Reviews
Ronin (1998)
if you like the edge of your seat...
It's been a long while since I saw a new release that was worth seeing. Ronin was a fresh breeze.
The film involves the viewer by keeping you wondering, "exactly what is going on?" The main characters involved in the subterfuge are all frustrated by the "need to know" policy of their employer, and the audience feels the same desire to know more. What's in the case? Who is DeNiro, really? Who is the employer ordering the ambush and theft?
The pace of the film supported this plot design and it worked very well.
I also liked the bit of "honor among thieves" camaraderie between the various terrorist/mercenary figures in the film. Constantly asked, "Do I know you?" The questions are never answered, and that's okay. Because, ironically, that's the point.
As with most films, the bit of medicine in film had me howling with laughter. It works okay, though. (I thought the strike team that could order a brand new Audi and state of the art weaponry and have it materialize within 24 hours would have enough loose change for one vial of local anesthetic and a syringe to inject it with, but hey, I'm not a European terrorist -- what do I know?)
In the end, I left the theatre entertained, and recommend this cinematographic effort to anyone who likes the fast-paced shoot-em-up type show.
The Avengers (1998)
flat
If Sean Connery's in a movie, I'll see it. This one is so disappointing !
This film tries very hard to be spectacular. There's a preview on many home videos these days that features clips from classic old films, designed to inspire the viewer to go out and buy or rent movie classics - you know, Gone With the Wind and the like. I had the same impression, watching The Avengers. Mr. Freeze and his plan to chill the world, from Batman. The cat woman's costume and persona, draped on Uma Thurman. The catwalk fight scene from Moonraker. Search parties dispatched to locate James Bond, who turns up in a life raft with his romantic interest. A sprinkling of the hurricane special effects from Twister. There's even computer generated special effect attack bugs from an episode of TV's Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict. To name but a few.
Does this producer have a single original thought in his head? You know, there are places in the world where people get fired for reproducing someone else's work without citing the source [like Boston!].
Ralph Fiennes, in The English Patient, made me feel his intense love and desire, and his subsequent anguish. The only anguish I felt watching the Avengers was over the total lack of character development. Both Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes were trapped into reciting lines that left them no opportunity to flesh out actual characters. That is not to say that a movie has to be serious for the audience to believe in the "hero," James Bond films being a perfect example. The Avengers fell terribly short.
Perhaps Sean Connery got involved in this project, wanting to play the diabolical genius madman, bent on conquering the earth. What great fun that could be for an actor of his caliber. The same can be said for the motivations behind Thurman and Fiennes' roles as well-known heroes. Too bad the script was written so badly, the story so disjointed, to derail even the most devoted fans. The musical score was just as uninspiring.
And tell me, please, what's going on with the greasy guy in the wheelchair sucking down cigarettes? And the blind chick that is just too weird? What's the motto here? The bad guys are ugly, handicapped, and bizarre? I don't get it.
What was good about this movie? If you're into fashion, Thurman's wardrobe was stunning from start to finish. And sure, for the ladies, seeing Ralph Fiennes in the buff - okay, that was fun (though you didn't really need to do that, Ralph.)
This movie will definitely appeal to the average 15 year old, preoccupied with role models who have something "cool" to say, in any situation. If you're past the pimple stage in your life, however, these characters are as flat as the screen on which they're projected.
Overall, leave this film to rent when it comes out on video (maybe, next week) when you are looking for something mindless to do for 90 minutes.
The Negotiator (1998)
engaging action flick
I will admit that I had my doubts about this film because its premise, as advertised in the trailers, was somewhat bold - a hostage negotiator who takes hostages in a desperate situation, and wins. Nevertheless, I see movies to be entertained, and this film definitely hit its mark.
I found the beginning dragged a bit, and the character introduction took a tad too long; besides that, I would have appreciated the relationship between Jackson's character and his partner to have been developed a little more. The sheer number and layers of police officers was also confusing. I found these issues to be minor, in comparison to the superb acting of both Jackson and Spacey, in addition to witty and well-executed dialogue. The scene where Jackson's character is "instructing" a novice negotiator (Farley) who's learning "on-the-job," is lively and hilarious, but does not distract from the overall action or intensity of the situation. In general I feel that writers that do this try to do too much and should pick one genre before writing a script, but in this instance it works.
The film is also nicely tied together with a beginning and ending scene with Jackson poised with a loaded weapon over a bad guy's head - both scenes gripping the audience with the question, "Will he shoot him?"
For those of you who like discrepancies, The Negotiator inadvertently commented on cutbacks in healthcare spending, perhaps... At the end of the film, the ambulance crew makes the guy that's hurt (I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet) WALK to the ambulance. Maybe he had the wrong kind of insurance. There are more, but that was my favorite.
In short, engaging, exciting, and entertaining. See it on the big screen, for the action scenes.