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List Price: $14.99 | | Label: Universal Studios
Salesrank: 22264
Released: September 2, 2003 |
| Our Price: $3.32 |
| Used Price: $0.83 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Keanu Reeves turns up the heat as a stone cold serial killer playing a sadistic game of cat and mouse with a burnt-out FBI agent (James Spader). This action-packed thriller zooms along against a wild backdrop of twisted streets, screaming sirens and pure adrenaline!
Description of The Watcher:
James Spader stars as Joel Campbell, a former detective traumatized by the death of his lover at the hands of a serial killer he'd been hunting--a psychopath who has taken their combative relationship a little too personally, and has now tracked the retired Campbell down in Chicago. The killer, who methodically studies his victims before killing them, starts sending Campbell photographs of prospective victims and gives him a day to find them before they're killed. Campbell rises to the challenge, returns to his role as detective, and launches a comprehensive manhunt for the killer and the women in the photographs. The Watcher is surprisingly watchable--though it does suffer from an excessive use of arty cinematography. But while the psychological interpretation of the killer's behavior is a little too schematic to be convincing, the portrayal of Campbell is quite strong, particularly due to Spader's performance. A much-underrated actor, Spader is lean and efficient in his portrayal, rarely given to flashy histrionics, but compelling and emotionally complex. Unfortunately, the killer is played by Keanu Reeves; and though Reeves isn't as terrible an actor as some critics may say, he's out of his depth here. Still, Spader carries most of the movie, and the sequences in which the police are trying to track down the victims are nicely suspenseful--in fact, the movie is overall more interested in suspense than gore, making it a pleasant change from most contemporary thrillers. Also starring Marisa Tomei as Campbell's psychiatrist and budding romantic interest. --Bret Fetzer
The Watcher Reviews:
"Whoa Dude, Your Gun Is Actually Loaded!" Gimme A Break... 
2008-08-22 - Okay, who's bright idea was it to cast Keanu Reeves as the serial killer while having James Spader as the good guy cop?!!? Shouldn't of that been the other way around? While that's just one of the problems with The Watcher, it's easy to see why this film is buried in the Reeves library. Keanu plays a serial killer from California who somehow becomes infatuated with a detective that been on his tail ever since his first young female kill. When he kills a woman that Spader was having an affair with, it breaks the detective and he quits the Force, relocating to Chicago. Heartbroken, Reeves' character also moves to the Windy City, restarts his killing rampage, and gets Spader back on the case, all for the thrill of the chase.
While this film has a few decent thriller aspects, along with a good acting job by Spader & a "phoning-in" Marisa Tomei, the whole idea of Keanu as a piano-wire carrying murderer is never truly believed. Even more terrifying is when Reeves tries to play "crazy" by doing a dance that would even make Batman's Adam West or John Travolta's Vincent Vega giggle. Overall, this is one flix that plays more like an ABC Network pilot for James Spader's character that didn't work out in favor for his Boston Legal. Only recommended to viewers that still don't understand that casting is one of the most important parts of filmmaking.
(RedSabbath Rating:6.5/10)
Keanu Reeves: Psychotic Dance Enthusiast... 
2008-06-05 - In THE WATCHER, James Spader is Joel Campbell, a traumatically stressed-out FBI agent in Los Angeles, mentally destroyed by the fiery death of his girlfriend. You see, not only was she burned to death, but it was partly Campbell's fault, at least in his own mind. He had left her behind in order to chase after the serial-killer who had abducted her, uaware that a fire had broken out. If only he'd untied her before leaving! The memory of this haunts Campbell for years, causing him to relocate to Chicago and sedate himself w/ drugs. Now, Campbell is in therapy (in the care of Marisa Tomei!!!!) and making little progress. Of course, things get much worse when David Allen Griffin (Keanu Reeves), the serial-killing nutbag from LA starts to miss Campbell and decides to track him down. Once in Chicago, Griffin begins locating, stalking, and murdering young women. He contacts Campbell, challenging him to a game of save-the-girl-before-I-kill-her. Campbell must snap out of his depressive nose-dive and get to work before Griffin kills again. I liked this movie quite a bit. Spader is excellent in his role as the shattered human being who must rise from the ashes of his own life. Reeves makes a decent maniac, driven by his need for Campbell's interest. As an added bonus, we get to see Reeves dance to Rob Zombie music (very scary stuff indeed)!...
Good old-fashioned piano wire. 
2008-05-15 - The Watcher starring James Spader and Keanu Reeves is a good thriller but the ending is pretty much a dead giveaway. Spader is absolutely brilliant in this and Reeves is a good actor, not sure why people give this guy such a hard time. Marissa Tomei and Ernie Hudson also star. This film lacks depth somewhat so that's why I give this film only three stars but it isn't a total waste of time either. Decide for yourself.
I'LL RIDE WITH DAVID ANYTIME! 
2007-05-15 - THIS MOVIE IS PERFECTION!KEANU REEVES DOES A PERFECT JOB AS DAVID ALLEN GRIFFIN!THE BEST PART IS WHEN THE CHASE IS ON,AND DAVID PUT HIS CAR ON FIRE-HE DRIVES IT WITH IT STILL BURNING!THIS MOVIE HAS SO MUCH ACTION,AND EXCITEMENT.IT'S ALSO SUSPENSEFUL.
KEANU REEVES
2007-04-02 - KEANU REEVES DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB IN THIS MOVIE!HE HAS THE PERFECT LOOK AND ATTITUDE.THIS MOVIE'S FULL OF SUSPENSE,ACTION,AND EXCITEMENT.THIS IS THE BEST SERIAL KILLER MOVIE FROM 2000 TIL NOW,AND KEANU IS THE BEST ACTOR TO PLAY ONE!I LOVE HOW HE DROVE THE CAR,AND THEN HE PUT IT ON FIRE,AND HE STILL DRIVES!IF YOU LIKE SERIAL KILLER MOVIES-DEFINITELY GET THIS!I SEEN THIS MOVIE 4 TIMES AT THE THEATER,AND SO MANY TIMES HOME.THIS MOVIE IS EXCELLENT!
