The story of Jekyll and Hyde was of course used for movies like a zillion times, so a director that takes up this worn-out theme should think twice about what he can add to all the others. I wonder if this director thought even ONCE, for this version didn't bring anything new whatsoever (apart from a 21th century make-over), I thought it even worse, to be honest. Whereas the classic interpretations (and of course the novel itself) show us the inner turmoil of an ambitious scientist, here we just see a dull and sulky student (okay, VERY good-looking, I grant him that!), stuffing himself with a self-made drug and blabbering into his camcorder from time to time how it effects him. This goes on and on until the end, and we never get any good reason or motivation.
The movie is wavering between a psychological thriller and a horror-flick, and as a result it turns out as neither. For a horror-movie it's too boring, apart from some creepy music (quite good, by the way!), all the exciting things that could help to enliven the movie (like witnessing the brutal murders of Hyde) take place outside the range of the camera. Furthermore it badly lacked an involving storyline, because nothing much really happens.
And then there were many illogical inconsistencies. How could Jay keep up his work as a medical student, while raving night after night? Where did he get the money that he so obviously and lavishly spent when he was Hyde? How come none of his friends ever met him during these Hyde-outings, the "Hyde-effect" didn't change his appearance at all (apart from the obvious dropping of his glasses). And what happens to all the bodies that he supposedly leaves after him throughout town, doesn't the police do anything?? There's even a body in his bath-tub that he (again out of our sight) approaches with some kind of acid. Are we to believe that this makes a body evaporate into thin air? And how can he build up and maintain a complete drugs-lab in a building that's obviously under construction so where working-men should walk forever in and out?? Even the ending is dumb. His (ex-)girlfriend and his professor wander for some 15 tedious minutes through the building (the one that's under construction, but not one construction-worker is in sight, although it's the middle of the day) before finding that Jay just killed himself there goes your climactic finale!! Strangely enough, the suicide by blowing his brains out is shown in total close-up and is even repeated two or three times, as if the director wanted to make up for not showing any other violence in the movie.
In conclusion, this movie is over-pretentious, totally superfluous and a waste of Bree Turner, who's not only very good-looking but also a fairly good actress.
The movie is wavering between a psychological thriller and a horror-flick, and as a result it turns out as neither. For a horror-movie it's too boring, apart from some creepy music (quite good, by the way!), all the exciting things that could help to enliven the movie (like witnessing the brutal murders of Hyde) take place outside the range of the camera. Furthermore it badly lacked an involving storyline, because nothing much really happens.
And then there were many illogical inconsistencies. How could Jay keep up his work as a medical student, while raving night after night? Where did he get the money that he so obviously and lavishly spent when he was Hyde? How come none of his friends ever met him during these Hyde-outings, the "Hyde-effect" didn't change his appearance at all (apart from the obvious dropping of his glasses). And what happens to all the bodies that he supposedly leaves after him throughout town, doesn't the police do anything?? There's even a body in his bath-tub that he (again out of our sight) approaches with some kind of acid. Are we to believe that this makes a body evaporate into thin air? And how can he build up and maintain a complete drugs-lab in a building that's obviously under construction so where working-men should walk forever in and out?? Even the ending is dumb. His (ex-)girlfriend and his professor wander for some 15 tedious minutes through the building (the one that's under construction, but not one construction-worker is in sight, although it's the middle of the day) before finding that Jay just killed himself there goes your climactic finale!! Strangely enough, the suicide by blowing his brains out is shown in total close-up and is even repeated two or three times, as if the director wanted to make up for not showing any other violence in the movie.
In conclusion, this movie is over-pretentious, totally superfluous and a waste of Bree Turner, who's not only very good-looking but also a fairly good actress.