Mindhunters (2004)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Renny Harlin

Writers (WGA):

Wayne Kramer (story)
Wayne Kramer (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

13 May 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

For seven elite profilers, finding a serial killer is a process of elimination. Their own.

Plot:

Trainees in the FBI's psychological profiling program must put their training into practice when they discover a killer in their midst.

Plot Keywords:

FBI | Serial Killer | Island | FBI Trainee | Helicopter

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Eion Bailey	...	Bobby Whitman
Clifton Collins Jr.	...	Vince Sherman
Will Kemp	...	Rafe Perry
Val Kilmer	...	Jake Harris
Jonny Lee Miller	...	Lucas Harper
Kathryn Morris	...	Sara Moore
Christian Slater	...	J.D. Reston
LL Cool J	...	Gabe Jensen (as James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J)
Patricia Velasquez	...	Nicole Willis
Cassandra Bell	...	Jen
Daniël Boissevain	...	Second Man in the Bar
Antonie Kamerling	...	Man in the Bar (as Anthone Kamerling)
Jasmine Sendar	...	Friend of Jen
Trevor White	...	Attacker

Also Known As:

Mind Hunters (USA) (alternative spelling)
Mindhunters (Finland)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence/strong graphic images, language and sexual content. (re-rating)

Runtime:

106 min | Australia:105 min (edited version) | Denmark:101 min (edited version)

Country:

USA | Netherlands | UK | Finland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:18 | Brazil:18 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18PL | Malaysia:U (cut) | Japan:R-15 | Malaysia:18SG (DVD release) | Malaysia:(Banned) (theatrical) | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Belgium:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Canada:R | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-13 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R | Mexico:B15 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

In the final scene on the beach the body of water is supposed to be the Atlantic Ocean, but it is actually the North Sea off the coast of Holland.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just after the boat incident, it is supposed just after 11:30. However, right before the scene of Sara stitching up Lucas' arm, we see a clock number flip from "00" to "01". Sara then looks at a clock and it's 11:40.

Quotes:

[first lines]
J.D.: How about I drive, huh?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Cold Case: Mind Hunters (#2.9)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

So Sorry to Say

Surprisingly Entertaining

Knowing Renny Harlin's track record, you never know what to expect from the Finnish director. It seems it's more or less random which of his films turn out to be crap or really quite good. I didn't know what to expect here, and maybe my low expectations were part of the reason why i found this film to be surprisingly entertaining.

The setup is pretty standard-fare for a serial-killer film. What makes this different is the victims. They are FBI-agents in training to become profilers. Their teacher is Jake Harris (Val Kilmer) who likes to use special methods while training his agents. As a test the profilers-to-be are sent out to an army training facility on a desolate island. A small town is built on the island and the morning after their arrival a murder will have happened in the town, their job is to find the killer. Something goes wrong however and it seems the game has become real, a killer really is on the loose and now he's chasing them.

To say that this story is unbelievable and forced is an understatement. The whole set-up with an abandoned island feels a bit cheap, a lame excuse to get the agents alone in a place from which there is no escape. But if you can accept that particular bit of plot then the rest is not bad at all. The atmosphere is well built and the suspense is thick. Also most of the actors do a pretty good job creating that "anyone-could-be-guilty"-feeling.

So, even though the serial-killer thing has been done a thousand times and even though the set-up here is even less believable than usual, this is still an enjoyable experience. It might not be revolutionary, and it might not be something you'll remember for very long. But if you like this kind of movie you will at least be entertained for as long as it lasts. I rate it 6/10.