An alternative view of a popular film

Rating: Null/10 (24 December 2001)

This film is a typical contrived and predictable action film based upon an implausible premise. This in itself is OK, because most action films are like this. This one is packed full of explosions and gunfire, is well filmed with some spectacular settings allowed by a big budget. If you like to see the bad guys get their 'come-uppence' then you will enjoy a ludicrously high body count too. Yet to me it comes across as an expensive flop. The film would have worked if it were tongue in cheek. Instead the director adapts a serious approach, which makes the whole thing almost unintentionally comical, especially a group of middle-aged British film stalwarts like Donald Houston and the rotund, alcohol fuelled Richard Burton are supposed to be a team of crack British troops! The direction is also too weak, allowing Burton, et all to ham it up throughout like a group of old theatre 'luvvies'. As for Clint Eastwood you're not sure he is trying to act cool or is merely portraying his very limited range as an actor. The bad guys are not menacing or effective enough, and are too easily disposed off. This means there is no tension to the proceedings - In all confrontations you know who is going to win (the solely one-way fight on the cable car is a prime example of this). It makes you wish for a 'fast forward' to skip to the next scene. Despite this I know lots of people who enjoyed the film but for me it was a hollow, expensive piece of tosh which was trying to be something else.