SUBMITTED BY Scooby

November 6, 2002 — This review of the Mindhunters script contains SPOILERS.

By Neil Bajwa

I was e-mailed the January 9th, 2002 draft of "Mindhunters". Written by Wayne Kramer with revisions by Kevin Brodbin, Kario Salem, and Ehren Krugger, the script looks into the FBI Behavorial Science Unit, or Profilers, made famous by films like "The Silence of the Lambs," and "Kiss the Girls." The movie stars Val Kilmer, Christian Slater, LL Cool J, Patricia Velasquez , Kathyrn Morris ("Minority Report"), Will Kemp, Jonny Lee Miller, Eion Bailey, Clifton Collins Jr. ("The Last Castle") and is directed by Renny Harlin ("Driven").

The script opens up promisingly as we follow two FBI agents, J.D. (Slater) and Sara (Morris), investigating the kidnapping of two girls. Circumstances cause them to rush into action as they bust into an old hotel to locate the kidnapped girls. Things go awry almost immediately as both FBI agents are killed. Or at least we think they are killed until the lights illuminate, and FBI technicians sweep in. Turns out that it was all part of training to be a Profiler. New trainees are introduced to us as a battle hardened Veteran Profiler, Harris (Kilmer), criticizes their work. He discourages the trainees to move further in the program, telling them that the hardest is yet to come. Of course, no one leaves, considering that profiling is one of the most coveted departments in the FBI. Profilers look into certain patterns of crimes, and can determine what type of serial killer is being dealt with. Sara (Morris) is informed by a fellow trainee, Vince (Collins), who peeked at Harris's trainee evaluations, that both of them will not make Profiler.

This sets the tone of the script as the trainees are whisked away to a remote island used for training by Navy SEALS and the FBI. They are joined by Gabe (LL Cool J), a homicide detective from the Richmond Police Department. This immediately creates a tension between the FBI trainees and Gabe. They all find themselves in a fake town, which Harris calls "[t]he most dangerous town in the U.S.A." A town filled with mannequins and pop-up targets. Just reading the script, you get the sense that it is one spooky place. This town will serve as the backdrop as the trainees investigate a series of fake murders orchestrated by an aptly named serial killer, "The Puppeteer," who strings his victims (mannequins in this case) like puppets. They soon found out through the loss of a trainee that the murders are very real. The profilers are now profiled themselves. Now, it turns from a training exercise to a fight for survival, where they can trust no one, especially their fellow trainees.

The script offers plenty of twists and turns. I often found myself guessing wrong on who is guilty and who is not. That problem of guessing the "bad guy" too early plagued films like "The Bone Collector." There was no real "red herring" in this script. It leads the reader down one path, and then changes course down another. Each character had a questionable past. This works because it adds to the mystery of the story and the people behind it. It brings the reader in as a trainee too. We're not sure exactly who to trust. The script also uses imaginative props to keep the story going including a cool scene involving a gun and wall climbing. The dialogue was great in that each character really had their own voice. The only time I rolled my eyes was at the end when the hero had to give a typical Hollywood punch line when taking out the bad guy (or girl).

The problem with the script is that it follows typical Hollywood clichis including elaborate and quite unbelievable death sequences. It seemed to follow the "Jason X" routine of what would be a "cool" way to off someone. It worked in "Jason X" because the movie did not ask the audience to take it seriously. "Mindhunters" does, hoping to take the reader into the world of the FBI profilers. At least, that is what the reader is led to believe in the opening act. I was ready to actually learn something about FBI profiling, but the script turns into a pure suspense thriller.

Overall, "Mindhunters" was a pretty good read. I especially enjoyed mystery-aspect of the script. After reading the script, you come away with no knowledge or appreciation of what the FBI Behavioral Science Unit does. It's meant to be a pure "popcorn" thriller. And a good one too. You just need to be able to suspend your disbelief, which is something that I was not completely capable of doing. If the movie turns out like the script is written, be ready for a movie that entertains and keeps you guessing. It should be worth a late night showing.

GRADE: C+