a very strong problem, I wouldn't recommend eating whilst watching it.
Unfortunately, for the makers of this masterpiece, the title doesn't do it justice, so I'm telling you, it's a whole lot better than you would have thought it was.
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| Studio: | Columbia Tristar |
| Director: | Phillip Noyce |
| Cast: | Angelina Jolie, Denzel Washington, Michael Rooker |
| Genre: | Thriller |
| Run time: | 118 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 5, 1999 |
| DVD release date: | August 28, 2001 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | strong violent content including grisly images, and for language. |
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