Cell, The

You can blame "The Cell" on "The Matrix" as much as "The Silence of the Lambs." This science-fiction/horror film wins points for style . . . but little else.

Admittedly, it looks stunning. But it's also a cold, calculating piece that is trying to cash in on the popularity of the style-over-substance filmmaking movement begun by "The Matrix" — if not Hollywood's continuing morbid fascination with serial killers.

Unfortunately, in their rush to create something different, the filmmakers here have failed to come up with characters compelling enough to want to follow for very long, and the film itself is rendered in an ultimately hollow style that can't conceal the story flaws, of which there are many.

Of course, maybe that shouldn't be a complete surprise, considering the director (Tarsem Singh) is a newcomer, known for his music-video work. Given his past credits, perhaps it's fitting that his star is wanna-be pop diva Jennifer Lopez, who plays child therapist Catherine Deane.

Catherine's involved in a research experiment that allows her to travel into the mind of her patients, most recently a catatonic boy. Unfortunately, so far the project hasn't yielded any concrete results, and the researchers are in danger of losing their funding, which is where the FBI comes in.

Agents Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn) and Gordon Ramsey (Jake Weber) have finally captured elusive serial killer Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio), believed to be responsible for several kidnappings and murders around the country. Because of a viral infection, he's now deep in a coma, unable to communicate with anyone.

However, the two agents still haven't found his latest kidnapping victim (Tara Subkoff), who they believe is still alive. So they ask Catherine to go into Carl's mind to retrieve that information, if possible.

Needless to say, she's terrified by the prospect. And seemingly with good reason, because damage inflicted on this "psychic" plane can be just as deadly as that in the real world.

Despite the obvious plot similarities to "The Silence of the Lambs," it really doesn't seem like too bad a setup for a film. But Singh is unable to sustain any real sense of tension or actual menace. (You have to wonder what someone like David Cronenberg would have done with this material.)

Not that he's completely to blame here, especially considering that he's working from a script (by fellow newcomer Mark Protosevich) that's filled with duff lines of dialogue like, "If we don't stop him, he ain't gonna stop himself."

Both Lopez and Vaughn also fail to provide any help. In fact, the two of them seem kind of lost amid all the computer-generated background imagery. And the usually reliable D'Onofrio doesn't get all that much to do, except for wearing outlandish outfits and trying to look imposing.

"The Cell" is rated R for violence (physical struggles, as well as violent imagery), graphic gore, occasional strong profanity, full female nudity, scenes depicting torture and rape, brief simulated drug use (marijuana) and brief use of crude slang terms. Running time: 107 minutes.

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