Tediously and Unnecessarily Long, Characters Are Unnatural at Times, but Zodiac is Ultimately an Interesting Thriller Worth Renting Once: DVD Review of Zodiac

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal (October Sky, Brokeback Mountain), Mark Ruffalo (13 Going on 30) and Robert Downey Jr. (Chaplin), Zodiac is directed by Fight Club's own David Fincher. The biggest drawback to the film is that this great and talented filmmaker is working with too weak of screenplay.

The Zodiac Killer, a notorious killer of the 1970s pops off people, left and right. Sends letters left and right to newspapers, and threatens to kill more unless these papers print out a series of symbols or codes. Jake Gyllenaal plays Robert Graysmith, a spunky young cartoonist who just wants to be noticed and apprised for his talents. Graysmith immediately figures out the Zodiac Killer's code before anyone else. But do we get time to marvel in the magic of his skill? No.

When we see our central characters again, it's almost ten minutes later. Robert Graysmith is trying to explain the codes to his boss and fellow reporter, Paul Avary (Downey Jr.). Do we get any time to understand what these codes mean? No. We cut directly to a dreamy sequence where we follow a cab driving through the streets. A spectacular opening sequence for a random taxi of death - so to speak.

Someone gets killed, and someone in the area calls 911. Someone wakes up Inspector David Toschi (Ruffalo) to investigate the killing. Then we get to meet his partner, Inspector William Armstrong played by Anthony Edwards. If you remember him at all from E.R., you'll have a hard time seeing him with a flat-top haircut. There are some great moments between these two characters. Unfortunately, the film is too preoccupied in showing us some well-directed, but ultimately elaborate, stylized slasher killings that leave nothing to the imagination, and leave us feeling hollow.