THE THIN RED LINE

Why are critics praising this pseudointellectual, overindulgent mess? Terrence Malick makes his return to the industry he left 20 years ago with this WWII drama which not only is thunderously dull but also completely hollow. Instead of giving us involving drama, Malick shellshocks us with a 3-hour, superficial Discovery Channel special. But the big disappointment is the script--Malick's dialogue is not only empty but just plain silly. Visually stunning, of course, but a resounding failure.