It's one of the best in its genre; suspenseful and exhilarating.

Rating: 8/10 (19 August 2018)

The only real issue with this fast-paced, exciting and involving mystery-action-thriller (one that truly uses all three genres as core tenants of its narrative) is its occasionally 'cartoony' sound-design. This is most prevalent in its fight sequences (mainly in its stand-out 'pen' fistfight) and severely reduces the impact of these otherwise engrossing and believable - not to mention realistic - set-pieces. However, it's a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things, considering that this is easily one of the tightest and most intriguing action-thrillers of its generation. Along with its two sequels, it kicked off a whole new kind of movie in the way that only a true classic could, and it's a joy to watch from beginning to end. It really is masterfully constructed to be as suspenseful, engaging and exhilarating as possible while remaining remarkably restrained, too. It's also distinct from its follow-ups in that it never really shakes the camera, though it is edited quite quickly during the high-velocity moments - which include a phenomenal car chase - even if the cutting speed never reaches that of its successors. This leads to a consistently legible and uniquely styled piece that legitimately stands out as one of the best in its genre. 8/10