Before we proceed, let's get a few things straight. Quentin Tarantino didn't invent rapid-fire dialogue. He didn't invent graphic violence. He didn't invent quirky characters. He didn't invent stories which don't follow a set time-line. But, he was able to put all of these ideas together in 1994's Pulp Fiction, and thus changed the way in which people viewed film noir and thrillers. Since that time, many films have followed in the footsteps of Pulp Fiction and these films have come to be known as Tarantino-esque. Many of these films seem like copy-cats and aren't very enjoyable. Lucky Number Slevin is a rare exception.

Lucky Number Slevin opens with a story from the past. We see how word of a fixed horse-race got around and several people bet on what should have been a sure thing. However, the horse fell and the bookies wanted their money immediately. The scene then shifts to the present. Slevin (Josh Hartnett) arrives in the city to visit his friend Nick, and he's immediately mugged. He goes to Nick's apartment, and finds that Nick isn't home. Emerging from the shower, Slevin meets Nick's neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu), a perky morgue attendant. Following this, two men, Elvis (Dorian Missick) and Sloe (Mykelit Williamson), come to the apartment, assume that Slevin is Nick and take him to meet The Boss (Morgan Freeman). Nick (the real Nick) owes The Boss a lot of money. The Boss makes Slevin a deal: He will ignore Nick's debt if he will kill the son of The Boss' arch-rival, The Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley). Following this, Slevin is summoned to see The Rabbi (who also thinks that he is Nick), who asks him for a similar favor. Meanwhile, assassin Goodkat (Bruce Willis) is moving behind the scenes, plotting his own scheme against Slevin. How can Slevin get out of this?

To say that Lucky Number Slevin is Tarantino-esque would be an understatement. If you were to screen the film for an audience without giving them any information about it, it wouldn't be difficult to convince them that it's a spiritual successor to Pulp Fiction. I wouldn't go as far as to say that Lucky Number Slevin is a rip-off, but it certainly shares some similarities with Tarantino's film. You've got cooler-than-cool assassins. You've got quirky, but well-spoken crime-lords. You've got flashbacks and stories from the past which are intertwined with the present. You've got quick, hip dialogue (especially from Liu's character, who talks a mile a minute). And you've got twists a plenty in the final act.

So, Lucky Number Slevin isn't the most original movie ever made. That doesn't mean that it isn't entertaining. While writer Jason Smilovic is clearly enamored with Tarantino, he has a few tricks up his sleeve as well. The first half of the film throws many different plot-lines and genres at us, and at first, it’s difficult to tell exactly where this film is going. We get two violent murders, and suddenly Bruce Willis is telling a tragic story about a horse race. Then, the movie seems to settle into a somewhat silly groove concerning the mistaken identity of Hartnett’s character. And this is what Smilovic wants us to think. He’s leading us down a path where this film is simply about a poor schlub who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Things change in the second half of the film and Lucky Number Slevin really hits its stride. Director Paul McGuigan brings a lot of kinetic energy to the movie and the production design (which is lousy with crazy wallpaper) is very interesting. McGuigan doesn’t try to dazzle us with camerawork, but instead infuses the film with a sense of style and the editing allows the story to go back and forth in time without ever becoming confusing (which is a huge plus for a movie like this).

In a world where few things are truly unique, we can forgive Lucky Number Slevin for reminding us of other movies. This is a well-made thriller, which combines action and well-timed plot twists. If nothing else, the movie is worth seeing for the stellar cast. The typically brooding and stoic Hartnett is very good here, as his inscrutable demeanor keeps us guessing about what he actually knows. Liu is likeable here, as, for once, she isn’t playing a “super cool” woman. Lindsey is hyper and a bit neurotic and that makes her much more accessible. Once the mysteries are revealed, repeat viewings of Lucky Number Slevin aren’t very likely, but the journey on which it takes you is fun.

The Lucky Number Slevin Blu-ray Disc contains several extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Director Paul McGuigan. He does a good job of providing scene specific comments and walking us through how the film was made, but it's a bit dry at times. Next, we have a second commentary frmo Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu, and writer Jason Smilovic. Hartnett and Liu are together and Smilovic is edited in. We've heard these sort of commentaries before, but Smilovic is clearly listening to a pre-recorded version of the Hartnett-Liu commentary and he's chiming in on it, so it's sort of strange. That aside, they talk about the film, with the actors talking about the production and Smilovic mentioning his inspirations for the story. "Making Lucky Number Slevin" (13 minutes) is a fairly standard featurette which offers comments from the cast and filmmakers. There is a nice amount of on-set footage and during the interviews, the speakers talk about the characters, the script, and the production. "An Intimate Conversation with Josh Hartnett and Lucy Liu" (14 minutes) has the two actors discussing their characters and their experiences working together. The Disc contains four DELETED SCENES which run about 20 minutes and can be viewed with commentary by McGuigan. There are some nice small moments here, especially from Bruce Willis. The most interesting part is the alternate ending, which makes sense, but is kind of a bummer. The final extra is the THEATRICAL TRAILER for the film.