MOVIE REVIEW - The Social Network

With all the huge media hype, and the sheer popularity of Facebook, it would be tough for The Social Network not to be a big hit at the box office.

TSN is the story based on the story of Mark Zuckerburg and the other young geniuses attending Harvard in 2003, that in one way or another invented Facebook. Jessie Eisenberg stars as Zuckerburg, the now 26 year old billionaire who in the end, ended up with the credit of inventing Facebook. But it wasn't easy.

This story of explores the idea of who really spawned the idea of the wildly popular website. Did Zuckerberg invent it? Did he rip off the idea? Did he intentionally try to steal the idea for his own gain? This movie deals with the legal aspect of the story, and tell it in flashback form as is weaves in and out of the legal deposition, that eventually ends up costing Zuckerburg millions of dollars by numerous plaintiffs who are suing him.

Eisenburg is terrific as the enigmatic Zuckerburg. TSN portrays Zuckerburg as an absolute computer genius. That I don't think can be in dispute. They also paint him as a socially awkward, backstabbing, self involved, selfish, egotistical opportunist, who goes to no end to essentially weasel his way out of any responsibility of any wrongdoing towards others. TSN also puts the spotlight squarely on the young generation. All of it very enlightening. Some of the young phenoms are without question capable of doing amazing things. That is a good and bad thing at the some time. Some of the amazing, is not for the good.

TSN also pulls no punches, showing Harvard students as drunken, drug crazy, endless party-ers that seem anything but interested in their education. I can't imagine Harvard is very thrilled about this movie.

As a movie, is moves along very nicely and holds enough interest to be solid. I've heard a lot of hype on this being one of the years best, and I think that's a bit enthusiastic. It's solid and well done, but I think we have to wait till the heavy weight movies come out this fall, to see how it really stacks up. I think what's happening here, is that Facebook is such a prat of so many lives, now some may be getting carried away with the whole thing.

The Social Network. Sold indeed. Well done and well told. But let's get a hold of ourselves here. This is just a good movie. That's it.