Pretty good hostage movie

Rating: Null/10 (30 May 2004)

Al Pacino and Charles Durning are the highlights of Dog Day Afternoon, a thriller concerning a pair of none-too-bright bank robbers and the hostage situation they find themselves thrown into. John Cazale is also effective as dim but dangerous Sal, a guy who doesn't know that Wyoming is just a state, but seems capable of murdering his hostages with no trace of emotion. When he says he's prepared to send out bodies, I had a feeling he meant it. Some of the shouting-match negotiations between Sonny (Pacino) and Detective Moretti (Durning) are really funny. While I thought it was pretty solid, I don't rate it as an all-time classic like others seem to. With the exception of the last 12 minutes, there was a lack of intensity that I felt was needed for this type of movie. Pacino seemed almost TOO gentlemanly toward his hostages, and it costs the atmosphere.