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Striking Distance (1993) More at IMDbPro »

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65 reviews in total

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37 out of 41 people found the following review useful:
Unfairly ignored, 21 September 2000
Author: J. D.

This film arrived during what some might refer to as Bruce Willis' darker days. After the one-two punch of the `Die Hard' movies, he then found himself in troubled projects like `Hudson Hawk,' `Last Boy Scout' and `Bonfire of the Vanities.' (To give him credit, he did sneak in an almost unrecognizable comic performance in the otherwise unremarkable `Death Becomes Her.') A year after `Striking Distance,' Willis would hit his nadir with the silly `Color of Night' and `North,' the latter of which would provide Roger Ebert with one of his most hysterically negative reactions ever to a film (`I HATED THIS MOVIE! HATED HATED HATED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!').

How fortunate that Quentin Tarantino (`Pulp Fiction') and Terry Gilliam (`12 Monkeys') got to Willis when they did; he could have been written off as the Tom Selleck of the '90s with too many more disasters.

`Striking Distance,' released in autumn of 1993, seems typical of the mid-period Willis pictures. It's gratuitously violent, profane and filled with hackneyed dialogue, underwritten female roles, plot holes and a shoebox full of cop movie clichés. Willis' hardcore fans were kept happy (though not mainstream audiences, as the movie died a quick box office death); his growing ranks of detractors had more reasons to hate him. The movie, from most accounts, was best left forgotten.

Watching it today, nearly seven years after its release, it's impressive how well `Striking Distance' holds up to repeat viewings. The action sequences - including a powerful chase sequence through downtown Pittsburgh that ranks among the best car chases in the 1990s - are slick and tightly edited. No computer-generated silliness here: This is meat-and-potatoes action filmmaking that, in this day of MTV editing and arty camera shots, seems to be of a dying breed.

And check out the load of actors who signed on. Sarah Jessica Parker's rookie female cop is a cliché, sure, but she plays off Willis' harshness well. The rest of the cast is a collection of character actors that any director would kill for: Brion James, John Mahoney, Tom Sizemore and Dennis Farina.

Willis himself is nothing special - he's basically playing John McClane with a bad hangover - but he's not afraid to let his cop look foolish, even stupid at times. It's certainly a more interesting performance than his recent sleepwalking in `Armageddon' and `The Sixth Sense.'

It's sad that so many of today's MTV-bred filmmakers don't know how to make these kinds of low-budget genre pictures; they're too busy shooting scenes with color filters or aping Orson Welles when they should be learning about rhythm, choreography and atmosphere from the likes of Howard Hawks, John Frankenheimer and John Carpenter. `Striking Distance,' along with the best genre film of the 1990s, 1997's `Breakdown,' is a fond reminder of the old-school approach to action.

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21 out of 23 people found the following review useful:
Give It A Chance, 21 June 2001

Author: refinedsugar from Nova Scotia, Canada

I'd be lying if I didn't admit this is yet another patterned Bruce Willis flick the kind where he plays the hard boiled cop with a colorful past, but I gave it a chance. This one finds Willis as Tom Hardy. A cop from a family of cops and things aren't going too well. First off, he's just ratted out his violent partner (Robert Pastorelli) at an official police inquiry and that doesn't win him any fans in the department. Then his depressed former partner jumps off a bridge killing himself. What a load to carry. All of the while there's this killer on the loose and when his father is murdered by him he lets it be known he thinks the killer is a cop and suddenly he's reassigned to River Patrol.

This movie succeeds on a basic level -- it's entertaining. Sure the story is loose and the film's surprises are somewhat stale, but it's all in good fun. Willis gets to look aptly serious and hunt for the killer on the waters and there's just enough suspense to sustain interest and the minor twists of the story keep things at a good pace. Meanwhile the rounded supporting cast keeps things lively and keeps the viewer going, "Where have I seen him before?" or "Hey that's such and such".

I've read on here how people think this is stupid, dumb and lacks any suspense or thrills. Like any of the Die Hard movies had exceptionally smart stories or you didn't know what was gonna happen next or how it would all end. Of course not. For a entry level Bruce Willis flick, this one satisfies. Now if only I could get the Little Red Riding Hood Song out of my mind...!

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22 out of 29 people found the following review useful:
A good Bruce Willis movie, 1 June 2004

Author: BroadswordCallinDannyBoy from Boston, MA

I don't understand why this film is so over-looked. It has pretty everything fans of Bruce Willis would want. He is a cop, not liked by his fellow officers, and he is on a murder case where no one believes what he has to say. There is action, swearing, one liners, and even some sex. Bruce doesn't usually have that in his films, maybe that is what threw people off. Just Kidding.

By all means, this is no masterpiece, but it is an entertaining mystery with an AWESOME car chase. One of the best. Bruce Willis fans should definitely check this movie out. It is pure Bruce and without him the "lone cop" story wouldn't work as well nor be as credible as it is because of him. 8/10

Rated R: violence and profanity

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15 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Not Your Ordinary Action Film, Very Underrated, 20 February 2000

Author: Scot6 from Washington, DC

More than any film I can remember in a long time, I have never understood why this film hasn't gotten higher ratings than it has. The plot, while not ingenious (and even somewhat predictable) is still exciting and will keep you engrossed.

The film's creators get a lot of points in my book for locale creativity. Instead of setting the film in some predictable location such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami or San Francisco they set it in Pittsburgh, PA, definitely not your ordinary movie location. It's one that adds a wonderful freshness to the movie however.

The location shooting is outstanding. The scenery is different and excellent, the photography is great, even spectacular in places and the action is on a par with some of the best action films ever, including Bullitt. Who would normally think to expect extensive boating and water action in a state as synonymous with mountains as Pennsylvania is? That alone is worth taking a look at this movie.

I do not usually care much for Bruce Willis. I thought he was very well cast in this movie however and Sara Jessica Parker added extra special chemistry. The cast is much better than average overall and includes such outstanding actors as Andre Braugher, of the outstanding tv series "Homicide". I thought that the casting in general, as well as the photography, location and action very adequately made up for any possible deficiencies in the plot itself.

I would warn that there is extensive foul language in this film, more than is necessary even for a film of this genre in my opinion and probably it's biggest drawback. I would still say that the film is well worth watching when your in the mood for some escapist fun and action fare. As I said earlier, I think the film deserves higher ratings than it's gotten so far. I've watched it twice now (it was just as good the second time, in fact even better) and that definitely won't be the last time I watch it.

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13 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Starts off okay then heads straight downhill, 30 July 2000

Author: Dr.X from USA

I took a chance on this one on a slow night and wish I hadn't bothered. It started off with some promise and atmosphere, and includes a pretty good car chase early on. However, it then starts throwing bad cliches that you've already seen 100 times in all over the place. The troubled cop is haunted by a past incident and is now a detached loner who drinks far too much. Gee, how many times have we seen that before? Making matters worse, the final 30 minutes become so implausible, ridiculous, and insulting to the audience's intelligence, I found myself yelling insults at the director and producer for their complete and utter lack of imagination.

In short, do yourself a favor and pass on this one. There's bound to be something better to do or watch even on the slowest of nights. If you are tempted to take a peek due to the presence of Bruce Willis or because you like serial killer films in general, do so at your own risk, but don't say you weren't warned!

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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Nice and suspenseful, 16 August 1999
Author: millennia-2 from In shame (2005 update)

I caught this one on TV at about midnight, and I wasn't planning to see more than five minutes of it. I did (why would I write this comment if I didn't) and it kept my interest through the whole film. Bruce Willis and Sarah Jessica Parker were excellent together and the supporting cast was also outstanding.

Director Rowdy Herrington also brought us the awful A Murder of Crows (1999), but he didn't ruin this one, even if it did get a little far-fetched in places. An interesting plot line, and Willis is believable in his role.

+ (GOOD THINGS) 1.) Direction 2.) Chemistry between Willis and Parker 3.) Ending (unlike everyone else, I didn't see it coming) 4.) Length 5.) The score 6.) John Mahoney's performance

- (BAD THINGS) 1.) Believability 2.) The script (uneven in places)

TOTAL: 7/10

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Great mystery, 22 April 1999

Author: ChocboMg from USA

Now, I know that the majority say this film is bad, while I loved it. It DID get far fetched, it DID get ridiculous in the end, but I still liked it. This movie is more realistic than the other thrillers, take I Know What You Did Last Summer. One thing is for certain, and that is that this movie does show cruelty towards women, so I don't think many women would like this movie, my mom sure didn't! Anyway, Bruce Willis is a river cop, now that's a job I want, to drive a boat around a river all day, easy job, right? Well, not when your area has a ton of killings going on and the bodies dumped in the river for the poor river patrol, who are used to just cruising around have to pick up the bodies. This movie is great keeping the villain secret until the end, they certainly fooled me! This movie got an 8/10 on my scale, probably a 2/10 on my moms. I give it that for great suspense, mystery, and thrills. I lowered it due to how it was a bit against women. This movie is definitely rated R, and shouldn't be viewed by children or young teens for strong violence and language, and also some sex. It is pretty good, while maybe offensive to women, maybe not.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
They tried, and failed miserably...., 7 May 2008

Author: MadBomber from United States

What could have been something with so many good character actors assisting a bona fide star, just deteriorates into a mishmash of unbelievable circumstances and plot holes. With a cast this good, it takes a colossal effort to make a film this bad. Police officer with what seems his entire extended family also on the force, gets caught up in the case of a homicidal maniac known as the Polish Heights strangler in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the course of the pursuit of the suspect, (unseen at this point, so why they suspect him of the crimes we don't know, nor are we given any answer), the cops' father dies of a gunshot wound, supposedly at the hands of the Killer. After some hectic times when the cop testifies against his partner (who also happens to be his cousin) in a brutality lawsuit (guess there isn't a "blue shield"), and the subsequent suicide of the cousin, whilst jumping from a Bridge into the River (although they fail to realize there are three major rivers in Pittsburgh, Monongahela the Allegany and the Ohio) the cop is sent to the River POlice. Don't quite understand why they'd put a flawed cop on a river beat, especially since most characters see him as a raging alcoholic, not exactly the type of person you want to see driving a boat. Years later, some killings occur that closely resemble the murders from years before. Lots of dumb red herrings fill the movie, as well as an unlikely pairing of Willis and Parker, plus a ridiculous ending where a handcuffed Willis beats a homicidal maniac while swimming. Just hands down a terrible film. Writing stinks, the direction stinks, and overall the performances are just mailed in.

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7 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Wait, there is more!, 23 December 2001

Author: Zork G. Hun (trixter-2) from Canada

Bruce Willis is playing - what else - a burned out and psychologically bruised cop. And the whole world is against him. But then. against all odds....and reason....he will be - guess what?....Victorious!

There is sex in it! Abducted love interest! Corrupt cops! Car chases! Boat chases! Fist-fights! Spectacular shootouts! Sexy single mom longing for her child she had to leave behind to fulfill her duties! Deception and forgiveness! Crazed murderer! Insane moral dilemmas! But wait, there is more! Or is there? Can you think of more clichés?

......who am I kidding? Five minutes after I finished watching it, I already forgot the title. I had to look it up in the TV guide. It is THAT forgettable. If you want to watch crap, it's OK. Just find some better crap than this one. There is plenty out there.

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3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Excellent And Extremely Suspenseful Murder Mystery, That's Way Underrated, With An Amazing Performance From Bruce Willis!, 18 September 2005

Author: (callanvass@hotmail.com) from victoria b.c canada

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is an excellent and extremely suspenseful murder mystery that's way underrated, with an amazing performance from Bruce Willis!. All the characters are fantastic, and the story while familiar was really awesome, plus Bruce Willis is simply amazing in this!. I can't believe everyone bashed this film, it really is an awesome film in my opinion and i thought Willis and Sarah Jessica Parker had awesome chemistry, plus the finale is extremely tense!. I myself was really surprised by the twist ending, and the car chase at the beginning was just awesome!, plus i thought Willi's acting was fantastic!. I really felt for Willi's character, and it also had a great supporting cast as well, plus Brion James is excellent as the asshole you will hate him!. Robert Pastorelli is very creepy, and the film is very engrossing throughout!, plus This should be much much higher then a 5.3 rating!. It's one of Bruce's most underrated films, and the plot was really cool!, plus there were some shocking moments!. Thi is an excellent and extremely suspenseful murder mystery, that's way underrated!, with an amazing performance from Bruce Willis and i say it's a must see for everyone!. The Direction is awesome!. Rowdy Herrington does an awesome job with great camera work good angles, and keeping the film suspenseful and at a very fast pace!. Th Acting is wonderful!. Bruce Willis is AMAZING as always, and is amazing here, he is extremely likable, had a great character, had awesome chemistry with Jessica Parker, was quite intense, did wonderful in his emotional scenes, and i didn't find him lazy at all not one bit, he also had some cool lines! (Willis Rules!!!!!).Sarah Jessica Parker is excellent with what she had to do, she was very beautiful, had awesome chemistry with Willis, and just did an excellent job overall i really liked her. Dennis Farina is awesome with what he had to do, he added a lot of class i liked him. Tom Sizemore is fantastic as always, he was really intense, was very convincing as the drunk grieving over the loss of his brother, and just did a fantastic job overall, wished he had more screen time though! (Sizemore rules). Brion James is excellent as the asshole, you will hate him and i cheered out loud when Willis gave him a shot it in the end!. Robert Pastorelli is extremely creepy here, he seriously was scary, and gave a memorable performance here. John Mahoney and Tom Atkins both add class and are great in the small roles. Rest of the cast do fine. Overall a must see for everyone!. ****1/2 out of 5

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