I hit the movies the other night to check out the new Robert DeNiro flick, 15 MINUTES. It's a good thing that this movie wasn't really hyped up that much because it was kind of a disappointment. The performances by DeNiro and Edward Burns were very well done. Unfortunately, the script didn't quite allow either character to develop properly. The movie was full of decent scenes that tried way too hard to be riveting. The movie kinda jack knifed from one subject to another... leaving some fairly important characters in plot limbo. You never really know what's up with anybody in this film. The writers supply us with great visual scenes that are obviously supposed to be emotionally charged but, due to the lack of any linear train of thought, they just confuse us even more. Robert DeNiro plays a NY cop that the city and media adores. Edward Burns plays a street smart fire inspector.

What seems like a simple fire turns out to be a vicious homicide and brings these two characters together. Tired clichés and all!! This movie pulls out all of the stereotypical "action movie" devices. Most famous of which is the "likable character gets ready to propose to the woman he loves but something comes up at the last minute and he ends up dying and never getting the chance" device. It's in there. If the devices don't kill you, the bad guys will. One's an overacting spaz and the other is basically a retard with a camera.

Which brings me to the thing I hated most about this movie. One of the bad guys has a thing for movies... he wants to make movies. He steals a camcorder and proceeds to record EVERYTHING that happens between him and his buddy. This becomes annoying because half the damn movie is shot from this camcorder perspective and watching it is like watching a home movie filmed by the damned Cookie Monster. It's shakier than Blair Witch and will make you dizzy as hell. The film starts cliché... it develops into an even MORE cliché story and it ends cliché. The ending is like a carbon copy right out of the first DIE HARD movie. The movie definitely could have been worse... but it also could have been much better. If you're gonna see it... leave after the first half... you'll know when that is if you see it. Trust me