Cruise to the darker side

Rating: 9/10 (23 August 2004)

This movie gets Michael Mann back to what he is best at; tight action sequences, beautifully shot with a strong simple script. I have never been the greatest Tom Cruise fan, but he delivers in this role as long as you can suspend your memory of cheesy grin lead roles of the past.
I got right into it from the opening sequences of LA at night and things just got better. For me the bar scene is at least a match for the heist scene in Heat.
If there was a criticism it would be that the film changes tone in the second half by giving way to more traditional Hollywood needs and therefore loses some of the edginess that is created in the first half.
But don't let that put you off, this is a film that has something different and will appeal to a number of age groups on different levels.