The Number 23

Jim Carrey tries again in the dramatic area with The Number 23, directed by Joel Shumacher (The Lost Boys, Phone Booth, 8MM). Carrey is Walter, a dog catcher who starts reading a book that his wife (Virginia Madsen-Candyman) finds called "The Number 23". He associates himself with the main character, who is a detective obsessed with the number 23. Carrey finds that the character in the book has many similarities with himself, and he himself becomes obsessed with the number 23...seeing it everywhere as it drives him mad. What is the secret of the number 23?

The film got a bad reception critically and box office wise, and I can understand it. It was okay to see the film once, but I wouldn't care to see it ever again. I thought Carrey did a good job, and the story of how the 23 is played out is decent. But Carrey trying to be tough is just that....trying. It's a valiant effort, but after seeing the guy bend over and literally talk from his ass...it's kind of hard to take him seriously after that. The ending....it's one of those endings that when you see it, you never want to watch the film again. It was the kind of "that's it?" type of reaction, at least to me. The supporting cast isn't too strong, and the flashes to the novel (with Carrey putting himself as the detective in the book) is just plain boring to watch. I just didn't care, I was more interested in real life Walter's (Carrey) obssession with this number 23...but the ending was one of those that I think most will see coming....and even if you don't it'll be like "I should have thought of that...cause I've seen this type of ending before". Either way, it's a decent film...not horrible or a pain to sit and watch, but it's also not exciting, scary, funny, or mind-blowing. Just so-so.