You’d think Jim Carrey acting in an allegedly serious film would be enough to make it a pile of crap, but the ridiculous plot, bad direction and hilariously predictable story twists mange to turn a really bad movie into something bigger, stinkier and more poo-like altogether.

Jim “believable” Carrey plays dog-catcher, Walter Sparrow (that’s right, he’s a pet detective) who is given a murder mystery novel by his wife for his birthday. The murder mystery’s plot revolves around numerological superstition of the number 23 and how the main character becomes obsessed with it. Amazingly, Walter starts to become obsessed with the number too. Once he begins noticing parallels between his and the main character’s lives and mannerisms, he develops an obsession that threatens to tear his very sanity asunder! Can you believe it readers? He starts noticing astonishing coincidences surrounding the number and begins having dreams that he is a murderer once he finds out that his fictional counterpart becomes so in the novel. The film builds up to a cataclysmic plot twist that will leave you shrugging your shoulders in riveting anticipation of obvious mediocrity.

Joel Schumacher has an awful lot to answer for. Admittedly, he’s had some early winners (St Elmo’s Fire, The Lost Boys, Falling Down), but Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997) are capitally punishable offences in most parts of the world and The Number 23 belongs in the same cess pool.

It seems like now that he’s an “old Hollywood hand”, he just wants us all to sit back and marvel at his experienced direction, without actually paying any attention to the overall product.

Some of the digital effects during the film are worth looking at, Walter’s dream sequences and the fictional world of the novel look pretty cool and stylistic. But the lack of a feasible lead actor, the Swiss-cheese-like plot and the ultra-drawn out style of direction make it pretty unwatchable.

Recent lobotomy patients might well enjoy.

Rating: 0 out of 5