Gothika

If only as much effort had been expended on story logic and credible characters as director Mathieu Kassovitz puts into generating goosebumps, this wannabe-cerebral supernatural horror thriller might have boasted more than just a few good shudders and jumps. Halle Berry plays a criminal psychologist who blacks out after a car accident caused by a ghost and wakes up in the prison asylum where she works, accused of axe-murdering her husband. Despite the fact that she's a professional shrink who should be calm and rational, Berry goes berserk, and ends up being pinned down and medicated by her suddenly patronizing ex-coworkers (including the subtly superb Robert Downey, Jr.). No clever twist explains this behavior (hers or theirs), but it only gets worse when the pale blonde ghost (backwards-walking, matted-hair-in-the-eyes, à la The Ring) returns to haunt Berry in the excessively stage-designed penitentiary where florescent lights flicker wildly at the slightest provocation. With more character development and common sense, Gothika might have been a smart chiller-thriller with The Sixth Sense ambiance. As is, it's a forgettable fright flick that wears its psychological themes like a Halloween costume. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: Available in both widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary by director Mathieu Kassovitz and cinematographer Matthew Libatique, the music video “Behind Blue Eyes” by Limp Bizkit (featuring star Halle Berry), and a trailer. Bottom line: a skimpy extras package for a half-baked thriller.] (R. Blackwelder)[DVD Review--October 19, 2004--Warner, 2 discs, 98 min., R, $26.99. Featuring the same bonus features as the original DVD release, additional extra features for the two-disc Gothika: Special Edition include a 16-minute “On the Set” making-of featurette, the visual effects featurette “Painting with Fire,” Berry's four-minute segment on Punk'd (Ashton Kutcher sets things up so that Berry is denied entry at the film's premiere), a 19-minute segment from MTV's Making the Video for “Behind Blue Eyes,” three brief animated and audio “Drawings” segments, notes and background featurettes on three characters (2-3 min.), a trailer, and DVD-ROM features. Bottom line: Why? If you have the original version of this semi-turkey, you really don't need the minor extra stuffing here.]