P2 - Review

Director: Franck Khalfoun
Writers: Aja/Levasseur/Khalfoun
Starring: Wes Bentley/Rachel Nichols
Runtime: 98 minutes

P2 is a flick about a young corporate go-getter that finds herself stuck in an underground parking lot on Christmas Eve. She's all alone, the lights go out, she's kidnapped by a psycho, and a long chase ensues.

That's the movie in a nutshell. On the whole, it's not a very good film. It is derivative, and at times merely silly. For all that, however, it works on its own cheesy plane and some suspense goers might like it if only for a laugh.

Rachel Nichols makes her first turn as marquee star in this movie. It is not a great performance, and she isn't helped by the director or the screenwriter. In many scenes, she is allowed to talk to herself, which is a sure sign of bad direction, bad writing, or both. In one scene, her car won't start. "You've got to be kidding me," she says. To herself.

There are many bad moments like this. Several times in the film, she says, "That's great," and "Oh, come on," when things don't go as planned. At another point in the film, she finds the front doors of the office won't open. "You've got to be kidding me," she says. Again. To herself.

No, Rachel. We are not kidding you. The doors really are locked and the car really won't start. We know it isn't "great," or "wonderful." Get on with your life.

It's a shame that she was allowed to do this, or worse yet, told to. An actor that has to say, "You've got to be kidding me," when confronting pitfalls is heading for a real drubbing from the audience. The audience isn't stupid. They know the car won't start, and they know the doors will be locked. They don't want to hear Rachel Nichols cry foul, they want to see her do something about it.

The film is virtually a two-actor show, as Nichols faces off against Wes Bentley. He plays Thomas, a nutso security guard that is obsessed with making Nichols his girlfriend. A few of their scenes together are quite good, but when it comes to the run away-hide-run away-hide fare, it's as tedious as ever.

Nichols' character is named Angela, and if I ever hear the name "Angela" again in this lifetime, it will be too soon. At one point in the film, Thomas tells Angela to stop calling him by his name because he knows she's using Psych 101 on him. He's one to talk: while he chases Angela around the parking lot, he screams her name upwards of a hundred times.

Suspense fans won't find much to like here, so it will be to their benefit if they can use their experience, realize that what they're watching is the same old-same old, and have a laugh. Wes Bentley is actually quite funny in some scenes, and the teenage crowd will love the cocktail dress that Nichols is stuffed into. It's such an obvious eye candy jiggle-ploy that it's funny and a bit pathetic. Watch as the camera is sure to catch every bit of cleavage it can, even when Nichols is hacking away with an ax, dialing a phone, or cowering in fear.

P2 won't scare you, but it might help you kill some time. With that in mind, wait for the DVD.

Photos: Yahoo Movies