Mind Hunters (2004)

A select group of FBI trainees have been chosen to join an advanced psychological profiling unit. Taunted by their eccentric teacher Jake Harris (Val Kilmer), the recruits are disturbed by his seemingly warped mind, but appreciate his craft. This adept group of profilers will take their final test-- a simulation-- on a remote island. Sequestered for the weekend, Harris taps J.D. Reston (Christian Slater) as the team leader. As the recruits settle in for their graduation assignment, they discover a serial killer is ready to strike-- and it's one of their own. Can they profile under pressure?

Intrigued? Don't be. Wait, be intrigued, just don't expect too much. Director Renny Harlin dabbles in the smart, but ultimately settles for mediocre. Mind Hunters is a fast-paced, slick production on auto-pilot. Everyone is a suspect and Harlin plays his audience for every minute.

Val Kilmer and Christian Slater aren't allotted enough time to really contribute. Unfortunately for me, Kathryn Morris (CBS' Cold Case) is front and center. Ugh. Still, the cast is solid. Jonny Lee Miller, LL Cool J, Clifton Collins, and Patricia Velasquez (The Mummy trilogy) help make Mind Hunters respectable.

The generic plot doesn't call for anything special. Plot holes are gaping and astute agents are stupid on arrival, but director Harlin manages innovative gruesome death sequences that break the monotony.

Effective, but forgettable, Mind Hunters is an entertaining, if illogical, contribution to the serial killer genre.