What would you do if a self-proclaimed hit man came to you and demanded you write an expose on his former employer? If you're like Brian Dennehy's Officer Dennis Meacham, naturally you would be suspicious of these claims.
In this underrated action thriller, the unlikely partnership of Dennehy's Meacham to James Woods' brutal former hit man Cleve provides an unusual take on the traditional "buddy cop" film. Woods' performance as the brash, snarky and revenge-seeking Cleve contrasts with the methodical and ethical performance of Brian Dennehy as Dennis Meacham, keeping the polar opposite cliché of past buddy cop movies intact. However as the film carries on, the dynamics of the partnership between Meacham and Cleve begins to form a strange, almost symbiotic bond between the two men. Meacham still does not approve of Cleve's lethal tactics, but respects the necessity for offing the dangers that shadow them.
The majority of the film's entertainment value belongs to the dynamic performance of James Woods, as he steals the scene in nearly film he is a part of. As Cleve, Woods mixes brutal unflinching violence with his trademark charm and sarcastic wit, but he does not make Cleve one dimensional instead he endows the hit man with emotion, an ability to reach out and attempt to connect with the cop he shot at years earlier. Cleve's most prime example of human emotion features prominently in the film's final act as Meacham and Cleve confront Cleve's former boss and Cleve has to choose whether to risk an innocent life or his own. His ultimate sacrifice in the end shows the former killer as a hero who does get the redemption he seeks; saving the innocent daughter of Meacham while giving up his own life.
The story itself is pretty generic for an '80s thriller with shootouts and a bit of a body count. However there is enough humor thrown in to get the viewer to connect with the characters and if you're an action fan, the chase scenes and the gun battles will keep you in the game.
So give this movie a shot if you want something different instead of your run of the mill action thriller.
In this underrated action thriller, the unlikely partnership of Dennehy's Meacham to James Woods' brutal former hit man Cleve provides an unusual take on the traditional "buddy cop" film. Woods' performance as the brash, snarky and revenge-seeking Cleve contrasts with the methodical and ethical performance of Brian Dennehy as Dennis Meacham, keeping the polar opposite cliché of past buddy cop movies intact. However as the film carries on, the dynamics of the partnership between Meacham and Cleve begins to form a strange, almost symbiotic bond between the two men. Meacham still does not approve of Cleve's lethal tactics, but respects the necessity for offing the dangers that shadow them.
The majority of the film's entertainment value belongs to the dynamic performance of James Woods, as he steals the scene in nearly film he is a part of. As Cleve, Woods mixes brutal unflinching violence with his trademark charm and sarcastic wit, but he does not make Cleve one dimensional instead he endows the hit man with emotion, an ability to reach out and attempt to connect with the cop he shot at years earlier. Cleve's most prime example of human emotion features prominently in the film's final act as Meacham and Cleve confront Cleve's former boss and Cleve has to choose whether to risk an innocent life or his own. His ultimate sacrifice in the end shows the former killer as a hero who does get the redemption he seeks; saving the innocent daughter of Meacham while giving up his own life.
The story itself is pretty generic for an '80s thriller with shootouts and a bit of a body count. However there is enough humor thrown in to get the viewer to connect with the characters and if you're an action fan, the chase scenes and the gun battles will keep you in the game.
So give this movie a shot if you want something different instead of your run of the mill action thriller.