Bone Daddy

I didn't realise at the time I rented it that _Bone Daddy_ had no theatre release. It's certainly a cut above a lot of the direct-to-video dross, both in appearance and content, but overall it's only average. The premise is good, but it doesn't quite come off, which is something of a pity. However, there are some truly creepy and gruesome scenes that seem to come when you need them most; as others have noted, don't watch it if you're at all squeamish, particularly if you have a phobia for scalpels and other sharp instruments.

Rutger Hauer stars as Palmer, an ex-medical examiner / author who writes a fictional book about the real-life killer of the title. This infuriates the ingenious maniac, bringing him out of a years-long hiatus.

Soon, the mutilation murders resume.

BONE DADDY is a suspenseful thriller in line with contemporaries like THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and SE7EN. It's well worth watching, especially for Hauer, who puts in another great performance in his sleuthing role.

Gorehounds will love the gruesome scenes, and the manner in which the titular terror lives up to his name...

As the latest direct-to-video Rutger Hauer vehicle, most people will overlook this taut thriller and go for the flick that made it to theatres with a younger star they've heard of. This is an awful shame, because this is Hauer's most solid picture in a while. And it's been a long time coming. Hauer always delivers the goods, even when the rest of the film can't. Finally this film's plot and performances compliment Hauer's inimitable presence. He's second to none when it comes to portraying maverick, middle aged, burnt out/morally impaired, TRENCHCOAT wearing anti-heroes. And he's in fine form here as he triggers a psychopath with his book about a psychopath (the title character). The plot twists just keep coming, things never let up, unlike most DTV fodder.

This movie is actually a pretty good little thriller. Rutger Hauer plays a former medical examiner who has now become a best selling mystery writer. When he writes a fictional account of an unsolved case, the murderer starts killing again, this time targeting people close the the writer.

Unlike so many action films, this movie focuses on the characters more than the violence. Hauer's character, William Palmer, is an arrogant egotistic man who is estranged from his adult son. His attempts to connect with his angry offspring and his grandchildren are quite interesting (and eventually become central to the plot). In addition, Barbara Williams is quite good as the detective assigned to investigate the latest crimes. I had never seen her before, but I was impressed with her performance.

The movie is set in Chicago. Since I live in a Chicago suburb and work in the Loop, a couple of things in the movie amused me. First, although there is some stock footage of the city, it could be obvious to anyone who lives here that none of the scenes were filmed in Chicago or the surrounding area. That impression was confirmed by the thanks to the Toronto Film Commission at the end of the credits. Second, the movie makes it seem that the Cook County Medical Examiner is a major public figure. To be honest, I doubt that 90% of the people in Chicago could tell you who the M.E. is. In addition, I don't think your average M.E gets paid enough to buy a huge mansion on the lakefront.

Those are minor quibbles, however. Really, the movie is pretty good.

"Bone Daddy" is an interesting movie to say the least. I enjoyed this movie very much because it stars one of my new-found favorite actors in Rutger Hauer. Known for action movies, Hauer is quite different in his portrayal of a former medical examiner on the trail of a serial killer.

This is not your average serial killer movies, which is only one of a number of things that attracted me to this movie. Another thing that attracted me to "Bone Daddy" was the fact that the cast didn't seem to miss a beat in their performances. Everything seemed to roll along smoothly. Finally, the fact that the writers carefully plotted to disguise the identity of killer until the last scene (literally) was a stroke of genius. Though some may think it cliche to do this, I thought it worked.

"Bone Daddy" is a complex, nail biting and suspense filled thriller that combines action with drama. Rutger Hauer is at his best as is Barbara Williams. This deserves a look by everyone who is into mysteries and action. I hope you like it as much as I did.