I watched this movie for the first fifteen minutes expecting that the idea the Depp character was supposed to assassinate the Governor was just a gag before the real plot began... but that gag never ended.
Depp and Walken certainly sounded like a fun ride, but oh dear no.
I do enjoy the type of 80s and early 90s movies that are fun romps that don't really make sense, but that doesn't work when they try to get heavy. This is of the Judgment Night ilk, but this one is far worse.
We're supposed to believe this man has to assassinate the Governor by a certain time, or his child will be killed... not the worst plot at all, except it goes on and on, and all the governor's staff is in on the plot too. And Depp even tells the Governor of the plot and it goes on!
It's truly astonishing.
Again, this works for a Ferris Bueller type story, and maybe more heavy than that, but nowhere near this heavy. There's an early scene where Depp has his daughter in a van with the hostage taker claiming to shoot the girl. Well, if I were Depp (who was given a gun) I would have concluded these people are insane and shot her in the face. If I could not have personally done that, I would have danced around the van screaming this woman has a gun on my daughter, they are blackmailing me, etc.
And of course at the end, Depp shoots Walken, instead of earlier.
Depp and Walken certainly sounded like a fun ride, but oh dear no.
I do enjoy the type of 80s and early 90s movies that are fun romps that don't really make sense, but that doesn't work when they try to get heavy. This is of the Judgment Night ilk, but this one is far worse.
We're supposed to believe this man has to assassinate the Governor by a certain time, or his child will be killed... not the worst plot at all, except it goes on and on, and all the governor's staff is in on the plot too. And Depp even tells the Governor of the plot and it goes on!
It's truly astonishing.
Again, this works for a Ferris Bueller type story, and maybe more heavy than that, but nowhere near this heavy. There's an early scene where Depp has his daughter in a van with the hostage taker claiming to shoot the girl. Well, if I were Depp (who was given a gun) I would have concluded these people are insane and shot her in the face. If I could not have personally done that, I would have danced around the van screaming this woman has a gun on my daughter, they are blackmailing me, etc.
And of course at the end, Depp shoots Walken, instead of earlier.