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I am fully aware of the fact that most film critics here in the United States did not approve very highly of the 1999 Denzel Washington film "The Bone Collector". But despite the fact that only twenty-eight percent of them would agree with me, I think that "The Bone Collector" is a well-made mystery thriller with solid performances, especially toward Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, a good plot, great tension, and a well-executed story.

Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington plays a quadriplegic detective who is asked to help with an investigation dealing with a serial killer operating in New York. He appoints a rather reluctant female detective played by Angelina Jolie to lead the investigation outside his hospital room since he cannot walk himself. He communicates with her through radio, giving her hints and tactics as they try to figure out who the killer is, who he will strike next, and how they can stop him.

Yes, this plot is one that has been reused many times and this yet another case. But just because you reuse a plot does not mean the end product is going to be horrible and not entertaining. I myself enjoyed "The Bone Collector" and did not find one scene where I was bored, even though I had a pretty good idea on what was going to happen next. It gets a strong rating for its performances, action scenes, and good general entertainment value.

I've read quite a few comments on this movie and some of them I disagree with and others I don't. Sure, it may be a little predictable and a bit 'all been done before' but there is a certain level of originality and uniqueness to it also.

For starters it has a fantastic cast and both lead actors (Jolie and Washington)have won Oscars and thats says something. It can't be easy playing a paralysed man and remaining so still and wooden and he plays the frustrations and emotions so realistically that I would imagine a person actually would be like in real life. Jolie is charming, composed and works well with the camera. Her character is convincing enough and this goes for her performance.The support cast is fantastic too, especially Queen Latifa.

The film may have the usual iconographic elements found in the psychological thriller genre but they are necessary for it to firstly conform and also progress. 'The Bone Collector' introduces new techniques and a slightly different angle for the viewer. there has to be a certain amount of repetition with this genre for it to work and this is the case for many others, such as romantic comedies and a couple falling in love or teen flicks with a football jock character.

I am currently writing my degree dissertation on sexual subjectivity in psychological thrillers and this film is perfect for that. The changing levels of gendered representations is very interesting and both supports and detracts away from the current representations in society.

I say, give it a go! Don't listen to people who have already seen it and didn't like it. If I'd have done that then I wouldn't have given it a go and my dissertation would have been short of argument!

I loved this movie when it 1st came out re watching it wasnt as good as i remember it but its still a lil better then your avg crime thriller! The killer makes for a good villain i will say it was not a waste of time re watching this movie just not what i remember.

Denzel Washington plays a former cop who is injured in the line of duty and becomes a crime scene investigator and expert witness in the service of law firms. Angelina Jolie plays a cop who is struggling to find a place within a male-dominated police culture, and shows a talent for crime scene investigation, which Denzel's character immediately recognizes and appreciates, since he is bedridden and physically unable to go to most crime scenes. She is reluctant to get involved, but does wind up grudgingly serving as his eyes and ears as they try to follow clues left by a serial killer who gives clues about his next victims and taunts them and the police.

While Denzel's character is almost too brilliant to be believable, if you can overlook that you should thoroughly enjoy this movie. Denzel and Angelina, together with cops of varying competence, try to follow the clues given to them by the serial killer, who gives them clues before the killing actually occurs.

Most people who enjoy a dark, suspenseful movie (such as Silence of the Lambs) should thoroughly enjoy this movie.

An extremely overlooked film in my opinion. Yes, Se7en and Silence of the Lambs absolutely annihilate this, but for a 90's detective case it's rather compelling. This is what happens when you cast two great leads, a decent film is produced. Much like any other serial killer story, our main characters must find out who the homicidal maniac is before they kill again. The difference is, the forensic expert is paralysed and so he trains an unwilling rookie to solve the case. Murder case aside, it's all about passing on knowledge and skills to another peer in order to complete a task. Rhyme is unable to do anything, so he envisages his own image within Amelia. Turning her from a rookie cop to the perfect forensic investigator. Highlighting the importance of communication and trust. Fortunately Washington and Jolie have decent on screen chemistry. Both their talents put together to create an explosion of raw acting. Jolie plays a tough yet vulnerable officer, Washington juxtaposes this with an experienced performance. The two amalgamate to create the perfect crime solving entity. The crime scenes themselves were visceral and not easy watches, particularly being scolded to death by oncoming steam. I loved the gritty realism that is sustained throughout. It evokes a sense of mystery, we are attempting to solve the case with the characters. Supporting cast were good, nothing outstanding. Although I wanted more Queen Latifah! The killer's reveal was a letdown unfortunately. The final twenty minutes were rushed to what was an intelligently paced thriller. And thank God we don't have those horrible slow motion frames that were all so apparent in the 90s...just hideously generic. The Bone Collector is a damn good watch, and for any Washington or Jolie fans you are in for a great time.

Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) is a brilliant police detective and forensics expert who was left a quadriplegic from a job. There's a killer in the city who traps his victims in his taxi cab. Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie) is a beat cop who discovers two bodies buried in the train tracks. The investigating detectives (Michael McGlone, Ed O'Neill) enlist the help of Lincoln who in turn enlists the help of Amelia.

This was right before TV show CSI first air. So it had some fascinating CSI bits for the time. But the movie has two problems. It's a minor problem that Denzel is stuck in bed all the time. It restricts his physicality. It also limits the visual dynamics of his scenes.

The bigger problem is the role of Amelia. After all, she is a beat cop without the basic forensics training. The movie is treating this less as a science and more as an inborn ability that an elder can bestow upon a youngling. Also Angelina is so emotional that it's unbelievable anybody would allow her near the evidences. Heck she fires her gun at the rats. What kind of forensics expert is that?

There is no doubt that Denzel and Angelina are big time stars. It's a simple serial killer movie. They're shooting in NYC. It looks good. There is a good movie here. They should have allowed Angelina be a techie, and let Denzel have a wheelchair. That way she's more believable, and he could be mobile with her.

I am one of those older folks who doesn't care for the kind of movies that are made these days. As such, my movie watching is generally confined to old classic films ala TCM and AMC. But, I do subscribe to all of the premium channels via DirecTV and, occasionally, watch a newer film if the plot synopsis appears to be one that I may be able to tolerate. I have read all of the previous reviews of this film on the IMDB and find them very interesting. Many of the reviews mention a movie titled "Seven". I have never heard of, much less seen, "Seven". I consider this fact to be a fortunate one because I was able to watch "The Bone Collector" without having to constantly compare it to a previous film. In short, I liked this movie. I was entertained royally precisely because I didn't take the story line too seriously. There was not much time wasted on character development. GOOD !! I don't need to know why the characters became the persons that they are. I simply want them to get on with whatever they must do. Another thing that I liked was the lack of sex scenes, which seem to be almost a necessity it today's movies. The two leads did a great job and their chemistry was excellent. Mr. Washington and Ms. Jolie were very believable. The killer? No big deal. I couldn't have cared less who did the killings. I simply waited for justice to be done. In short, I don't agree with any of the harsh criticism that I have read on this forum. I guess that's because I am a rather down to earth person who has no need to turn watching a movie into an academic exercise, complete with thorough analysis of character motivation, etc.

Here's another interesting modern-day serial killer saga which keeps your attention the full two hours. Although grisly in parts, it doesn't overdo the violence.

However, once again we have the too-often case of an ending where the villain talks instead of shoots and, of course, he pays for it. Why oh why does this annoying scenario play out so many times in movies? It's so annoying and stupid and ruins many a good show.

Acting-wise, Denzel Washington gives another likable performance and we get to see Angelina Jolie's King Kong-collagen type lips which are ludicrous. She's too profane and hard-looking for this old-fashioned reviewer, anyway. I'd rate this movie higher with a different lead actress.

I was very pleasantly surprised at this film. Denzel Washington proves again that he can handle any role that he chooses to play. In this case, he plays homicide inspector, Lincoln Rhyme who has been nearly paralyzed after suffering from an accident in the line of duty. But now, when a mysterious killer begins killing off people in a very peculiar matter, he must team with a hard-headed rookie cop (Angelina Jolie) to solve the crimes. Supporting cast includes Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker, Mike McGlone, Luis Guzman, Leland Orser and Ed O'Neil.

I like the way they have the killer as an intelligent person. Someone who has a knowledge of what he is doing. And the way he leaves clues for the cops to follow. To come up with something this perfect, you must a genius. While not really scary, this suspense thriller is actually thrilling as opposed to the many number of "thrillers" that are not even thrilling. (Example: HANGMAN). Thank you Hollywood for giving us THE BONE COLLECTOR. This is a good one. Highly recommended.....5/5.

Good and moving film plenty of mystery, intrigue, frantic action and entertainment. Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) has written investigative books and gained notoriety in New York, and was also connected with a cop conviction. Flashback to Rhyme investigating a death in a tunnel when a falling piece of concrete lands on him. He wakes up in a hospital bed, and unfortunately quadriplegic. Later on , Rhyme's medical tech Richard (Leland Orser) tells him his heart monitor is faulty. Dr. Barry Lehman (John Benjamin Hickey) arrives to talk about Rhyme's request for assisted suicide. The nurse, Thelma (Queen Latifah) surprisingly watches them. Meantime, Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie) is a cop, and her boyfriend (Bobby Cannavale) wants her to commit to her, but she won't. Beridden after an accident, Lincoln doesn't stop by leading an investigation to track down a serial killer, since patrolwoman Amelia is on hand to do all the legwork. The Bone Collector New York City !. Two cops on the trail of a brutal killer. They must see as one, they must act as one, they must think as one, before the next victim falls !. Serial killer vs. Forensic genius !.

Gripping, dark, and tense movie is packed with suspense from the beginning to the end. In this thrilling, grim and suspenseful film, developing a game of cat and mouse between a creepy murderer and the security forces. It isn't too hard to figure what follows from this contrived scenario: lots of gruesome slayings to be picked over, moody set-pieces where Jolie has to creep around in the dark wondering if the maniac is going to leap out, and a romance angle between her and Washington. The material is well known and clichéd at times, no doubt, but all concerned give it top class treatment. This is a modern and impressive thriller that meets all the requirements of the genre, belonging to the new generation of intrigue films from the early 2000s. The Australian director Boyce already had experience in mystery stories and demonstrates it efficiently. On this occasion we once again have a stellar couple of actors leading the cast. On the one hand, the Afro-American actor Denzel Washington is a guarantee at the box office. Washington is commanding as he barks orders to the support team. Next to him appears the actress Angelina Jolie, somewhat unknown at that time. She would shortly after rise to international fame thanks to the Oscar she won for ¨Girl, interrupted¨. The great duo of protagonists are well accompanied by a wonderful supporting cast, such as: Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker, Michael McGlone, Luis Guzmán, Leland Orser, John Benjamin Hickey, Bobby Cannavale, Ed O'Neill, among others.

Filmmaker Noyce is enough of a technician to make sure the movie pushes the right intrigue buttons, and the art direction at the crime scenes is so hideous that isn't apt for squeamish, with plenty of dismembered limbs, blood and gore. This mysterious and sinister motion picture was compellingly directed by Phillip Noyce, he skillfully orchestrates a cool film plenty of suspense, action, thrilling moments and plot twists. The flick works pretty well and is paced along admirably but also packs some brief flawed scenes. Phillip Noyce is a known craftsman who has directed successful action movies such as: Patriot games, Clear and present danger , Blind Fury, The Saint, Salt, and The bone collector . Rating: 6.5/10. Notable, worthwhile watching . After principal photography was completed, a sequel to this film was planned, but never materialized .

The Bone Collector is a serial killer thriller in the vein of Seven. Here the gruesome deaths are hinted at rather than shown in a gory visceral manner.

Denzel Washington is Lincoln Rhyme, a paraplegic detective now bedridden who needs round the clock care after an accident. Rhyme was a brilliant forensic detective who wrote several books on the subject.

Now his superiors want his help as a maniac pretending to be a cab driver, is abducting victims, torturing and killing them yet leaving clues behind for Rhyme to solve. He is assisted by a rookie cop, Amelia (Angelina Jolie) who acts as his physical being as she goes does the leg work and goes out out to the subterranean dark lairs where the victims have been held.

As the film progresses it almost seems like a chess game is being played with Rhyme, the clues are aimed at Rhyme somehow as if the killer is taunting Rhyme, like they might have dealt with each other in the past.

Director Phillip Noyce uses the film such as Sea of Love as a template for misdirection. It even has Michael Rooker playing a police chief, he played the villain in Sea of Love, initially appearing in a small scene.

However the ending was rather cheesy with some campy lines and the motive of the killer felt like a bolt from the blue. Still it is an entertaining thriller but not up to the standards of Seven, Sea of Love or The Silence of the Lambs.

A bed ridden, paraplegic NYC detective, Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington), teams up with a rookie cop named Amelia (Angelina Jolie) to try and catch a serial killer, in this dark, moody atmospheric thriller from Director Phillip Noyce. This is a fine thriller.

From the get-go viewers understand that an intelligent maniac is on the loose, and could strike at any time. That is the very definition of cinematic tension. In addition, the killer uses dark, subterranean spaces to torture and kill victims. That inky darkness, together with a haunting musical score further amplifies suspense.

But, the solution to the whodunit puzzle is ultimately unsatisfying because the screenwriter withholds important back-story from viewers. This could have been so easily fixed with the addition of a line or two of dialogue and/or a brief added scene near the film's beginning. Even so, good plot misdirection creates ample red herrings, so that the killer's identity is not a foregone conclusion.

The film's cinematography, production design, and editing are fine. Washington does a good job as the paralyzed cop. But Angelina Jolie is miscast; she pouts her way through the film looking like she's bored out of her mind. The support cast helps a lot, with highly credible performances from delightful Queen Latifah, capable Ed O'Neill, and reliable Michael Rooker.

The crime scenes tended unfortunately to be in-your-face grizzly. But at least the gore quotient was minimal.

For dark, moody serial killer films set in NYC, I prefer "Sea Of Love" (1989). Nevertheless, "The Bone Collector" can be enjoyed for its elevated level of suspense, its fine cinematography, and its generally high level of acting. Be advised, however, that the film's finale may be a disappointment if you expect all the whodunit puzzle pieces to fall into place, neat and tidy.

I enjoyed The Bone Collector a lot, despite noticing and disliking so many things about it ! I use the word "notice" deliberately, because the film is full of annoying and unbelievable moments, and clichés, that made me stop and think and even consider abandoning the film. That's not a very good situation for a director trying to win us over. But win me over he did, Philip Noyce, by the sheer brilliance of Denzel Washington, the fast pace, the sense of dread and apprehension that permeates the story, the great sets, the colorful supporting cast, and a very god Angelina Jolie. Even the clumsy final action scene, redolent of cheap horror films, did not turn me off ! One of the best "bad" films I can remember.

While the film begins interestingly enough with its premise and initial character development, it settles into mediocrity thereafter and provides decreasing interest with each scene.

The actors in this film plod their way through the story; this is not to say that a different cast would have done better, as the film's dialogue is so basic that even over-the-top performers would draw a yawn out of the audience. Rather, no role is a challenge, no character illiciting any degree of love or hate out of the viewer.

Where this film suffers the greatest is at the root of the plot. A twisted, murderous psychopath is one thing; one with mission and purpose is another. There lies the difference between a slasher flick (Friday the 13th, Halloween) and a psychological thriller (Seven, Silence of the Lambs). The Bone Collector instead lies somewhere between. The villain here is twisted, calculated and smart, yet for all his plotting and planning they have no effect whatsoever on his ultimate goal.

By the time the credits roll we care nothing one way or the other about any of the characters that died, regardless of whatever amount of plot development they received. We care only that the movie made little sense and over the course of 2 hours, took us nowhere.

Well written,well directed step by step mystery with good acting by Young Denzel and Angelina Jolie.

I've put off watching this film for ages because of the low rating but it's actually so good. I always love a denzel film and this is another to add to the list. Denzel and Angelina are an unlikely combo but I thought they worked very well together. I was expecting a bad ending because the film was so good but that rating is bad so i thought it must be the ending but it's a really good ending.

I would have given it 7 Stars only for Jolie was in the movie. She ruined it IMO, her character was super annoying and ruined what could have been a stylish thriller

THE BONE COLLECTOR / (1999) ** (out of four)

By Blake French:

Everybody has seen it, the notorious suspense thriller in which a serial killer madman plays cat and mouse games with a distressed cop; seldom are movies as predictable, dispensable, or formulaic. One of the most recent in this generation's trend of serial killer movies is called "The Bone Collector," and stars Golden Globe winning actor Denzel Washington and the sexy actress, Angelina Jolie. As often true, the production is well acted, directed with focus and precision by Philip Noyce ("The Saint," "Patriot Games"), and creates an appropriate mood for its characters. But even big stars and a appropriate atmosphere cannot save a movie this familiar and predictable.

Denzel Washington plays a heroic cop named Lincoln Rhyme. He is an underdeveloped character, however, the screenplay supplies him with a vast reputation and experiences as a cop; he has written a dozen books on crime scene tactics and his mind in an encyclopedia of crime solving methods. As the movie opens, he is paralyzed at a crime site, leaving him bedridden in his Manhattan apartment with control of only a single index finger. His headquarters is decorated with all sorts of high-tech gadgets and a kind nurse named Thelma (Queen Latifah), who is always there for him when he goes into violent seizures.

A few gruesome murders transpire, leaving a rookie cop, Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie), whose assistance is selected by the paralyzed but smart cop who uses her as his body to stop the psychopathic serial killer. The killer uses a taxi cap to lure his victims to their final and disturbing death. What is most bothersome about this production is that it teases us with intriguing implications of the graphic murders instead of portraying guts and irony by exploiting the supposedly grotesque images.

The production consists mainly of sequences in which various characters loom in dark hallways, allies, rooms, or sets designed specifically for the killer to lurk around in. Of course there is plenty of suspenseful music and a few surprising moments, but the actual story greatly lacks imagination and edge. Angelina Jolie is the movie's standout performance, but she is mainly used as a plot device to explore such areas as listed above.

"The Bone Collector" is not a horrible movie, just a recycled one. The material has been experienced so many times before we can never become too involved in the story or too interested with the characters. What bothers me most is how this kind of story has no cause or purpose; the serial killer's motive, as always, is explained during the climax sequence, and is disposable and contrived. Why do screenwriters create killers with disturbing motives, but no reasoning behind them? Kind of defeats the purpose of rationalism, doesn't it.