The Great Gatsby (**)

It seems that movies can have children, afterall. The proof is here: Baz Luhrmann's 1920's redo of his very own 'Moulin Rouge!' Oh wait, it's actually based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, right? Regardless, here is the summer movie everyone was waiting for during the 2012 holiday seaon. Why the release was bumped to early May is slightly confusing, but at last we can see what all the hype was about... Or what it was supposed to be about.

We meet the hero, now driven into a depression after the bout of parties and sex he experienced. Told through narration, we see flashes of the colorful life he shared in the peculiarly wealthy homes of New York City. Drinking, sex, color, modern music, it's a wonder Leonardo DiCaprio didn't break out singing 'Lady Marmalade.'

We all know the story (or I think we should, based on most high school's English reading syllabus), we all know Baz Luhrmann's directorial style. Perhaps it was a good idea on paper, but the end result is a kinetic mess of a movie, a story overdrawn and too heavy for its own good. What can one say walking out of this movie except 'wow, that was a chore.'

The problems lie in several areas. First the cast. Our star, Tobey Maguire, continues to get work even though his acting skills are on par with, well, Lassie. He manages to completely miss the weight his character but bring to the story, and alongside DiCaprio and Mulligan, he fails to complete the trio. That's not to heap praise on Leonardo, either. He seems to have fallen into an acting rutt, and it seems virtually all his performances carry the same mannerisms, ticks, accents, and gestures. Is he one of the world's greatest actors, or is he revealing himself to be a flash in the pan?

And the story itself. Well, I don't think I will be the first in declaring 'The Great Gatsby' an unfit story for the 3D process. There are moments of depth and clarity that it perhaps lends itself to, but the majority of the film clunks along in a never ending barrage of poorly-written dialogue scenes. 3D or not, seeing a teary-eyes Carey Mulligan popping out of the screen towards me in no way enhances the viewing experience.

There are parts of the movie that succeeded, in some regards. Going into a Luhrmann film, one expects obscene party scenes, and he does not disappoint. There is a refreshing take on the roaring 20's that he somehow manages to capture through the Beyonce/Jay-Z soundtrack. In trying to dig for more pro's to add to my list, however, I come up short.

Perhaps I am not a fan of this style of filmmaking. Perhaps I was having a bad day when I saw the movie. Perhaps my opinion is invalid. Or perhaps this is simply a mediocre movie.

(Awards potential: No awards potential)