"Copycats," the most recent production in film's serial killer genre, is a clever, intriguing thriller with few noticeable flaws.
Void of excessive Hollywood action clichˇs, "Copycats" scores high on the entertainment scale. The film's underlying pessimistic message and fascinating murders prevail to make this movie a success.
The film even made my pathetic moviegoing experience worthwhile. Although the movie theater was packed, forcing my friend and me to sit in the front row, I was later reassured that the last few dollars I used for admission were spent well.
It's a commentary on the film's success that the woman I sat next to (who felt it was necessary to predict every scene aloud) wasn't right on any of her forecasts.
With my neck bent back as far as possible to view the entire screen, I enjoyed watching the intelligent "Copycats."
Sigourney Weaver, coming off two atrocious performances in "Death and the Maiden" and "Alien 3," redeemed herself with a fine portrayal of the lead role. She plays criminal psychologist Helen Hudson, whose expertise lies in the field of serial killers.
She develops agoraphobia -- the fear of open places -- after a near-death encounter with one of her crazed subjects (Harry Connick Jr.).
No, that's not a misprint -- Connick and his choirboy looks take to the big screen to play murdering psychopath Darryl Lee Cullen. Imagine the charming, romantic musician in a role that has him resembling Ned Beatty's inbred friend in "Deliverance."
Filling out the cast is Academy Award winner Holly Hunter, who shows us why she was a mute in "The Piano." Aside from her overly annoying voice, Hunter is good as M.J. Monahan, an ambitious detective investigating a series of local murders.
Monahan and partner (Dermot Mulroney) recruit Hudson out of retirement for assistance with the case. The doctor and the detectives are drawn into a cat-and-mouse game with the mysterious figure who is imitating the murders of notorious serial killers Son of Sam, Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer.
Borrowing from "Silence of the Lambs," Hudson's imprisoned attacker, the animated Cullen, is consulted for help in finding the elusive assassin.
However, instead of Cullen asking for a prison cell with windows, he goes for the more conventional offer of a pair of Weaver's panties.
The ensuing ending, along with the rest of the movie, has surprising, ingenious moments, yet at times is listless and dreary. With all of its surprising plot twists, the script is played out with Hunter's conventional-ending heroics.
The film's attempt at disturbing the audience with its final scene doesn't quite achieve this goal like other serial killer thrillers "Seven" and "Natural Born Killers."
These few blemishes keep the commendable "Copycats" from fulfilling its potential greatness.