Tricked

As ever, the paradox of Mr. Verhoeven's style is that it seems to wallow in tastelessness and transgression even as he remains one of the most classical movie craftsmen.

A light but satisfying appetizer, one that will, for better and worse, leave viewers hungry for more.

Bereft of subtext and shot in a largely handheld, TV-ready style, it lacks Verhoeven's usual deep bite, despite the cynical punch line of the ending.

In the end, the fruit of all these labors seems hardly different from what could have been drafted by a few paid scribes, although Tricked does contain more plot twists than the usual hour-long narrative.

Verhoeven must be commended for retaining a jaunty, light-hearted tone throughout.

As with most soap operas, there's a new plot twist every two minutes, suitable for a medium-length format but nothing longer.

It's the most anonymous-feeling thing Verhoeven has made, and easily the tawdriest.

In Tricked (Verhoeven calls it "My 14 1/2, like Fellini's 8 1/2"), the character-driven story still relies on a visual effect - the exposed behind-the-scenes process of filmmaking.

The results of the experiment don't quite make all the tedium of construction worthwhile ... The pieces fit together, but the impact is fleeting at best.

A genuinely entertaining package.

Tricked's greatest pleasure is watching one suggestion for scenes (and developments within scenes) quickly follow another á la some sort of incident-delivering assembly line.

Can the wisdom of the crowds work for screenwriting too?