Zodiac

I was anxious to see "Zodiac" as it looked like a great thriller. Instead, what I got was a dense, drawn-out movie that seemed to last as long as the two decades it spans.

"Zodiac" follows the story of the search for the Zodiac Killer, from the point of his first announced murder in 1969 into the 80's and briefly to current day. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal as the editorial cartoonist who becomes obsessed with the story, Mark Ruffalo as the detective assigned to the case, and Robert Downey Jr. as the reporter dealing with his own demons, the performances are excellent. While advertised as a Gyllenhaal movie, he really doesn't take over until the final third.

The script is packed with detail, down to exact dates and times that are announced with each new scene. The initial set-up and pursuit for the killer keeps you drawn in. But, just as the killings stop and the trail grows cold, so does the movie. Gyllenhaal's character, real-life author Robert Graysmith, tries to keep the case open as he pursues clues and missed leads. Unfortunately, his desperate obsession is not enough to fuel this near 3-hour movie. Then, to top it all off, the last few minutes are written details of how the Zodiac Killer never has been caught and provides updates on the main characters. I felt cheated.

"Zodiac" does have its moments, and the performances are solid. But when a three hour movie feels like a half-day lecture and provides no resolution in the end, with very few thrills for a thriller, I was disappointed. I give it a C+.

"Zodiac" is rated R with a running time of 160 minutes.