austinchimp Review of Mr. Rice's Secret

Mr. Rice's Secret (1999)

A sick, bizarre film. How did they get bowie to be in this?

[11 September 2002]

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** This is one of the worst films ever. The dialogue, acting, and direction are all appalling, but the real problems lie in the story and logic. First of all, no kid in the world would beat up a friend because they had cancer, or shout "Hey Cancer!" at them. Not unless the attackers were seriously disturbed, although after living through the event in this film they probably would be. Think about it. Why would Bowie's character live in a small canadian suburb if he really was a super being? Why would the boy develop a suspiciously close and secretive relationship with a strange reclusive man? Why would bowie's supply of magic potion ("I cannot tell you where or how I got this" why? because the writers couldn't be bothered to think it out) suddenly begin to run out at the moment the boy turns up? What boy in their right mind would secretly film the funeral, and then actually dig up the grave of a weird stranger purely on a hint of a hunch. And what kind of kids would be so easily and casually persuaded to go along with grave digging and corpse tampering? The "clues" which lead to the by discovering the potion are oblique and ambiguous to say the least. And the whole treasure hunt which involves gravedigging, breaking and entering and a whole load of other stuff leads the boys to the house where they started! With no appreciable purpose for the whole thing! Why didn't Mr rice just POST them the letter? And what the hell was with the Undertaker? He really DID want the boy to die so he could get his body?!? Why?? It doesn't make sense. I feel dizzy now thinking about it. Why David, Why? Watch this film, if only because you have to see it to belive that this is a mainstream kids film.