When the two detectives (Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo) arrive, their firearms are confiscated and authorities tell them there is no access to Ward 3.  Of course it's the scariest looking building on the island where the most dangerous people are held.  Naturally, right?  

 

Digging for clues, the sleuths come across some interesting revelations about the woman's disappearance while DiCaprio's character deals with haunting flashbacks of his difficult past.

 

That's the basic story surrounding the new Martin Scorsese flick Shutter Island, which also stars the fantastic Ben Kingsley.  The film is based on the popular book by the same title, and when fans heard Scorsese was lensing the picture, they were crazy happy.  For good reason, too.  Scorsese can certainly tell a captivating story, which is evident in The Departed.  His in-your-face style never backs down as the gore and intensity build the entire time.

  

  

The acting is outstanding and the cinematography is phenomenal.  Based on those qualities alone, the movie would easily be a four-star picture.  But there is a major flaw with the movie and it is extremely insulting to viewers.  In the same light as The Sixth Sense and Saw, the producers were out to deliver a shocking twist at the end.  The trouble is, the twist is so easily detectable -- even just 45 minutes in -- that it becomes extremely frustrating when the filmmakers try to outsmart the viewers.  It truly does feel insulting.  Moviegoers these days aren't stupid and will be way ahead of the game with Shutter Island.

 

Plus, at a run time of 2 hours and 18 minutes, the movie is way too long.  There were multiple points where the credits could have started rolling, but much to my dismay, it kept on going.

 

WATCH the Shutter Island trailer:  

  

Beware that this movie is filled with graphic gore, tragic scenes with dead children and brief full-frontal male nudity.  Considering those aspects, this is definitely not a movie to take grandma to, but if you're a horror/thriller geek, it's a movie you will enjoy.  

 

But there is one point where I think everybody will be laughing in their seats.  That's when DiCaprio scales the island's rocky cliffs better than Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger.  It is the one moment where I think Scorsese really crossed the line in the realm of realism.  I understand that this is a film far from reality, but c'mon.  DiCaprio climbing near-90 degree cliffs is so utterly ridiculous.  Oh, and he does it without any climbing gear.  Please.  Spare me.

 

One highlight came from the performance of Jackie Earl Haley, who will portray Freddy Krueger in the April release of the Nightmare on Elm Street remake.  His role is captivating and haunting the entire time he's on screen.  I just hope he can deliver as successfully with the razor-gloved, Wes Craven-created killer later this year.

 

I expect Shutter Island will do well at the box office, but I'm sure the movie will eventually find itself lost -- just like the missing woman at Ashecliffe.