Conspiracy Theory: Critic Reviews

En route to this cynical fade-out, Conspiracy Theory does show off enough glossy style ... and incidental cleverness to keep viewers largely hooked.

Donner is slick and shallow, but somewhat off his game here.

What makes Conspiracy Theory interesting beyond its cleverness and currency is how the filmmakers manipulate our feelings about its protagonist, Jerry, a New York City cab driver.

Unfortunately, the parts of the movie that are truly good are buried beneath the deadening layers of thriller cliches and an unconvincing love story.

Donner directs with an efficient hand. He keeps the action moving briskly. But most important for this format, he knows how to slip in a quick joke or two without detracting from the tension of the suspenseful plot.

The plot is every bit as zany and far more elaborate than that of Face/Off, but here again, you just go along with the silliness to savor the performances.

...more long-winded than cunningly elaborate, more simplistic than elegantly simple, and more nonsensical than anything else.

...listening to Gibson's Jerry try to communicate what he's been through isn't suspenseful; it's exhausting.

...confused and disjointed...

...the strong impact that Gibson makes as damaged goods is diluted by selling Jerry as cute and redeemable.

In the hands of stars in denial about their stardom and a director who can't be bothered to take things seriously, it has come out implausible and unsatisfying, a comic thriller that is not especially funny or thrilling.

...a marginally engrossing thriller that ultimately comes off as something of a disappointment...

Two-thirds of a fine comedy of paranoia.

About a truth seeker who has a difficult time figuring out who to trust in a world where everyone seems to be playing multiple roles.

If you've ever questioned Gibson's appeal, this serio-comic thriller offers 135 minutes of persuasive evidence as to why he's become one of the world's most reliable box-office draws.

The film starts to sour after 20 minutes...