After the not-so-talked-about Man in the Iron Mask and a terrific supporting role in Woody Allen's Celebrity, Leonardo DiCaprio returns in his true follow up to his blessing/curse that was Titanic.

The Beach features DiCaprio as an American tourist in Thailand looking for adventure. He finds it when he bumps into a crazed foreigner named Daffy (played to the energetic hilt by Robert Carlyle). It seems that Daffy has a map to paradise, and, with the help of two other tourists (Guillaume Canet and Virginia Ledoyen), DiCaprio decides to seek it out.

The Beach takes aspects of some good stories (Lord of the Flies) and some very mediocre ones (The Blue Lagoon, and Six Days Seven Nights), but ultimately, it doesnÕt really work. That's surprising considering this moronic tale was directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting and Shallow Grave).

DiCaprio remains an energetic, charismatic screen presence, but here, he doesn't have much of a character. There also aren't any sparks between him and his love interest (Virginia Ledoyen).

It also doesn't help that there is no one to root for in The Beach. In fact, the film doesn't have an antagonist either. It's a major disappointment to find that paradise is full of a bunch of unlikeable hippies.

Watching this film, I got the feeling that all involved only participated to hang out in such gorgeous locations. Gorgeous they are, but unfortunately, that doesn't make a good movie.

In the end, The Beach may look like paradise, but it feels like a waste of tremendous talent.