Bird on a Wire (1990) User Reviews

Good standard dumb action movie!!

[supertom-3 · 7/10 · 6 January 2005]

This is a middle of the road but enjoyable action comedy. John Badham a veteran of the action genre handles proceedings with flair and paces the movie well. The film hardly lulls despite a someone choppy ending set in a zoo. The film is routine but gets by with the likable leads, Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn. Gibson was making a name for himself as an action man by this time having already done 3 Mad Max films and 2 Lethal Weapon movies. Gibson's everyman likability and at the same time tough guy physique worked well in these movies, despite wasting his acting ability, with the exception of a great role in Lethal Weapon. At the same time as Gibson evading death by the pursuing dirty lawmen, David Carradine and Bill Duke, Goldie Hawn seems to be in her very own light-hearted Goldie movie about the posh bird who learns there is more to life than money and essentially she is still acting from her previous movie, Overboard. Despite this Hawn is likable and has good chemistry with Gibson. The trademark showing of her ass is once again here and Hawn parades her derrière in her movies even more than Jean-Claude Van Damme. The film also features the gorgeous and future queen of soft core, erotic, B-movies Joan Severance.

The film has some good action scenes and plenty of on screen carnage and thanks to Badhams brisk direction it engages. The story maybe wafer thin but the film moves by so quickly it is difficult not to enjoy. The chemistry between the two leads more than make up for the clichéd by the numbers performances of the bad guys Carradine and Duke. Carradine is so far from his great performance in Kill Bill 2 that you have to wonder why it takes so much inspiration to coax a performance from the man whose wooden demeanour has led to him being a B-movie staple for nearly 20 years.

Overall this is enjoyable stuff and typical of the sort of harmless and moronic fun action movies of the 80's. ***

A good mix of action and comedy

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 22 September 2018]

Rick Jarmin, who in the FBI witness protection program, is working in a Detroit gas station under an assumed name. Things are going well until old flame Marianne Graves pulls up and recognises him. He calls the FBI to get relocated but learns his handler has retired. The replacement promises to help but quickly shows himself to be corrupt as he passes Rick's details to two corrupt ex-DEA agents; one who is still wanted the other who has just finished a fifteen year jail sentence thanks to Rick's testimony. The two men quickly turn up and Rick's boss is killed in the shoot-up; after that Rick ends up on the run with Marianne. There are a series of chases till the fleeing duo confront their chasers in a zoo.

This is a fun action comedy. The story is fairly simply but serves to provide a series of enjoyably chases and action sequences. This includes chases in cars, on motorbikes and in aircraft and action that features shooting, explosions and an impressive final confrontation in a zoo, complete with dangerous animals. The laughs come from amusing situations rather than forced gags for the most part... an early gag where Rick tricks his boss may be a little forced but it is also very funny. Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn have a good chemistry as Rick and Marianne. The villains played by Bill Duke, David Carradine and Stephen Tobolowsky are solid enough but get less screen time than one might expect. Overall this might not be a must see film but it provides sufficient laughs and action to make it worth watching if you want decent, not too extreme, action with plenty of amusing moments.

Burned down by critics, loved by the masses. Silly eighties romantic action comedy. Goldy Hawn and Mel Gibson SHINE! Great fun. Great romance. Silly action.

[imseeg · 7/10 · 8 March 2022]

Back to the eighties. This movie was burned down to the ground by all the critics who despised it. It is flat out silly and cheap, but the masses loved it anyway. Why?

The good nr 1 Terrific actor's chemistry between Goldy Hawn and Mel Gibson. Fireworks are going off. Yes, it's over the top, in your face, silly acting, but there is always a joke around the corner and there is always a great budding romantic attraction that lifts up this movie.

The good nr 2 Ladies, you get to see Mel Gibson's (hairy) b*tt. In close up. With a needle sticking in it and two ladies having a catfight over Mel when he has a needle in his b*tt.

The good nr 3 It's big Hollywood mindless entertainment and it's really good at that.

Any bad? If you dont like big cliche Hollywood comedy blockbusters, then better pass this one by.

But I say let's celebrate the eighties! Have a popcorn and a coke, watch it with family and friends and have a good time!

This bird is wired!

[PredragReviews · 7/10 · 1 May 2016]

This is an all out and out comedy and the pairing of Gibson and Goldie Hawn works wonders. This is what saves this fairly predictable film. The dialogues are corny but then with such a pairing, it works fine. The climatic scene ruins the film and could have well been edited.

Superstars Mel Gibson and the lovable Goldie Hawn star in this enjoyable, action-comedy. Mel and Goldie have great chemistry together and portray their characters convincingly. The plot is somewhat convoluted but the general story is that Rick (Gibson) is hiding under the FBI witness re-location program but he gets nervous when an old flame, Marianne (Hawn) recognizes him. Before he can assume a new identity, the man he put in jail (David Carradine) is released and comes to pay his respects. Rick and Marianne find themselves reunited when they are thrown into a cross country, action packed adventure, avoiding gangsters, police and an amorous veterinarian, played by Joan Severance. All in all, good story line with action, laughs and a bit of romance. However, the flick did entertain (maybe a notch up from slapstick) and was good entertainment, just not that great.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

This movie is really good.

[Soledad-2 · 7/10 · 3 January 2000]

Don't pay attention to negative reviews. This movie is really good and I'm sure everyone will enjoy it as much as I did. Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn are a wonderful couple and their performance is excellent. Don't wait any longer ... rent it right now!

Mel and Goldie on the run

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 30 March 2017]

Bird On A Wire has lawyer Goldie Hawn accidentally discovering the man who left her at the altar working as a garage mechanic in a Detroit garage where Mel has adopted a really cheesy southern accent. Of course she wants an explanation.

What Goldie isn't ready to swallow is that Mel has been in witness protection after infiltrating and then giving testimony against drug kingpin David Carradine. Carradine is out after 15 years and looking for payback. He's got a nasty associate in Bill Duke and a corrupt FBI agent Stephen Tobolowsky helping.

Mel and Goldie work well together in this chase film bearing some resemblance to The 39 Steps. I'm surprised she did not do this with Kurt Russell, seems like a natural for Hollywood's most famous unmarried couple. Some resemblance to the Clint Eastwood classic The Gauntlet will be apparent as well.

The climax takes place in a zoo which was another of Gibson's witness protection jobs. The animals are of great help to our fleeing couple.

A must for fans of the two stars.

bad day at the zoo for Mel and Goldie

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 30 July 2005]

The star power of Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn help this 1990 action film, which is about a witness protection program refugee who reconnects by accident with his old girlfriend. The two then run to avoid the people after him. And run and run and run.

There are so many chase scenes in this movie, I lost count, but they lead to a very effective finale in the zoo. I enjoyed this movie because of its two stars. I thought they had great chemistry and repartee.

The movie is short on plot and character development, you know, things that one would occasionally enjoy seeing in a film, and long on action, charm, Mel's rear, Goldie's figure, and fashion. On this basis, I found it enjoyable.

An action movie for the whole family!

[NoArrow · 10 August 2003]

I've watched "Bird on a Wire" ever since my age was a one-digit number. The plot focuses on a man in the witness protection program (Mel Gibson) who is being pursued by the criminal that he put away (David Carradine). He teams up with an old flame (Goldie Hawn) and the two go on an action-filled road trip, ending in a climactic battle in a zoo.

This has got to be one of the funniest, coolest, and most exciting action movies I've ever seen. I recommend it to anyone who knows that EVERY SINGLE action movie doesn't have to have perfect plot or perfect acting.

Great action, 7/10.

forced situation

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 5 June 2016]

Marianne Graves (Goldie Hawn) is a tough lawyer. Passing through Detroit, she runs into mechanic Billy Ray who looks exactly like her fiancé Rick Jarmin (Mel Gibson). Only Rick died in a plane crash 15 years ago. Rick is actually in witness protection and calls into the FBI to find his case handler gone. He had put away corrupt drug-dealing DEA agent Eugene Sorenson (David Carradine) who is now out on parole. Agent Joe Weyburn (Stephen Tobolowsky) schemes to get his new identity and location. Sorenson and his partner Albert Diggs (Bill Duke) almost kill him before Marianne comes to the rescue. The police are after them for the gas station owner's death and so do the bad guys.

The situation is forced. Rick should have revealed his story sooner to Marianne. She most certainly walks away from him especially with their initial fighting. The police are after them with the flimsiest of evidence. The setup isn't very believable. There was a whole trial but apparently, one mouse click will erase everything. The movie is caught between the broadest of comedy and the biggest of action. I'm willing to live with all of it but the fake gay hairdresser is bad. The zoo is a weird place to go for the climax. The most notable thing about this action comedy is the title song.

Only as good as it needs to be.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 6/10 · 2 April 2021]

'Bird On A Wire (1990)' is just a generic action-comedy with a will they/won't they central dynamic that takes the 'cop' out of 'buddy cop' and replaces it with 'romance'. Basically, it's 'It Happened One Night (1934)' meets 'Lethal Weapon (1987)', except that it's nowhere near as good as either of those inspirations. It's not bad, of course. It has a couple of engaging set-pieces and it's generally rather enjoyable. It's just very generic and, ultimately, forgettable. It's only as good as it needs to be, essentially. It's not bad, but it's not great, either. 6/10.

SOME ENTERTAINMENT...

[matija-trost · 5/10 · 3 February 2002]

...on a cloudy Sunday afternoon. If you are looking for something else, don't watch it.

On the other hand, if you are looking for some laughs, some actions scenes (on the edge of the impossible, a.k.a. James Bond scenes) and some romance, you got it. Sadly, in a small amount.

You could say, that if there wasn't Mel (with his jokes) and Goldie (with hers legs), the movie probably sucked. Thanks to them, this movie still deserves an o.k. grade.

5 out of 10

fun romantic comedy-chase thriller

[weezeralfalfa · 9/10 · 12 August 2008]

Beats me why so many people want to trash this action-packed screwball romantic comedy-chase thriller. Instead of comparing it to other Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn films, I compare it to basically similar type films, such as "What's Up Doc?", "Smokey and the Bandit", "High Road to China", "The Big Steal"(perhaps the granddaddy of this type of film) and, more recently, some of the Jackie Chan films. The stunts have gotten much wilder and more numerous in recent decades, including in this film. I love both Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson as actors, and to have them together in this type of film is just great.

Gibson gets things started with a scary practical joke on his coworker. Goldie, a divorced lawyer, happens to drive into the gas station where Gibson is working and thinks she recognizes her almost husband of 15 years ago. He seemingly convinces her she is mistaken, being embarrassed about the circumstances of his sudden disappearance. Goldie returns in the evening to spy on him from across the street. Apparently, she intended to follow his car home, but instead witnesses a confrontation with 2 men intent on killing him. The assailants accidentally kill his coworker. Gibson manages to burst out of the garage in a car, but it is soon wrecked. He sees Goldie and pleads that she let him in her car, acknowledging that he is who she thinks he is. As the station explodes in a fireball, they drive off in a hail of bullets, with a murder charge soon to be filed against them. They're off to the races! Sound promising?

Lethal Weapon on a Wire

[FiendishDramaturgy · 7/10 · 22 January 2005]

This feature was a bold attempt to capture the magic of the first two Lethal Weapons, only this time with Goldie Hawn rather than Danny Glover. While it does fail to attain the same chemistry, it carries a different chemistry all its own.

Mel Gibson portrays Rick Jarmin, whose character plays about 8 different "personalities," which effectively demonstrate his incredible depth and range as an actor. Goldie Hawn is her usual, adorable, professional self. Goldie is a rare breed, indeed, as she is quite the professional while maintaining that girlish quality that the masses do hold dear.

The plot is simple, but the sub-plots are more than enough to entertain. Rick Jarmin has turned state's evidence against ex-DEA agents-turned-drug-dealers. Since, he's been in the federal witness protection program. But when he is spied and cornered by an ex-girlfriend (Goldie Hawn), he realizes he must relocate once more. Upon discovering his agent has retired, and the new one is a treacherous worm, he must go on the run, find his address book, and locate his old agent for help, all the while he's being chased and hunted by current DEA and FBI agents and the two men against whom he's testified.

It was a lot of fun watching Gibson's personalities change as his character went from one life to the next looking for help, and making his way towards his address book.

The action sequences were quite good, the comedic presence was well timed and expertly delivered, and the movie runs to a satisfying conclusion.

While it is far from Oscar-worthy, it is really quite entertaining.

It rates a 7.3/10 from...

the Fiend :.

Disappointingly unfunny and rather mediocre buddy comedy...

[MovieAddict2016 · 5/10 · 12 February 2004]

There's a reason that "Bird on a Wire" is one of those forgotten films from the 80s. It's forgotten because it's not very good at all.

John Badham is a very unpredictable director. He can turn out great films ("Saturday Night Fever," "The Hard Way") and very bad ones ("Another Stakeout"). The reason, I think, is because there is a very fine line between bad action films and good ones--if you try to explain the reasons that "Speed" works versus something such as "Hard Rain" (written by the same writer), it's hard to do. They both feature generally decent acting, generally original--and wholly unbelievable--ideas, and some good action scenes. So why is "Speed" so great and why is "Hard Rain" so bad?

Some of Badham's films teeter on the brink of badness. With a few more action pieces and less funny moments of interaction between the two leads, "The Hard Way" could have suffered the fate of, say, "Another Stakeout." But it turned out to be a genuinely funny and moving comedy with two likable stars doing the best they could to make the film a winner.

"Bird on a Wire" has two likable leads but little else. The plot is all routine, and totally irrelevant. It's just a way to get Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn to run across America together and crack some bad jokes. It's a reason to see Goldie in a thong (again) and Mel's hairy butt (again). It's a reason to see them make out and to see some big explosions. It's a reason to see Mel Gibson do his gay barber impersonation and to see Goldie roll her eyes a lot at him. It's also a fine reason to see one of the only action showdowns set inside an artificial jungle at a zoo housing an assortment of wildlife creatures. Who thought this stuff up? Who in their right mind ever thought it would actually work?

Does "Bird on a Wire" sound interesting to you?

Well, it is, to a certain degree. It's generally a decent movie--something worth watching if nothing good is on TV some late Friday night. But this is not a good rental, and it's not even something I'd want to watch again--and I'm a pretty big Mel Gibson fan ("Lethal Weapon" all the way!).

Mel is the relocated witness who testified against some drug lords (Bill Duke and John Carradine) who have just gotten out of prison and are now targeting him with the help of a corrupt FBI agent (Stephen Tobolowski, who played the pesky Ned in "Groundhog Day," filmed three years later).

Rick (Gibson) is going under the alias of a Louisiana redneck when his old girlfriend (Hawn) sees him working at a gas station and blows his cover. When she comes back later to check up on him, she foils the baddies' plans to kill Rick--and the two old love birds escape into the night, with Rick's real identity having been erased from the FBI records (is it as easy as just clicking a button? I hope not.).

Essentially we get a lot of running and screaming and yelling and cheap wisecracks throughout the film, with an ending that stretches on too long before it just grows tiresome. It's like the climactic finale of "The Third Man" that takes place beneath the grimy sewers Vienna--except that Reed knew when to end that picture's climax, and Badham lets it go on too long.

This movie could have been an exceptional road-buddy movie, but it's rather a disappointing blend of action and weak comedy that tries to take two of Hollywood's hottest leading stars (at the time) and place them together in some pointless situations. (Gibson is still one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood--what happened to Hawn?)

I would only recommend something like "Bird on a Wire" if you happen to come across it late on night on television and you have nothing better to do with your time, or if you're a particularly big fan of either of the leading stars. Otherwise, just go watch "Lethal Weapon" or "Just Like Old Times" again--they're much better, and hey, they're actually funny.

2.5/5 stars.

• John Ulmer

Greatly enjoyable 1990s action comedy...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 22 January 2022]

Unbelievably enough then I have actually only seen the 1990 action comedy "Bird on a Wire" twice. I remember watching it once as a teenager, and then having the opportunity to sit down and watch it again in 2022.

Writers Louis Venosta, Eric Lerner and David Seltzer did manage to put together a genuinely entertaining and enjoyable storyline, as the story has a good amount of action and good comedy to it. I have to admit that I was genuinely entertained by "Bird on a Wire" from start to end.

And of course with the likes of Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn in the leading roles, of course you are in for a good time. And teaming up Gibson and Hawn was just brilliant, and looking back at it now in 2022, it definitely had that 1990s feel to it. And it is also what made the movie so good, because Gibson and Hawn were phenomenal together on the screen.

Aside from Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn, then "Bird on a Wire" also had David Carradine, Bill Duke and Stephen Tobolowsky on the cast list, with other familiar faces such as Jeff Corey and Clyde Kusatsu. So you definitely had a good handful of familiar faces on the screen if you have been watching movies and TV during the 1980s and 1990s.

If you haven't already seen "Bird on a Wire", then you should do so, if you get the chance. It is a movie with equal parts action and good pacing, mixed with great comedy and dialogue.

My rating of director John Badham's 1990s movie "Bird on a Wire" lands on a six out of ten stars.

What's with the hate? this is good fun entertainment.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 28 October 2006]

Yeah OK well the cover-art is horrible but the movie itself is actually quite pleasant and entertaining to watch. Sure it's no "Lethal Weapon" but it sure is a good action comedy that entertains well.

The movie doesn't really have much story and even the little story elements that are present in the movie are far from interesting. It's weak and simple but yet the movie is made interesting and carried by Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn, who have a surprising good chemistry and the many action sequences present in the movie, that are not the best you've ever seen but entertaining nevertheless.

The movie serves its purpose well. The comedy elements in the movie work out well enough to make this an entertaining movie to watch. The characters aren't the best ever and are all quite formulaic but it's sort of fitting for a movie like this.

Mel Gibson does a good job in this movie. Basically he in this movie plays a bit of the same way as he plays his Riggs character in the Lethal Weapon movies. No wonder, Gibson made this movie just after "Lethal Weapon 2" and he clearly was in the mood for more. The result of that can be seen in this movie. He provides the movie certainly with a certain extra and gives the movie some extra fun. On top of that he and Goldie Hawn work pretty well as a screen duo, which does provide the movie with some of its best moments. Goldie Hawn herself is also surprising good in this movie and she shows that she can handle the genre. The villains are definitely a disappointing aspect about this movie. I mean when the main villains are being played by David Carradine and Bill Duke you would expect something more of it. The villains play a very little part in the movie and in it they get very little interesting to do. A waste of two fine actors. Some goes for the rest of the supporting cast.

The movie is from 1990 but it still has an '80's feeling over it. Meaning lots of formulaic car chases, shootouts, haircuts and two main, 'buddy team', characters. Plus some horrible '80's music. I mostly hate Hans Zimmer score from the early '90's. They sound like '80's left overs.

The movie is nothing too spectacular but it does has some great moments. Also the finale does not disappoint. The movie is professionally directed by John Badham, who never really made great movies but more movies that served their purpose always well.

Nothing too great but the movie deserves a better reputation, since this is some great entertaining fun, to watch.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

It was entertaining and funny!

[gambilljen · 7/10 · 27 January 2007]

OK, so this may not be the best movie, in fact, its not really good in a sense of writing and such, but it is fun and enjoyable. Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson don't really have the best chemistry, but there not really suppose to throughout most of the movie. Both do good in their characters, and the acting from everyone who played in it was not bad. The movie does have a few cheesy moments, and of course the movie is far from being believable, but its fine. Besides the humor, what saves this movie is the action. Good action, not particularly original or suspenseful, but its fun and highly entertaining, which is what you should want in an action/comedy.

Overall the movie is for people interested in the actors, or those who want an action comedy.

I rate it a 7/10 PG-13-Action Violence, Some Sexual Content/Nudity, and Language (this isn't a kids movie either).

Enjoyable enough mix of action & comedy.

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 13 July 2007]

Bird on a Wire starts as successful lawyer Marianne Graves (Goldie Hawn) stops off at a gas station in Detroit & recognises the hired help as Rick Jarmin (Mel Gibson) her old boyfriend who she thought was dead. Rick denies it & she leaves, since Rick has been living in hiding for the past fifteen years under the FBI witness relocation program he wants to move on before Marianne comes back. He talks with corrupt FBI agent Joe Weyburn (Stephen Tobolowsky) who passes his information onto the bad guy who Rick's testimony put behind bars, Eugene Sorensen (David Carradine) & his drug lord boss Albert Diggs (Bill Duke) before wiping his file altogether. Diggs & Sorensen head over to Detroit to kill Rick at the same time Marianne decides to go back & speak with him, Diggs & Sorensen fail to kill Rick & Marianne helps him escape. Everyone from the police to the FBI to Diggs & Sorensen are after them as Rick & Marianne go on the run...

Directed by John Badham I thought Bird on a Wire was a fun little action adventure with a nice sense of humour that I rather liked. The script by David Seltzer, Louis Venosta & Eric Lerner plays like a mismatched cop flick along the lines of Gibson's earlier Lethal Weapon (1987) with Rick & Marianne paired as arguing ex-lovers caught up in an action adventure. This is where the film, in my opinion, works very well as I think Gibson & Hawn both have good on screen chemistry & are fun to watch as they trade insults. There are some amusing one-liners, the action scenes are pretty good with some decent vehicular mayhem & fight scenes. The bad guy's aren't great as they don't get much to do & aren't evil enough for my liking, in fact they disappear from the middle third almost entirely. At less than two hours Bird on a Wire never outstays it's welcome, it moves along at a nice pace although the farm scene might have cut down or removed entirely as it serves no real purpose & generally speaking I aways have fun whenever I've seen it.

Director Badham does alright, there are some neat action scenes including a cool car chase, a motorbike chase & scene in which a helicopter chases a plane! There's some nice explosions & fights too although you may feel, like me, it was cut down to get a lower rating as some of the dubbing isn't great & it's all but bloodless. I have to say Goldie Hawn really does look rather good in this, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a body double was used on occasion but she looks pretty sexy in this.

Technically the film is well made with high production values although how did Rick & Marianne get from that beam on top of the hotel to the window they let themselves in through? The acting is pretty good & as I said Gibson & Hawn are both very likable in this, Carradine & Duke are wasted in minor bad guy roles & despite near top-billing on the credits Joan Severance gets about 5 minutes screen time.

Bird on a Wire is a likable, fun, light hearted, not to violent & entertaining action adventure that I personally liked. All things considered I think you could do a lot worse.

silly material with star power

[Special-K88 · 10 March 2019]

High-powered attorney Marianne Graves is in Detroit, Michigan on the verge of completing an important business deal. She goes to a gas station where she then crosses paths with Joe Schmoe mechanic "Billy Ray Bower," a seemingly southern bumpkin closely resembling her old lover who mysteriously vanished fifteen years prior and was presumed dead. Unfortunately for her, there's much more to the story and their encounter puts both of them on the run from vengeful criminal types. Awkward, unusual film that tries to blend energetic action scenes with some occasional touches of romance, but with strained results; Gibson and Hawn are two attractive leads who make the film more tolerable than it otherwise would have been. If you can get past all of the absurdities-and there are plenty-then it provides some occasional fun, but it's never quite clear if any of this was meant to be taken seriously. **

So much shrieking, moaning etc.

[simplenaturalgarden · 4/10 · 13 May 2020]

It hasn't aged well. Mel Gibson in a mullet. Goldie Hawn playing the part of a useless shrieking female who is so dumb she is constantly putting everyone in danger. Shriek! Shriek! Shriek! Fine for brainless entertainment, lots of up the skirt shots etc.

A little gem for 90s nostalgists, Gibson completists and butt-fetishists...

[ElMaruecan82 · 7/10 · 30 December 2022]

John Badham's "Bird on a Wire" was made in 1990, a time when Mel Gibson was still the epitome of coolness not the romantic type à la Tom Cruise or the tougher version à la Kurt Russell but the fun one, relying on a buddy who'd endure his shenanigans and make the reactions even funnier. With his looks, his goofiness, his infectious smile and his daringness to make lousy jokes, Gibson was the perfect half of any cinematic duo.

It was also a time where Goldie Hawn was that sexy, sassy and prissyy bombshell who could play the dumb blonde in distress and display her best physical attributes in a way that would make feminist cringe but never at the expenses of her own comical abilities. Hell, even the villains, played by three recognizable faces: David Carradine, Bill Duke and Stephen Toboloski, the Big Bad, the Muscle and the Nerd didn't need much to say, they were "bad", acted "bad" and got a satisfying enough demise. What else to ask for?

So "Bird on a Wire" isn't exactly a film you watch seeking depth and subtlety. It's an action buddy-romance whose only excuse is to stretch a long narrative cord where chases, stunts and romantic interludes will be hung one after another with gags and Hawn's screams as clothespins. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but at a certain time where Sunday nights were airing action thrillers we didn't care much for plot conveniences. As a matter of fact, I saw "Bird on a Wire" in a Sunday of 1994 one week before or after "The Rookie" and if you check my review of that film, what I said could perfectly apply to "Bird": these movies knew what to deliver to audiences who knew what to expect.

That's the point, you're looking for Eastwood playing his usual hard-nosed curmudgeon, you expect Gibson to be that sympathetic goofball and Goldie Hawn to be the butt-joke (literally)... to be fair, there are a few decent shots on Gibson's buttocks so the fansservice is equally distributed.

Now, there's no need to thoroughly examine the plot, Gibson plays Rick Jarmin, a man hiding after having testified against two drug criminals, he left Marianne (Hawn) fifteen years earlier before they'd get married and destiny crosses their paths again at some garage of Detroit. Figuring his cover is blown, he asks federal agent Lou Baird (Tobolowski) to assign him somewhere else, ignoring that the man's a snitch working for the two criminals and it's a matter of time before they pay him a visit.. for business reasons, but you can tell it's personal too. Obviously, Rick is a goner.

By the way, even as a 12-year old, when I saw the old black garage owner (Harry Caesar) having that paternal talk with Rick, I knew he wouldn't make it to the next Sunday church sermon... a similar thing happened in "The Rookie" with Eastwood. Now that I think of it, the "Black guy dies first" was one of my earliest-known movie tropes. So the bad guys come, Marianne accidentally saves the day and twenty minutes later, they're in the run, accused of the murder of Rick's boss and the rest is just a mix of Mr-and-Mrs-Smith arguments and in extremis escapes in the most improbable and neck-risking way (on the top of 20-store hotel, a crop duster) Ebert figured it was a possible homage to Hitchcock's sense of setting up his action climaxes, well, I'm sure Hitchcock would have been glad to live a time where occasional up-skirt glimpses were allowed.

Each step leads us to one of the Rick's former hideouts, we discover he used to be a hairdresser, in a salon where everyone acts gay and I confess that trope was overused even by the 90s standard and seems a little dated. There's another halt at a farm where he worked as a handy man and given how glad Joan Severance was to see him again we gather he must have been quite handy indeed (Hawn's reactions in that part makes the sequence all worthwhile). And finally there's that night in the motel with an infamous roach landing on Marianne's hair and a climax at the zoo where you know the baddies' funerals won't have open coffins.

Now, I feel that I have to abandon that guilty pleasure zone and start to be a little more critical. First, beyond the personas of the heroes, what I loved is the true chemistry between them, in a scene where the two are trying to resist the temptation of having sex, the dialogue sounds real in a corny way. There's an interesting flashback sequence that reveals a little more depth about Rick. In fact, this is a film that shines from these little touches, like having a mobster birthday party with a man dressed as a pig and carrying a machine-gun, that's the kind of detail that can really hook me to a film.

Now, my main criticism concerns the plot, I figured hard to believe a man of Rick's intelligence never suspected that Baird could be the mole, that he keeps telling him his whereabouts. This is the guy who suspected the breakfast guy in the hotel. Speaking of that, when she said she ordered croissants and prunes, the "waiter" says "some bread and fruit", how didn't that alert them? It is also possible that Hawn overplays the sassy prissy woman and should have had one substantial part in the final triumph. And for the police, they only appear during the first half and disappear without posing any threat for the evil trio. Thinking about it again, how will Rick prove he didn't kill his boss?

Of course these considerations hardly matter ... this is a fun action thriller film emblematic of a time viewers under 30 wouldn't remember, a time of free-spirited and fun-driven mindset that sadly vanished from our screens: the early 90s.

Since when did you start wearing underpants?

[hitchcockthelegend · 5/10 · 9 February 2014]

Rick Jarmin is in the witness protection programme. When an old flame of his recognises him at his gas station work place, he is naturally concerned for his safety, and well he should be because the men he informed on, Albert Diggs and Eugene Sorenson, are hot on his tail. This sets up a sequence of events that lead to Rick and his former lover, Marianne Graves going on the run, with hilarious results.

Tho released in 1990, Bird On A Wire positively oozes an 80s feel, from Mel Gibson's (Jarmin) hair to the way director John Badham films his action sequences, it feels 80s and really it probably should have been kept back there. For although this is not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, in fact Gibson and Goldie Hawn (Graves) are a delightful duo, it just feels repetitive and never really gets to anywhere you wasn't expecting. That is mainly because the 80s (and early 90s) were full of these type of thrillers relying on guffaw set pieces to bring home the bacon, chances are that if you watched another five of these genre films from the same time frame you will be getting deja vu.

Some laughs to be had here for sure, and there is nothing wrong with the bad guy portrayals on show, courtesy of Bill Duke and David Carradine, it's just now tired and showing its unimaginative age. 5/10

Nice, entertaining

[Willy_D · 8/10 · 23 July 2007]

I don't think this movie is as bad as some comments say, it is not a hit, but it is just the kind of movie I like very much and that IMHO are not being made anymore. It's a classical 90's easy-going action/comedy that won't disappoint anybody, who is not looking for a complicated plot and surprising end :)

I really enjoyed watching this movie, especially thanks to a beautiful couple made by Mel Gibson and Golide Hawn. It's just one of those movies you can watch over and over again and it sill keeps you entertained (well, the final scene seems a little boring to me...).

If you are looking for a nice action/comedy, check this one out, you won't be disappointed.

Enjoyable if undemanding light thriller

[JamesHitchcock · 6/10 · 27 March 2010]

The title of this film does not have any direct reference to the action, but was borrowed from a Leonard Cohen song. (Cohen's title was actually "Bird on the Wire", not "a Wire"). Some have seen a parallel between Cohen's opening lines, "Like a bird on the wire, like a drunk in a midnight choir, I have tried in my way to be free" and the antics of Mel Gibson's character, but I suspect that the real reason for the title was that the film-makers felt it was too good to waste on a mere song. Borrowing song-titles for films was popular at one time; another example is "Pretty Woman", which also came out in 1990.

The film is one of a number that are ostensibly set in America but which were actually shot, presumably for financial reasons, in Canada. No doubt some Americans were baffled as to why Detroit looks so much like Vancouver and why an American shopping mall was displaying all those Canadian provincial flags.

Marianne Graves is a lawyer from Detroit, Michigan, whose life is turned upside down when her former fiancé Rick Jarmin suddenly reappears in her life after a fifteen- year absence. It turns out that Rick was responsible for giving evidence which helped to convict a corrupt FBI agent named Eugene Sorenson and has spent the last fifteen years living under a false identity as part of the witness protection program. Rick and Marianne are forced to go on the run, trying desperately to stay one step ahead of the vindictive Sorenson, who has now been released from prison, and his accomplices.

A film on this subject could have been made as a serious, Hitchcock-style, suspense movie, but in 1990 there was evidently still a feeling in Hollywood that Goldie Hawn didn't do serious, and "Bird on a Wire" was made as a light-hearted comedy thriller. Its plot has some similarity to another Hawn vehicle, "Seems Like Old Times" from ten years earlier, which deals with a woman whose life is turned upside-down by the reappearance of her ex-husband, on the run from the law. The film is, in fact, a pretty standard Goldie Hawn film and Marianne a standard Hawn character; although she is supposed to be a tough, high-flying lawyer Goldie simply plays her as the latest in her long line of lovable dizzy blondes, a line stretching back more than twenty years to "Cactus Flower" and "There's a Girl in My Soup".

Goldie's previous film had been "Overboard", in which she was rather cast against type as an initially cold, haughty and unsympathetic character, but which proved to be one of her major successes. In "Bird on a Wire" she was reverting to type, but in her next two films, the thriller "Deceived" and the drama "Criss Cross", Hollywood finally accepted that Goldie could do serious.

Mel Gibson is today, both as an actor and a director, mainly associated with serious films, but in the early nineties there was a lighter side to him, and "Bird on a Wire" is an example of this aspect of his work, if not the best. (That was probably "Maverick"). Gibson makes a likable hero, and combines together well with Hawn, while director John Badham comes up with some exciting action scenes. The film as a whole is an enjoyable if undemanding light thriller. 6/10

Canned energy

[moonspinner55 · 3/10 · 11 December 2006]

How do you screw up a star-vehicle for still-charismatic Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson hot off "Tequila Sunrise" and "Lethal Weapon 2"? Director John Badham manages to do just that with the awful "Bird on a Wire", which is the movie-equivalent of fast food. The plot is uncomfortably reminiscent of Hawn's "Seems Like Old Times": lady lawyer is reluctantly thrown together with her crazy ex-lover, an informant who's been living under an assumed identity for years but is now back in danger. Badham stages broad stunts for laughs but cannot compensate for the third-rate screenplay (worked on by three writers) which doesn't allow the stars anything fresh to do. We get to admire Hawn's legs and Gibson's rear-end, but the energy on-screen is canned--these characters and the danger they're in mean nothing to us. Worse, the editing (and overdubbing) is sloppy, the production is disappointing, the flaming hairdresser stereotypes are cringe-worthy, and the romance angle fails to spark, to say nothing of the 'funny' banter. Nevertheless, another hit. *1/2 from ****