Jacob's Ladder isn't really a horror movie, as I initially thought it was, but in fact an intense psychological exploration of hallucinatory paranoia. Jacob Singer, a Vietnam vet deftly and believably played by Tim Robbins, starts having nightmares about a specific attack his unit experienced back in the Mekong Delta. The movie takes you along effortlessly in revealing the events that happened and his resulting descent into madness. The bizarre images were evocative and unsettling, although not quite shocking or frightening. I liked how the movie pushes and pulls you at will, convincing you of one reality before tearing it all down and putting you into another. The movie was always interesting, its pacing and progression perfect. The cinematography was above average at times, merely average at others. The editing was also quite good, extremely fluid except for a few spots that lingered too long.Much of the movie feels dated, from the characters' hairstyles to the music and dancing. Many hallucinations really did not fit at all (the demon dancing/fondling, or whatever it was) or served absolutely no purpose (the car chase). The scarier parts instead are based in some form of recognizable reality (putting him in an ice bath because of his high fever). Most of the supporting acting was sub-par and/or throwaway (except for Danny Aiello, who was incredibly and surprisingly tender). Also, yes, Jason Alexander was in the film, but his involvement actually hurt the movie overall because I could not separate his George from Seinfeld with his role in this. Also, I found the plot quite predictable and unimaginative. And what is up with the gratuitous nudity? I say, there's no need to go out of your way to see this movie. But if you like Tim Robbins, it won't hurt to stick this in your DVD player.
IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0099871/