Everyone's a critic: 'The Last King of Scotland'

Three stars (out of four)

"The Last King Of Scotland" is a powerful film with tense, edge-of-your-seat scenes and fantastic performances.

Forest Whitaker is simply magnificent as the President of Uganda, Idi Amin, and is mesmerizing as he is able to capture both Amin's magnetism and megalomania. Whitaker manically flips between charm and rage -- investing even a subtle eye flutter with deadly meaning at the drop of a hat. His performance is chilling, vicious, menacing and hilariously horrific.

I've only sat through it once, but it's permanently etched in my mind and spirit. It'll be tough as heck to sit through it due to its content, but "The Last King of Scotland" is a must see.

-- Donna Sternickle

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Three and a half stars (out of four)

"The Last King of Scotland" stars Forest Whitaker in what is probably his most impressive role yet, playing the Ugandan President Idi Amin.

A young brash doctor from Scotland goes to Uganda to be Idi's personal doctor. Little does he know that he is caught up in political turmoil. Praise goes to Whitaker in his most powerful role to date. This movie starts out a bit slow, picks up a little, then toward the end had me on edge of my seat!

-- B.D. Vancil

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One and a half stars (out of four)

I can easily see why Forest Whitaker won an Academy Award for this movie. His portrayal of a charismatic crazy man hits the mark.

Unfortunately, his performance does not carry the movie.

The story centers on a Scottish doctor who comes to Uganda in the 1970s on a medical mission and ends up being personal physician to ruler Idi Amin.

Amin's legacy is the barbaric way in which he led the country and eliminated thousands upon thousands of people he considered a threat.

The movie moves slowly at times. There are many instances where it hints at the bad things that Amin is doing, but assumes the audience knows more about the history of Amin's reign in Uganda than they have been shown.

This makes it hard to follow at times and easy to miss the point being made.

The climax to the story is gruesome, but probably fitting of Idi Amin.

-- Shirlene Hecht