Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4203 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-09-24
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 151 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Watching Zodiac with Se7en and Fight Club in mind might disappoint those expecting a typical David Fincher movie, but his exploration of a serial killer’s reign across 70s San Francisco is highly rewarding, provided you’re willing to put in the (2 and a half) hours. The Zodiac killer submitted citizens of California to everything from fear to mild bemusement for the better part of a decade with his media-baiting ciphers and acts of terrible violence. Meanwhile reporters, police and an obsessed cartoonist named Robert Graysmith spent those years trying and ultimately failing to put a face to the name. Fincher’s own fascination with the case really comes across here, and while he doesn’t shrink from the horror of the murders, this is his most traditional, but most accomplished feat of storytelling to date.

The pin sharp dialogue and perfectly paced story is accompanied by a first rate cast – most notably Robert Downey Jnr’s hack Paul Avery and Mark Ruffalo’s dogged homicide detective David Toschi. The story veers away swiftly from standard serial killer fare to intense procedural, focussing on the obsession of the men trying to stop Zodiac. And the real accomplishment here is that audiences will feel their regret, because to this day, the killer has never been caught. Despite this and the intimidating running time, those with the patience will be rewarded with one of the best crime thrillers in years. -–Luke Mawson

Synopsis
David Fincher's (FIGHT CLUB, SE7EN) adaptation of the Robert Graysmith book masterfully transports viewers to the Bay Area in the 1960s and '70s by drawing on actual case files from the notoriously unsolved Zodiac killer mystery. As a murderer with seemingly random targets starts sending terrifying threats and cryptic codes to police and publishers all around San Francisco, fear and paranoia descend on the city. Through slow pacing, Fincher creates an effectively chilling atmosphere in which he spins a thick web of character-driven plotlines. Early scenes depicting the Zodiac's first-known murders vividly capture the victim's fear and agony and will leave viewers haunted. When the Zodiac’s ciphers arrive at the San Francisco Chronicle, they spark the interest of Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), a young cartoonist with a penchant for puzzles. As the former Boy Scout earnestly tries to decode the messages, eccentric reporter Paul Avery approaches the case from a career-boosting angle. Meanwhile, a string of investigators from four jurisdictions carry on a complex and unsatisfying search for the elusive killer. Inspectors Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Anthony Edwards) at times collide with Avery and Graysmith, whose interest in the case extends long after most have given up. Even at two-and-a-half hours in length, this dense murder mystery should manage to keep its audience riveted throughout. Paired with stellar performances from Ruffalo, Downey, Gyllenhaal, and countless others, a clever script produces well-developed characters, and the film's art direction, music, and costumes all combine to create an authentic sense of time and place. The sombre tone of the atmospheric thriller gives the film a documentary-like aesthetic at times, lending weight to the story’s facts while never relying on cheap tricks. Unlike murder mysteries such as THE BLACK DAHLIA, ZODIAC invites viewers to develop theories of their own, allowing them to come to their own conclusions.

Customer Reviews

Interesting
I don't know much about the case of Zodiac outside of this film, so I can't really comment on how close to the truth the story of this film is, or how well each person played their part in comparison to their real-life counterpart. However, I can comment on this film for what it is - a fascinating story of a cartoonist's search for the identity of a serial killer who all else seem to have given up on ever finding.

The pacing of the film is slow, but if I'm honest, that's the type of pacing that I prefer, where the director lets things build up rather than adopting the 'thrill-a-second' approach that certain directors have taken with their films lately. The acting was good - I'm usually a big fan of Jake Gyllenhaal but I wasn't really blown away by his performance in this film - it was OK, he played his part, but I didn't really connect with the character at any point. I was impressed by Robert Downey Jr, who plays a believeable Paul Avery, but my favourite performance of the film by far was by Mark Ruffalo as David Toschi - he really made the character his own.

The plot is interesting, but of course limited due to being based on real life case. I've heard people complain that the ending is unsatisfactory as we never 'really' find out who the Zodiac killer is - only who he 'probably' is, but I'm pleased the film chose to stay true to the facts rather than adopt a more hollywood 'all loose strings tied' approach. I can't really pick any faults with this film, the actings great, the script is faultless, the direction brilliant, but I've still given it four stars instead of five because, although there's nothing really wrong with it, it's still missing a certain something that makes it extra special. Some films have it, some don't, and sadly this film falls into the latter category. But that's not to say this is a bad film at all - in fact, it is a very good one - just not the greatest.

Obsessed Cartoonist
"Zodiac" is a moderately interesting but overly long film about a serail killers reign of fear in the San Francisco area in the late Sixties/early Seventies. It starts off with several vividly captured and realistic murder scenes before descending into the dense realms of a police procedural and highlighting an amateur investigation by an earnest, obsessed newspaper cartoonist ,played by Jake Gyllenhall."Zodiac" is based on a true story and the facts are that this perplexing case has never been solved over the years. The length of this film is I guess in keeping with the longevity of the police investigation into the case.I didn't find "Zodiac" to be a particularly gripping or absorbing film and it is hardly a thriller either, but it does just enough to keep the viewer from switching off.

Boring
I waited - and waited (a long time - 2hours 30 mins)for this film to kick off - and then the credits rolled!

Nice cinematography. Where was the Director when the editing was happening? Pity about the mumbled dialogue.

Fascinating? - Yes. Entertaining? No. Was this a thriller or a true-crime re-enactment? It failed on both counts.

Don't watch after dark - its easier to stay awake while watching during the day.