Directed by Stephen Hopkins and written by three different joint writers who have worked on several projects together bring Jeff Bridges, Tommy Lee Jones, Suzy Amis, and Forrest Whitaker together in a star-studded cast of current or eventual Oscar winning actors. But his style of direction and the beats of the film become very contrived and borderline mundane compared to other films in this particular genre of 90's action films.
Jeff Bridges playing bomb squad daredevil (Dove) carries the burden of his troubled past, and the fight to keep his social life from unraveling in present day Boston. He is constantly challenged by his rival and soon to be friend Forrest Whitaker (Franklin) who he himself pushes Bridges to doubt that his days in the bomb squad profession are numbered. This likely paring of the two, is brought together by the manhunt for Irish/Boston speaking Tommy Lee Jones, which I found laughable in some parts and great in others. Especially the whole dancing scenes where Tommy Lee Jones is known for taking to the extreme when he doesn't take a role seriously. Suzi Amis plays the mom, and wife of Bridges, and does her best to keep the tensions high in the family life but has very little to do other than act in a contrived role that most woman played in these roles back then.
The camera work is another one thing I found to be a bit odd, and sometimes comical. The angles and close ups made this fill very slap sticky, almost on the level of a Sam Raimi imitation that wasn't to my liking.
Jeff Bridges dry sense of tone, Suzy Amis and her one note performance as home mom, and Tommy Lee Jones over the top joker style acting mixes into a 2hr movie that is saved by the sheer fact that you are watching an action movie that lives up to its title. Which saves the movie in my opinion, because compared to other films of its time in the likes of Live Wire, Detonator, Speed, Broken Arrow, Die Hard with a Vengeance, this film finishes last on that list.
All in all, I enjoyed the action, but the film itself overall could have used more rewrites and a better direction for its actors. But I will also say the movie at its core delivered what the title suggests and that I say give it a try and see if it compares to action films of its time.
6/10.
Jeff Bridges playing bomb squad daredevil (Dove) carries the burden of his troubled past, and the fight to keep his social life from unraveling in present day Boston. He is constantly challenged by his rival and soon to be friend Forrest Whitaker (Franklin) who he himself pushes Bridges to doubt that his days in the bomb squad profession are numbered. This likely paring of the two, is brought together by the manhunt for Irish/Boston speaking Tommy Lee Jones, which I found laughable in some parts and great in others. Especially the whole dancing scenes where Tommy Lee Jones is known for taking to the extreme when he doesn't take a role seriously. Suzi Amis plays the mom, and wife of Bridges, and does her best to keep the tensions high in the family life but has very little to do other than act in a contrived role that most woman played in these roles back then.
The camera work is another one thing I found to be a bit odd, and sometimes comical. The angles and close ups made this fill very slap sticky, almost on the level of a Sam Raimi imitation that wasn't to my liking.
Jeff Bridges dry sense of tone, Suzy Amis and her one note performance as home mom, and Tommy Lee Jones over the top joker style acting mixes into a 2hr movie that is saved by the sheer fact that you are watching an action movie that lives up to its title. Which saves the movie in my opinion, because compared to other films of its time in the likes of Live Wire, Detonator, Speed, Broken Arrow, Die Hard with a Vengeance, this film finishes last on that list.
All in all, I enjoyed the action, but the film itself overall could have used more rewrites and a better direction for its actors. But I will also say the movie at its core delivered what the title suggests and that I say give it a try and see if it compares to action films of its time.
6/10.