Christmas Eve? The wrong place at the right time? Sound familiar? "The Long Kiss Goodnight" could quite easily have been a third sequel in the action series "Die Hard". Just substitute Bruce Willis for Geena Davis, put him in Niagara Falls where a group of 'black ops' are planning some terrorist activity and wammo, there you have it. And director Renny Harlin should be quite aware of the similarities.
Having helmed the second in the trilogy, "Die Harder", and being the man who directed Stallone's career resurrecting "Cliff Hanger", Harlin seems to be just the man for the job of guiding wife Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson (probably the hottest property in Hollywood at the moment) through their paces in this new action extravaganza, "The Long K.G.". Though if you ask New Line Cinema they may tend to disagree, after all they have been in court trying desperately to get out of a multi-film contract with Harlin and Davis after their "Cuthroat Island" did a big bellyflop.
Plot from Shane Black concerns a deadly femme (cross Sigourney Weaver's "Ripley" with Linda Hamilton's "Sarah Connor" and Anne Parillaud's "Nikita" and you might be close) whose severe amnesia has her believing she is a mild mannered school teacher from Pennsylvania, rather than a cold blooded assassin from the CIA. But when Charlene Elizabeth Baltimore finally remembers who she is............... well boom! You can guess the rest. In fact you really can guess the rest, as predictability sets in from here on. Hey, forget about that though, this flick ain't about storyline, its about action, and there's plenty of that to go around.
Harlin's experience in action pics shows as he sets up some fine pieces for our viewing pleasure, while both Davis, Jackson and the support cast get some good lines. Otherwise the leads aren't asked to do too much, and considering their acting capabilities (Davis in "The Accidental Tourist" and Jackson "Pulp Fiction") this is well below their standard. Samuel L. in particular seems to be finding it hard to shake off the shadow of Jules Winfield, the philosophical hit-man from "Pulp Fiction", that is if his opening scene is anything to go by. Some may call it homage, but I don't know about that. Mr. Jackson probably doesn't mind too much either way.
Special f/x are nothing short of top dollar, though editing may have been a tad under done. Cinematography is superb, hardly being able to miss with Niagara Falls as a target, while Harlin has used the end credits to throw in a sweeping, panoramic shot. Alan Silvestri provides the music.
In short, one can easily look past the numerous plot holes and enjoy a romping good time with invincible heroes, and two dimensional, obvious villains with too much charm and not enough brains.
Thursday, January 30, 1997 - Village Centre Melbourne
Having helmed the second in the trilogy, "Die Harder", and being the man who directed Stallone's career resurrecting "Cliff Hanger", Harlin seems to be just the man for the job of guiding wife Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson (probably the hottest property in Hollywood at the moment) through their paces in this new action extravaganza, "The Long K.G.". Though if you ask New Line Cinema they may tend to disagree, after all they have been in court trying desperately to get out of a multi-film contract with Harlin and Davis after their "Cuthroat Island" did a big bellyflop.
Plot from Shane Black concerns a deadly femme (cross Sigourney Weaver's "Ripley" with Linda Hamilton's "Sarah Connor" and Anne Parillaud's "Nikita" and you might be close) whose severe amnesia has her believing she is a mild mannered school teacher from Pennsylvania, rather than a cold blooded assassin from the CIA. But when Charlene Elizabeth Baltimore finally remembers who she is............... well boom! You can guess the rest. In fact you really can guess the rest, as predictability sets in from here on. Hey, forget about that though, this flick ain't about storyline, its about action, and there's plenty of that to go around.
Harlin's experience in action pics shows as he sets up some fine pieces for our viewing pleasure, while both Davis, Jackson and the support cast get some good lines. Otherwise the leads aren't asked to do too much, and considering their acting capabilities (Davis in "The Accidental Tourist" and Jackson "Pulp Fiction") this is well below their standard. Samuel L. in particular seems to be finding it hard to shake off the shadow of Jules Winfield, the philosophical hit-man from "Pulp Fiction", that is if his opening scene is anything to go by. Some may call it homage, but I don't know about that. Mr. Jackson probably doesn't mind too much either way.
Special f/x are nothing short of top dollar, though editing may have been a tad under done. Cinematography is superb, hardly being able to miss with Niagara Falls as a target, while Harlin has used the end credits to throw in a sweeping, panoramic shot. Alan Silvestri provides the music.
In short, one can easily look past the numerous plot holes and enjoy a romping good time with invincible heroes, and two dimensional, obvious villains with too much charm and not enough brains.
Thursday, January 30, 1997 - Village Centre Melbourne