Courtesy of KRT Campus

Though “Lucky Number Slevin” has its funny moments, the movie is not likely to have moviegoers chuckling as they exit the theater. They’re more likely to be confused as to why such a talented cast – including Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley and Stanley Tucci – couldn’t bring more life to this crime thriller.

The main problem stems from studio executives consistently being drawn to this kind of convoluted “hip and clever” script because it results in films that take moviegoers on so many twists and turns, they don’t realize the film actually didn’t make any sense at all.

Leading-man Josh Hartnett plays the unlucky Slevin, a victim of mistaken identity who gets trapped in the middle of a war being plotted by rival crime bosses – The Rabbi (Kingsley) and The Boss (Freeman). Unrelenting Detective Brikowski (Tucci) and hit man Mr. Goodkat (Willis) have constant surveillance of Slevin. All the while, Slevin has love interest Lindsey (Lucy Liu) to worry about, as he tries to weave and smart-mouth his way out of the confusion.

Alongside Hartnett, who fails to carry the film with his irritating run-on sentences and mindless chatter, are Academy Award winners Kingsley and Freeman of critically acclaimed classic films “Gandhi” and “Million Dollar Baby,” who are simply too good for this material. One scene has The Rabbi and The Boss seated beside one another with clear plastic bags around their heads, getting punked by Hartnett’s supposedly tough one-liners. It might be somewhat entertaining in a ridiculous kind of way, but it’s hardly believable.

Willis – in a totally forgettable role – is mostly seen creeping out of dark corners and staring stoicly past the camera. He’s also finds himself in a series of tedious, far-fetched scenarios such as one wherein Mr. Goodkat shoots a man and still has time to slowly ride out of frame attached to a snail-paced elevator.

Sadly, the actors are merely victims of an overly complicated, underwhelming story. The real crime committed in “Lucky Number Slevin” has less to do with mob bosses and shady deals and more with letting such a cavalcade of talented actors go to waste.

Some would say this film houses a distinct visual and editing style that equals a cinematic spectacle. But what it’s actually comprised of is a mess of editing, excessive flashbacks and unnecessary camera tricks. The effort would’ve been much better invested in a great script tied together by creativity and not a predictable trick-ending that’s supposed to catch the audience off-guard. When films ignore all the actions leading up to a plot twist, it’s deceptive, and the hour-long time investment feels like a rip-off. It’s a misleading cinematic device tacked on to make the whole film feel smarter than it was.

The good news is that there are still some great movies out there that are genuinely “hip and clever” as well as smart and complex however, this “Number” isn’t one of them.

-‘Lucky Number Slevin’ opens in theaters this Friday.