Runtime: 121 minutes
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Eastwood, Charlie Sheen, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, Lara Flynn Boyle
From: Warner Bros.
Would you believe that a long, long time ago (I can still remember...) in a messageboard thread, there was serious debate concerning this movie? True story. It was either a love it or hate it proposition; of course, when I viewed it-probably early in Obama's first term-my reaction was “meh”, so I was on the fence. My finding of the DVD at a used disc store a few weeks ago inspired me to finally give it a second chance and... I enjoyed the movie more this time around, even if it is goofy and outlandish.
The important thing to note is that while Clint Eastwood played a character not dissimilar to Dirty Harry here (he's a loose cannon cop who doesn't want to team up with a young neophyte cop played by Charlie Sheen) the movie has an undercurrent of humor throughout; Lethal Weapon is a natural comparison to make. Of course, Sheen's character is an uptight rich kid who is by the book and it takes some harsh moments for him to let loose... especially now, it is hilarious to think of Old Charlie playing such a character-in a not so funny note, apparently Sheen had substance abuse issues during filming. They are after Raul Julia and Sonia Braga, somehow both playing racist German A-holes who run a giant auto theft ring.
It's a silly movie which Clint did for Warner Brothers because that's the only way they would allow him to make the prestigious White Hunter, Black Heart... it did play better for me this time. Perhaps it is because I have viewed some awful buddy-cop “comedies” that have been made in the preceding decade, but this at least made me chuckle on quite a few occasions; unlike what we get in comedy now, one-liners are said then they move on instead of this rambling improv crap we get now. Heck, Loose Cannons from the same year... now that is pretty dreadful; at the time they also made some terrible buddy-cop comedies.
Plus, those that enjoy the R-rated action movies of old, the violence is usually entertaining and sometimes is quite impressive... the big example is right in the beginning: a car chase of a vehicle transport truck where the bad guys let loose the automobiles they are hauling as a way to stop Harry... excuse me, “Nick Pulovski.”
There are some outrageous moments and I know not everyone will like that a dog is shot & killed at one point... plus I don't know what to make of the movie's most infamous moment of Braga sexually assaulting Eastwood aside from it being shock value... it at least provided me with enough entertainment value where a good rating can now be applied. Those that will forever not like this, of course I get why; among other things, the storyline of Sheen's character being traumatized because of his brother's death when they were kids is never fully explored. The plan in the upcoming years is to watch more of the serious pictures Eastwood has directed... at least this revisit was not a waste of 2 hours.
No comments:
Post a Comment