I could swear a reel was missing when I saw "54", the lousy "Boogie Nights" rip off that is just another sign that Miramax films should stay away from foraying into their heavily marketed studio films. Although the topic is different than Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece, it is handled the exact same way: good-looking kid makes it big with a sleazy boss and sexy women all around him, making lots of money.

I swear, a reel (or two) must have gone missing because this film was only 92 minutes, and the ending seemed to have come out of nowhere. There is a lot that isn't developed. The story opens with a boring voice over by Shane (Ryan Phillippe), who is working lousy jobs at gas stations, and, one night, ventures over with his friends to Studio 54. Shane gets in, naturally, since he is so good looking (character, of course, has nothing to do with it), and winds up getting a job there. Things really take off after that when he becomes bartender, and poses in a magazine. That's when the IRS begins to take notice and does investigation on the club.

The film's forgettable supporting characters include Julie (Neve Campbell), a soap opera star who develops a relationship with Shane; Steve Rubell (Mike Myers), the strange owner of the club; a waitress turned singer (Salma Hayek) and her husband (Breckin Meyer).

All of which give performances rather dull and not very memorable. I especially did not care for Myers, especially, since his role was so small, and throughout the entire film he was too drugged up or drunk to give any sort of performance. Neve Campbell, well, I am waiting for "Scream 3". And for Mr. Phillippe, who has starred in the miserable "I Know What You Did Last Summer", among other films, gives a very low, very dull performance as Shane. He is not as memorable as Mark Walhberg's explosive Dirk Diggler in "Boogie Nights".

Note to Miramax: stop trying to make films like "Cop Land" and "54". They just do not work. You need to go back to writing original scripts and characters, not giving us the silliness of "54" that you put on us. The audience was quiet when I saw this film, possibly because they just discovered they could have seen "Saving Private Ryan" or "There's Something About Mary" instead. Silence is golden until now.

Grade: D-

Tech Review:

Picture: 3 A decent picture which has lots of film grain, however some scenes have outstanding sharpness. There is one scene in the club using blue that looks extremely real.

Sound: 2.5 The film is mixed in Dolby Digital, dts, and SDDS, and the film is pretty much mono except for some surrounds in the club scenes.

Photography: 2 The film is harshly matted to 1.85:1. Enough said.

Length: 92 minutes. Rated R for language and occasional nudity. Miramax FilmsICQ- 4339199 jwhyte2@hotmail.com

This film tries SO hard to be Boogie Nights and fails miserably. I'm quite biased in this area, considering I believed Boogie Nights to be one of the best films ever created, yet I think anyone who has witnessed this debacle will agree. POINT A: Ryan Phillipe hardly has the flair and panache of Wahlberg's Diggler. We really couldn't care less about his character. He has nothing to offer, except a poor impersonation of John Travolta's Tony in Saturday Night Fever. POINT B: I'm 100% positive that the film could have focused on a more interesting clique of people than Salma Hayak and Neve Campbell, among others. For such a flamboyant time in pop culture, 54 offers up some of the blandest characters I've seen in some time. Now don't get me wrong...there are a few redeeming qualities in this disappointing flick. The music is good...at times. Even the soundtrack features almost exclusively disco tunes....whereas Boogie Nights served up a wide array of 70's memorabilia rock. All I can say to sum up 54 is....I am counting down the days until P.T. Anderson next masterpiece.

Shawn Freeze

Here goes, for those of you who grew up during the late 70's this movie is off the mark. It is not what you think, the movie actually seems to center on the owner of the Disco and not the studly boy who becomes man. The music seems to be lacking. From what I can remember there were few songs represented during this time period. Mike Myers gives a great performance as the doomed club owner. As for the rest of the cast they give a performance equal to that of the TV series "Fame". If you're bored and have absolutely nothing better to do, see it at the early show, otherwise wait for the tape.

I did not like this movie one bit,a pure waste of time.The only thing that made this movie wachable was the performaces of Mike Myers who in my opinion should had been the center of the movie and Neve Campbell who's manages to bring some heart and soul to an otherwise one dimetional charater. the other actors:Ryan Phillippe who is the center of the movie has as much charisma as a brick.Breackin Meyer bring as much to his role as a bag of hammers,and Salma Heyck who can't lipesink to save her life. Please,save your money and wait for video.

Okay, I'm the lone bastard who liked 54. Mike Myers is wonderful as pathetic Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell. This is the movie that Boogie Nights should have been, and shares many of the same characteristics (the obvious being the 1970’s setting). But it’s a coherent final product that offers an examination of the time as well as a chronicle of the events that transpire. My problem with Boogie Nights (5 on my 10-point scale) was that much of the characterization ended up on the cutting room floor.

10-point scale rating: 7

OK, whoever thinks that this is a spires - like "Boogie Nights" is dreadfully wrong, the only thing that they have in common in fact is disco, and they both took place in the same time period and climax. A young man from jersey named Shane (Ryan Phillepe), is your mediocare kinda guy, he is somewhere between poverty and a peasant, his mom is dead, he lives with his dad and two sisters, goes to the same clubs every night and starts with the same girls every night. This tends to become rather uncouth for Shane so he decides to cross the river to New York City (My home baby) where the flabbergastic Studio 54 is located. Not only that but his dream girl, drama actress Julie Black (Neve Campbell) was spotted there last night, she is one of the only girls from Jersey to ever make it. He and his friend hop into the car get there only to be denied entry by the nightclub owner Steve Rubell (Mike Myers), Shane is the only one let in, without his shirt that is.

I think Miramax have produced an extremely entertaining film and assembeled an flawless cast, although some scenes become tiresome but the music makes up for that slight minority. Neve Campbell should of had a longer part as well.

The only time we see some action is between Shane's best friend's (Breckin Myer and Salma Hayek), the tension begins to grow as the drugs and sex and death seem to take place between the gang. Mike myers gives an oscar callibur performance as well.

GRADE: B+

Mike Myers gave a rare dramatic performance in \"54,\" a drama about the rise and the fall of a nightclub that is the center of the disco era. a strong cast also helped the movie. Anybody who has an intrest in pop culture will find \"54\" an very intresting film.