Review of The Number 23 (2007) by Chris S — 13 Jul 2010

The whole thing that drew me to this movie was Jim Carrey being in a horror movie. I probably wouldn't have been half as interested if he wasn't in it. I immediately became less enthused when I realized who Joel Schumacher was and what other movies he had directed. For those who don't know, he's the director of films like Batman Forever, Batman and Robin, and 8MM. A big deal was made about him and Jim Carrey reuniting for The Number 23. I can't really say that it was a reunion that everyone was looking forward to or one that paid off in the end.

When I first saw the trailer, I was excited as hell to see this movie. It somehow looked like the ridiculous premise could actually be promising. It was a discussion with a guy at work that really brought the idea of the movie into a new light. He was saying that it looked stupid and that it had one of the worst ideas for a movie he'd ever heard. While he was explaining it, I realized how ridiculous the movie really sounded. I just hadn't really thought about how it would sound out loud. Jim Carrey was really the selling point of the film. I really enjoyed his more serious roles like the one in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Why would I feel any different about this film?

Right away, people are going to compare Jim Carrey's actions to another role; a certain pet detective. I can't really blame them, especially after he continues to tell the dog a story while he's trying to catch it. There were certain things like that in the film that made things humorous when they probably weren't meant to be. He said something along the lines of, "I rest my case, your honor," that just reminded me of Liar, Liar. I couldn't help but laugh. Some of the dialogue that's exchanged in the last act of the film didn't make things much better. I think I was waiting for the point in the film for Jim Carrey to just go absolutely insane where he could go over the top and just be crazy. It never really came though. He does go crazy and he does it well, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. The other thing I wasn't happy with was the "twist" of the film. It made the entire film a waste of time. There were several things left unanswered, as well. Unless there's a sequel, we'll never get those answers. We can only assume.

In the end, I was honestly just disappointed with the film. I had heard so many bad reviews, but didn't want to believe them. I went into this wanting to like it, but I guess my expectations were still higher than I originally intended. I didn't hate the film, but I didn't like it either. I really disliked the twist, but other than that the movie did have its moments.