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The set up is kind of fun, then the center of the film gets a little boring, then secrets are revealed and you realize you've been lobotomized by stupidity. Elizabeth Shue's cleavage is the best supporting character in this otherwise teeth grindingly dumb movie.

The movie is about as light an R as you can get. It tiptoed past the PG-13 with a little bit of blood, but I have to wonder if they wanted the PG-13 and were surprised by this rating.

Here's a question: what is the tipping point in DeNiro's career that took his from greatness to these crap dwellings? Even Angel Heart is a masterpiece compared to most of the schlock we've been getting from Bobby during the last DeCade. To the real Robert De Niro: Come out come out wherever you are!

As a psychological thriller, or a horror film, "Hide and Seek" doesn't break new ground. In fact, once it's over, the viewer feels somehow manipulated by what we have just witnessed. There are, supposedly, four different alternative endings for the movie, but unfortunately, the one being shown, doesn't add anything to what we have already seen.

Although the film has some interesting moments, director John Polson has gone for the Grand Guignol effect. Ari Schlosberg's screen play gives us hints about what to expect, yet, when we realize the mystery at the center of the story, we keep scratching our heads.

Suffice it to say, this film doesn't add anything to Robert DeNiro's brilliant career. Mr. DeNiro's last choices in films puzzle us, as well as his fans because we know he is capable of doing much better. Yet, as shown with this film and "Meet the Parents", and its sequel, "Meet the Fockers", "Analize This", and "Analize That", the actor keeps us wondering about his choices.

Dakota Fanning is a young actress who shows an uncanny sense of how to upstage Mr. DeNiro in most of their scenes together. As Emily, in this film, this girl shows an enormous range in what she is capable of doing. One can see Ms. Fanning growing to be another Jody Foster in later years.

The rest of the cast is completely underused. Amy Irving is only seen in flashbacks, which is a shame since she is a valuable actress. Famke Janssen has a few key scenes. The same goes for Melissa Leo, Elisabeth Shue and Robert John Burke.

The only consolation was it was shown on cable and we felt lucky not having spent the price of admission.

Widower David and his daughter Emily leave the big city for the country after the tragic death of the Misses. Due to the fate of her mother Emily is going through a tough patch, one might say she has some issues when weird things like mutilated dolls and dead animals appear. But the clincher is her new found "imaginary" friend Charlie. As Charlie asserts himself more and more, darker things start to happen and we all know what that means.

Not a horrible film but the script is horribly clichéd. I enjoyed myself but not quite the way the filmmakers had in mind. My friend and I traded quips back in forth as if we were at our own MST3K party or something. I noticed many others in the audience doing the same so we weren't alone. DeNiro was solid if a bit restrained. Fanning is a pretty good actress for a ten year old. She held her ground with DeNiro and even bested him several times. Hell she barely blinked for the first 45 minutes of the film. The direction wasn't spectacular, not overly flashy but didn't need to be. The script…ahh the script is where the film skids into a tailspin. A veritable Frankenstein's Monster of plots, devices and red herrings that served other films well but became a tepid pool here.

Disappointing but not a total waste of time if you can forgive its shortcomings.

After the suicide of his wife (Amy Irving), David Callaway (Robert De Niro) takes his mentally disturbed 9-year-old daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning) to a new home in the country in upstate New York. Instead of getting better, Emily begins to withdraw further, and she announces to her father that she has a new imaginary friend named "Charlie." At first, her father sees Charlie as a way for Emily to express her feelings. Then a series of vicious acts such as menacing writings appearing on the bathroom walls, and other mysterious occurrences start happening around the house. David blames Emily for doing them, but Emily says that Charlie did it. But is Charlie imaginary? You'd have to ask Emily, who is the only one who can see Charlie. Charlie may actually be both real and very dangerous. The movie is well crafted and suspenseful with a great cast. For a thriller, I did jump a few times. The ending was a little disappointing, but not unpredictable. (20th Century Fox, Run time 1:40, Rated R)(8/10)

This was okay but nothing special. Frankly, I hate to see a young likable talent like Dakota Fanning play morose, ugly roles like this. Let her be a kid who laughs, has fun and acts like a kid, such as she did in "The Cat In The Hat." Since then, she's playing in rougher and rougher films although "Dreamer" with Kurt Russell, I am told, is a nice film.

Anyway, you know that with her and Robert De Niro, you're going to get some excellent acting. The movie also offers a lot of suspense. While it was not fun seeing a young girl mentally tortured and depressed all the time, it was nice to see De Niro play such a low-key role for most of he film.

I would think, without giving anything away, that one viewing of this film would be enough, even if one likes it. Once you know the ending, well......

If you are not a big fan of either Fanning or De Niro (I am) , I wouldn't even give it one viewing.