Merrick here...


Uncapie sent in his thoughts on THE NUMBER 23 - a film which has defied my every effort to see it. From the sound of things, this may be for the best.

Too bad...I've been curious about this project since we posted a very early review back in September.

Here's the mighty Uncapie...

What a tuna!

"Number 23" can't decide if its a mystery, detective or horror film and after 23 minutes, I couldn't either.

Movie deals with "Walter Sparrow/Fingerling(23 letters)" portrayed by funnyman, Jim Carrey, terribly miscast, that is given a book on his birthday(February, 3. That's 2/3. 23.)by his wife, Virginia Madsen who also plays a dual role and looks equally hot in both, that begins to overtake his life through a series of coincidences dealing with the number 23. But, not only his life, but life an events everywhere in the universe.

Carey's character begins to slip into madness the further he reads the book about "Detective Fingerling" drawing parallel events to his own life not knowing if his reality imitates fiction or if he's actually experiencing what incidents are yet to happen and could possibly be linked to the devil(Insert music que here: Dunh, dunh, duhn!) as he slips into his paranoid world.

Its basically a poor man's version of Roman Polanski's superior and bizarre, "The Tennant" combined with elements from "Angel Heart" and "Secret Window."

Joel Schumacher, who single-handedly destroyed the "Batman" franchise, also destroys this film. Its cookie-cutter directed as if it was done by a first-timer. Schumacher even steals from himself from his past films including the usual color designs seen in his past movies.

Everywhere Sparrow goes, 23 shows up. After awhile its, "Okay, we got it. We saw the opening title. We know what this movie's about!" and it becomes tedious. Its like the "Bat Nipples" in Schumacher's "Batman Has A Dog" movie. Okay, we know they're there already! Get on with the story for Christ's sake!"

I watched the audiences reaction and even they were figiting in their seats before the hour mark. A few even left after 46 minutes(That's half of 23.).

It is interesting that the coincidence of the number 23 appears in our daily lives and events. 23 chromosomes from each parent make up a child, Earth's axis is on a 23 degree tilt, Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times ad infinitum with many more and they do bring up that fact in the film, but after awhile, it becomes boring.

I found that the "Detective Fingerling" character was more interesting than the mild-manner, dog catcher, "Walter Sparrow" when he appeared on the screen though I kept thinking what Colin Farrell could have done with the role. But, then again, I wondered what a better script would have been with a better director that understood the genre.

Save your dough.

Uncapie(7 letters, not 23.)