THE BONE COLLECTOR

If you want a dependable suspense thriller and can handle grisly crime scenes, The Bone Collector delivers. Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie give the film its strongest qualities, while Phillip Noyce keeps the story moving with superb pacing. The film’s focus is ultimately on stopping evil and honoring the courage required to confront it.

That focus does not erase the cost. The movie includes disturbing images that may be difficult to forget, along with numerous obscenities, profanities, violence, and suicidal feelings. Its detective work is often compelling, but plot holes, unsharp dialogue, and an unclear killer motivation hold it back from greatness.

The practical answer: mature adults who are not sensitive to grisly material may find it worth seeing, but families with children or young teens should choose something else.

Lincoln Rhyme is a world-renowned New York police detective and forensics expert who became quadriplegic after trying to rescue a fellow officer. When rookie cop Amelia Donaghy discovers a serial killer’s crime scene, her natural instincts attract Rhyme’s attention.

Working from his bed and relying on his brilliant mind, Rhyme guides Amelia through a series of gruesome investigations. Together, the reluctant partners use stealth detective work and carefully gathered evidence to pursue the killer.

Three stars means a solid genre film with clear strengths and noticeable weaknesses. Denzel Washington gives Lincoln Rhyme a strong presence despite the character’s physical limitations. Angelina Jolie is believable as a resistant rookie overwhelmed by the murder scenes, and Queen Latifah provides occasional comic relief as Nurse Thelma.

Director Phillip Noyce handles the thriller’s pacing superbly. The film moves smoothly and keeps its audience alert. Its dialogue is not always sharp or credible, however, and the killer’s motivation remains largely unknown. The clues are clever but lack clear purpose. Still, the movie succeeds as a suspense thriller.

The film presents crime solving in largely humanistic terms. Its central good is the determined use of intelligence, evidence, and courage to stop a serial killer. Lincoln Rhyme’s physical limitations do not erase his authority or usefulness; his brain, shoulders, and one finger allow him to guide the investigation from his bed.

The story also includes romantic overtones between the main characters. More importantly, it places the viewer amid repeated images of evildoing. The review’s moral concern is that dwelling on such evil can be unhealthy for the mind and soul, even when the story’s larger focus is the effort to stop it.

The film aligns with a moral opposition to evil and admiration for people willing to confront it. It departs from a biblical worldview by treating crime solving in humanistic rather than explicitly God-centered terms. The source connects the film’s better emphasis to Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

This is a well-paced, competently acted thriller with a clear moral focus on stopping evil. Its gruesome images, strong language, violence, and disturbing suicidal feelings make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For mature adults with discernment, it is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. Families seeking gentler viewing can start here:.