Scott LeBrun "Chopper" is a fairly engaging, sometimes humorous depiction of the exploits of Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read (Eric Bana), a notorious Australian criminal. Out to make a name for himself, he would never let the truth get in the way of a good story. He would write a best selling autobiography while doing time, and this movie serves as a fictionalization of various incidents in his life.Writer / director Andrew Dominik ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford") and his fellow filmmakers are right up front about the fact that their film isn't really a biography. Provided that prospective viewers can tolerate some very juicy moments of extreme violence, they'll find that this is a pretty stylish and offbeat experience. Bana, known at the time as a stand up comic in his native country, makes the yarn funnier than it might have been otherwise. It's particularly funny the way that he denies it when he's in pain. His charismatic yet also subtly creepy performance is the main reason to watch, yet he does receive strong support from Simon Lyndon, David Field, Dan Wyllie, Bill Young, Vince Colosimo, Kenny Graham, Kate Beahan, and Serge Liistro. Since Chopper is prone to spinning yarns, his credibility obviously can be taken with a grain of salt, and it allows Dominik and company to relate a particular event from different points of view.Clocking in at a fairly trim 91 minutes, "Chopper" isn't exactly epic in scope, but it delivers commanding entertainment for its duration.Seven out of 10.

wes-connors In an Australian prison, knife-wielding Eric Bana (as Mark "Chopper" Brandon Read) slashes a fellow prisoner in the jugular. Possibly, this is because Mr. Bana does not like his victim's hair. He has covered bald spots with shoe polish. The man bleeds to death. Soon thereafter, Bana's boyhood pal and jail buddy Simon Lyndon (as James "Jimmy" Richard Loughnan) repeatedly stabs Bana. This scene appears to symbolically "copulate" Bana and Mr. Lyndon, who has very nice hair. Bana survives penetration super-hero-style and then chops off his ears to get out of maximum security. Out of jail, he hooks up with old acquaintances and decides to shoot some of them. He pulls out both his pistol and his penis. All of this is nicely acted. The character "Chopper" comes across well, but the film manages to say very little intriguing about him.****** Chopper (8/3/00) Andrew Dominik ~ Eric Bana, Simon Lyndon, David Field, Daniel Wyllie

max well The movie thrived on the excellent character work Bana did in his interpretation of Chopper. It made the film, no doubt about it. The beginning was great, it really portrayed chopper's intensity and charismatic way of going about his insanity. This continues to develop perfectly as he muscles his way about the incoming event's caused by his own demented actions. Still keeping my interest through to the end i did find it went in somewhat of a strange and almost off topic manner. This all leading to a mildly unsatisfying and weak ending. Although it is understandable considering its based off of a real story. And forgivable because it was extremely entertaining. all in all it was an excellent movie.

Rameshwar IN You don't see Eric Bana playing the protagonist, instead you see a maniacal mad man with a twisted sense of humor and a sadistic approach towards life in this biopic of Australia's notorious Mark Reed. Bana made the character his own only occasionally mimicking the half giggle half laughter that generates so much fear and hostility. While most people who knew Reed and author himself has already claimed that truth was never allowed to come in the way of a good yarn, the writers cleverly placed Reed's habitual lying trait into the story that evokes even more unpredictability confusing the audience as to what to believe as a fact and what is not. It would have made Indian film makers proud or even inspired by the attitude of the protagonist in an initial ambush scene.Chopper is loosely based on the autobiography 'From the Inside' written by Mark Reed when serving time which is again loosely based on events in his life. This is not a Shawshank's redemption kind of story about survival in the harsh prison conditions for a crime you have never committed, but about one of Australia's notorious criminal who embraces the prison life often being the troublemaker. He claims more crimes than he is accused for, made more enemies than friends (an understatement) and still in the end came out the winner.Eric Bana must have worked a lot to get his mannerisms right since it does not come naturally to him based on most of the other characters he has played where he comes off as a mild mannered, less talky serious person. Here, he wouldn't shut up. Always up to something, doing bad for someone and habitually lying on every event that takes place. Though the gore and graphic violence is pretty frightening and plays as an advert to stay off prison, the screenplay is very mixed - a lighthearted exchange is followed by an intense cruel episode. A sequence when Reed and some of his acquaintances get high was innovative unlike similar scenarios dealt in other movies. All supporting actors do an excellent job. The cinematography is quite inventive as the visuals are dark and bright at the same time.An Eric Bana show playing Australia's most notorious showman.