Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Paul J. Nemecek I like movies based on Stephen King novellas. Occasionally I like films based on King's novels (e.g., The Shining), but two of my favorite films based on King's writings are Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption. Apt Pupil is based on a King novella and directed by Bryan Singer, the innovative director who gave us The Usual Suspects. Throw in a leading role for the rising star Brad Renfro (The Client, Sleepers) and a supporting role by British veteran actor Ian McKellan, and what more could a guy want? Plausibility, for a start. Not having read King's novella, I am not sure if I should blame him or rookie screenwriter Brandon Boyce, but the flaws in the film are in the story.I often tell students in my film classes that there is no greater "sin" in filmmaking than to take a story worth telling and tell it poorly. Apt Pupil is about a bright 16-year old high school senior who becomes fascinated with the holocaust. Long after the subject has passed in his history class, Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) continues to read and research. As a result of his intensive research, he becomes convinced that a reclusive neighbor is Nazi war criminal Kurt Dussander, former commandant of several concentration camps. Todd gathers evidence (including fingerprints and photos) and when he has assembled irrefutable proof confronts his neighbor with his past. Rather than turn Commandant Dussander in, however, Todd wants to blackmail him--not for money, but for stories. Todd wants to know "what they won't tell us in our classes." Todd wants to know what it felt like; he wants to hear the stories. Somewhat predictably, the evil from the past works its way into the present and becomes a cancer on the soul of both characters.The basic premise of the film is interesting, the acting is excellent, and there are some nice touches in terms of cinematography. What keeps this generally good film from being a really good film is three plot points that are too contrived to elicit the willing suspension of disbelief in the viewer. The device that Dussander uses to turn the tables on Todd is a bit thin. Even thinner are two subsequent identifications that become problematic for Dussander. With a little more work I think the writers could have accomplished the necessary twists and turns in a manner that was not so thoroughly implausible.In spite of this, the movie is engaging and certainly disturbing. It is disconcerting to realize that the human capacity for evil is so easily invoked. In light of recent hate crimes, the message of the film is an important one. I had hoped for something like The Usual Suspects meets The Shawshank Redemption. In the end, Apt Pupil is better than average, but a bit short of what it could have been.

SnoopyStyle Top high school student Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) uncovers his elderly neighbor Arthur Denker (Ian McKellen)'s secret identity as Nazi war criminal Kurt Dussander. Instead of turning Dussander in, Todd blackmails him to recount stories of the Holocaust and his inner Nazi is revived. Todd's grades go down and his interest in life suffers. School counselor Edward French calls him in and Dussander pretends to be his grandfather. Dussander turns the tables on him claiming to pull him down with him if the authorities are called in. Todd starts to study again and go out with friends. Then Dussander raises the stakes.This film based on Stephen King's story has its creepiness. Renfro and McKellen do their roles well. After McKellen goose-step in the Nazi uniform, I expected him to convince Todd to his Nazi ways. It would be great for him to persuade Todd to hate. I don't buy his threat to pull him down with him because the situation is easily explained. It makes Todd a lot dumber than I want him to be. Instead of threats, it would be more compelling to lure him by reasoning. As soon as Dussander made the threat, any reasonable kid would go to the cops to spin the story his way and preempt any story that Dussander would tell. It's creepy but I never bought all the way in on this movie.

deatman9 They take so many of Steven Kings many best sellers and turn them into movies. For the most part they miss the mark by a longshot with only around three exceptions maybe 5 depending on who you ask these include The Shining, Stand by Me, and the Shawshank Redemtion. Most of his books tuned into movies are terrible and this is one of those.The acting is alright but its nothing like the book at all. The book was very disturbing while this is not in the least disturbing. The story line is not even kept the same. It was the biggest disappointment since "IT" you should only really watch this if you have not read the book but then again Id just say read the book.This movie is about a young boy who finds out one of the elderly men in his neighbourhood is actually a Nazi war criminal. He ends up blackmailing him into telling him the horrors of the Nazi death camps because the kid has a sick obsession with it. He thinks he has all the control over the old man but the old has his tricks.Like I said this movie is no where near as good as the book. If you want a really intense disturbing book read it stay away from the movie unless there is no chance you will ever read the book.

MeloDee The movie Apt Pupil begins with a slow, but definitely solid start. Our protagonist, Todd Bowen, is an honor student at his high school. His history teacher is teaching "holocaust week" and Todd becomes intrigued and heads off to the library after class for more information.On his bus ride home, he spots a man who looks familiar- a little too familiar. Todd recognizes him to be Kurt Dussander, a Nazi who is being hunted for various crimes he committed during the second world war. After collecting a lot of evidence proving that the man he spotted was indeed Kurt Dussander, Todd decides to confront him. He gives Dussander (who is living under the alias Arthur Denker) an ultimatum; tell me all about your involvement in the holocaust, or I turn you and all the evidence over to the police. Dussander agrees to share his stories with Todd, and thus was the beginning of a confederacy that was to lead both parties involved down a path of darkness. Ian McKellan gives an amazing performance as the sarcastic and witty Kurt Dussander. In my opinion, McKellan definitely carried the movie. He was totally convincing as the seventy-five year-old former Nazi, so much so that it was almost hard to imagine him as the same man who would later play as the vivacious villain Magneto of the X-men series, or the kindhearted and powerful wizard Gandalf of the Lord of the of the Rings. Brad Renfro gave a less thrilling performance as Todd Bowen, the highly intelligent protagonist with a shade for the sadistic. Renfro was too many sullen stares, bored smirks and petulant exclamations, and too little harsh resolve, but at moments he did shine. And perhaps his moody performance was somewhat appropriate to the character, a teenage boy entangled in something from which he could not escape.I cannot accurately draw a comparison between the book and the movie, having only seen the movie, but I can say that from what I've heard and read, the book and movie should be judged on their own merits. The movie isn't so much as an adaptation as much as almost a reinterpretation or retelling of the original story, and has a drastically different ending from the book. All in all I can say that I enjoyed the film- it didn't absolutely blow me away or have me eager to watch it a second time- but it was worth the paltry sum that I paid for it and maybe more.