Editorial Review

James Bond's fourth adventure takes him to the Bahamas, where a NATO warplane with a nuclear payload has disappeared into the sea. Bond (Sean Connery) travels from a tony health spa (where he tangles with a mechanized masseuse run amuck) to the casinos of Nassau and soon picks up the trail of SPECTRE's number-two man, Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), and his beautiful mistress, Domino (Claudine Auger), whom Bond soon seduces to his side. Equipped with more gadgets than ever, courtesy of the resourceful "Q" (Desmond Llewelyn), agent 007 escapes an ambush with a personal-size jet pack and takes to the water as he searches for the undersea plane, battles Largo's pet sharks, and finally leads the battle against Largo's scuba-equipped henchmen in a spectacular underwater climax. This thrilling Bond entry became Connery's most successful outing in the series and was remade in 1983 as Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• Original recording reissued
• NTSC

Reviews (150)

Thunderball just isn't a good film. Period.
Any way you slice the pie, Thunderball is a lard-encrusted, margarine-filled meal of empty calories. It is a bloated mess with a pompous performance by Connery, its only saving grace a towering budget and an excellent John Barry score.
Thunderball
I'm not sure how it's never happened, but I've never seen a James Bond film. I didn't see any of them. I've heard of them of course, but finally while walking in a local library...I stumbled on this one and figured why not. Well, for my first James Bond experience I was pretty satisfied. It's a decent spy film, with some good action scenes and Sean Connery's burning charisma.
He's the best Bond!!!!
an't mess witht he Connary. He unbreakable baby!! You have to love the old school. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

The 18th James Bond adventure was a runaway box-office success when released in 1995, thanks to the arrival of Pierce Brosnan as the fifth actor (following the departure of Timothy Dalton) to play the suave, danger-loving Agent 007. This James Bond is a bit more vulnerable and psychologically complex--and just a shade more politically correct--but he's still a formally attired playboy at heart, with a lovely Russian beauty (Izabella Scorupco) as his sexy ally against a cadre of renegade Russians bent on--what else?--global domination. There's also a seductive villainous with the suggestive name of Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), and the great actress Judi Dench makes her first appearance as Bond's superior, M, who wisecracks about 007's "dinosaur" status as a globetrotting sexist. All in all, this action-packed Bond adventure provided a much-needed boost the long-running movie series, revitalizing the 007 franchise for the turn of the millennium. Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Original recording reissued
• NTSC

Reviews (263)

Bond. James Bond.
According to my unreliable over-40 memory, this was the title of Pierce Brosnan's first and finest outing as James Bond. And, just for the record, he's my favorite Bond. Connery, believe it or not, was too "American" for me, whatever the heck that means. He's a Scot! Also, I believe this was the first Bond movie that Ian Fleming didn't write, although it was better than many he did write.
Fantastic intro for Pierce
This movie was amazing on so many levels, but the main reason I love it is because I think Trevelyan is one of the best Bond villains ever. He's not some aged megalomaniacal, larger than life villain like Dr. No, Goldfinger, Samedi or Cananga, he is an equal of Bond's, someone Bond once called his friend. And this makes him the worst kind of adversary Bond could face. He knows Bond, knows his instincts, knows all his moves, and it's fantastic to see Bond matched against a villain who could take him down with words rather than fantastic gadgetry.

Kick-ass James Bond film!
To be honest, this is my favorite James Bond film ever made! I have seen pretty much all of them, and I have to say, this one beats all the rest. It's classic James Bond, if not with a little more brains than the other ones. The acting is first-rate, and we have several talented actors like Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Alan Cumming, and others. The action is superbly choreographed, and Martin Campbell's directing is excellent. The quips by Bond are as good as ever, and you really enjoy watching him nail the bad guy. I am sad that thsi same director Martin Campbell is one of the people influencing all these new changes in the franchise (Daniel Criag as Bond?), but I still appreciate this film done by him. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

This smart, tautly directed thriller from Wolfgang Petersen is about the cat-and-mouse games between a Secret Service agent named Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) and the brilliant, psychopathic assassin (John Malkovich) who's itching to get the President in his cross hairs. The back-story--Horrigan is haunted by his inability to prevent John Kennedy's assassination (Eastwood is computer-generated into archival footage)--is more than a little hokey, but the plotting itself is smartly, even ingeniously, constructed. Petersen manages a viselike grip on the tension and Eastwood even gets to deliver an ever-more-timely lecture on the diminished nature of the office of President. Eastwood's as gruff and as infuriating to the by-the-book Powers That Be as ever, and Malkovich oozes delightful menace. Renee Russo capably costars as a colleague with whom Horrigan gets friendly. Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (65)

John Malkovich is Great.
Movies about presidential assassinations (whether fictional or non-fictional) are usually lame. They follow the same formula and they always end the same. I guess, technically, "In the Line of Fire" is nothing new for this kind of movie but it's got an exciting plot, awesome acting, and well basically...Despite the familar formula, it's a damn good movie. Clint Eastwood plays a Secret Service agent named Frank Horrigan, who is still haunted by the fact that he could've saved Kennedy from being assassinated had he reacted quicker. Since this incident, Frank has been reduced to a drunken under-cover Secret Service agent who longs for something meaninful to happen. It does in the form of Mitch Leary (John Malkovich, in an Oscar nominated performance). After Frank follows up on a tip that Leary may be up to something, he recieves a phone call from Leary who tells him that he is going to assassinate the Presidents. It seems doors are re-opening for Frank. As Frank and Leary begin talking to each other over the phone, while Frank and the rest of the agents descend upon the case it becomes clear that Leary is no ordinary crazy assassin. Rene Russo co-stars as Lilly Raines, a female Secret Service agent and the love interest of Frank. Dylan McDermott also co-stars as Frank's partner Al. Anyway, the plot is good...It has its moments of predictability, but I actually must admit that Leary's decision at the end genuinely surprised me. Anyway, I don't watch many Eastwood movies (I've only seen some movies he's directed, Any Which Way You Can, Escape from Alcatraz, and that's about it); I think, in all, I've seen 5 movies he's acted in. But I can honestly say that this is, probably, one of his strongest performances. Malkovich is what made me want to see this movie, the man is an amazing actor folks. Every film I've seen him in, he fascinates the viewer. Here, the casting doesn't get much better for his role. I can't think of another actor who could play Leary as well as Malkovich. I'm not sure if it was Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) or Martin Landau (Ed Wood) he lost the Oscar to, but this is a completely Oscar worthy performance here. Russo is good (she has the strong look of a career woman, but can be vulnerable to Franks "charm."), as is the rest of the cast.
Outstanding.One of my favorite Clint Eastwood Titles...
Review Clarification:This review is based on my viewing of this movie in the theater, and on Laser Disc.I have not viewed the DVD (any version).
Destined for the Classics
I'm convinced that if this movie were to hit the theaters this upcoming weekend, it would be a hit - again! It is just so very well done (and would surely be a relief from all the foof that is playing now.)
Read more

Subjects:  1. Feature Film-action/Adventure    2. Movie   

Editorial Review

Do you know anyone who hasn't seen this movie? A box-office smash when released in 1993, this spectacular update of the popular 1960s TV series stars Harrison Ford as a surgeon wrongly accused of the murder of his wife.He escapes from a prison transport bus (in one of the most spectacular stunt-action sequences ever filmed) and embarks on a frantic quest for the true killer's identity, while a tenacious U.S. marshal (Tommy Lee Jones, in an Oscar-winning role) remains hot on his trail. Director Andrew Davis hit the big time with this expert display of polished style and escalating suspense, but it's the antagonistic chemistry between Jones and Ford that keeps this thriller cooking to the very end. In roles that seem custom-fit to their screen personas, the two stars maintain a sharply human focus to the grand-scale manhunt, and the intelligent screenplay never resorts to convenient escapes or narrative shortcuts. Equally effective as a thriller and a character study, this is a Hollywood blockbuster that truly deserves its ongoing popularity. Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Dolby
• NTSC

Reviews (163)

Good film update of old series
Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) and his wife, Helen (Sela Ward) seem to have it all, until she is murdered.The police believe that Richard killed her, and there is enough evidence to convict him, and a serious miscarriage of justice results in Richard being on a train on his way to prison.But, there is a train accident, Richard escapes, and he goes on a quest for his wife's true killer, while trying to keep one step ahead of the police, led by Marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones).
The Fugitive
Excellent movie!Having watched the TV series as a child, it was refreshing to see the story done in today's setting with the different techological elements of our lives woven into the story.Of course that is not unique in itself but the results were stimulating and exciting to behold.

Classic
This movie is a classic. If you haven't seen it or heard of it, buy it now! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Anybody seen Keanu? The action star of Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (108)

Action & Comedy on the High Seas
"Welcome to paradise. And the name's Dante!"
AWESOME!!
BEST MOVIE OF ALL TIMES!! IT HAS EVERYTHING YOU COULD ASK FOR IN A MOVIE!! THAT CRUISE SHIP IS BEAUTIFUL, ITS AMAZING HOW WELL THEY DIRECTED THIS MOVIE, SO KEANU WASNT IN THIS MOVIE.......SO WHAT!?!!? THE MOVIE IS GREAT WITH OR WITHOUT HIM!BUY IT A+++++

An unfortunately disappointing sequel
Keanu Reeves was written out of this unfortunately disappointing sequel to the 1994 megahit SPEED. Sandra Bullock has a new co-star,Jason Patric and they are transporting themselves on an ocean cruiser instead of a commercial bus. How could Bullock,one of Hollywood's all-time greatest film stars have such a disappointing film as this? How about a SPEED 3 where Bullock and John Travolta are up in the friendly skies(Travolta is a real-life pilot)? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (13)

Why isn't this movie available on DVD?
I saw this movie in the theater when it was released in the late 1980s and love all the Peter Ustinov Hercule Poirot films.Why isn't this on DVD?I don't buy VHS tapes anymore, but if this was released on DVD I would buy it immediately for my Poirot collection.If anyone from the movie studio/distributor reads these reviews, please release this movie on DVD!!!!!

entertaining - star studded - romp
APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH is on the whole a very enjoyable big-screen outing for Agatha Christie's portly super-sleuth, played wonderfully by Peter Ustinov.The cast assembled for this production reads like a page ripped from Who's Who, and the entire movie is a joy even on repeat screenings.
Winner loses the plot
This is the third in the series of big screen adaptations to star Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot. Unfortunately for him, the director for this movie was the abomination of a British director, Michael Winner. Despite this handicap, 'Appointment With Death' does prove to be a reasonably entertaining outing for the famous Belgian detective, thanks in part to the great Christie source material and a couple of outstanding performances in the cast.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery / Suspense    3. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller   

Editorial Review

Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 remake of his own 1934 spy thriller is an exciting event in its own right, with several justifiably famous sequences. James Stewart and Doris Day play American tourists who discover more than they wanted to know about an assassination plot. When their son is kidnapped to keep them quiet, they are caught between concern for him and the terrible secret they hold. When asked about the difference between this version of the story and the one he made 22 years earlier, Hitchcock always said the first was the work of a talented amateur while the second was the act of a seasoned professional. Indeed, several extraordinary moments in this update represent consummate filmmaking, particularly a relentlessly exciting Albert Hall scene, with a blaring symphony, an assassin's gun, and Doris Day's scream. Along with Hitchcock's other films from the mid-1950s to 1960 (including Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered
• NTSC

Reviews (68)

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
EXCELLENT HITCHCOCK MOVIE, BUT THEN ALL HITCHCOCK MOVIES ARE.
Hitchcock's deep human art
The Man Who Knew Too Much is known as one of the most "suspenseful" films of Alfred Hitchcock.
A Hitchcock movie for the family and the ears

Read more

Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery / Suspense    3. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller   

Editorial Review

Whether or not you can sympathize with its fascistic/vigilante approach to law enforcement, Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Dolby
• NTSC

Reviews (121)

Say something once, why say it again?
This is one of those films that preys on the fears and emotions of its viewers, but does it rather well. It purposely contrives situations in order to gain our sympathies for the characters it wants. "Lethal Weapon 2" did this by having the evil South African government offical proclaim, "Diplomatic immunity!" after committing a heinous crime. In "Dirty Harry," the Scorpio Killer claims police brutality after receiving a well-deserved beating. Makes for a nice story and usually achieves its goal, though it simultaneously insults us as viewers. Nonetheless, I have a weakness for serial killer movies, especially when written well. This one is particularly memorable because it features Clint Eastwood in the title role, though Andy Robinson is at least as remarkable as the Scorpio Killer. Harry Callahan is dubbed "Dirty" because he refuses to play by the rules. He represents the biggest challenge to the killer, so the cat and mouse game ensues. Can Harry stop him before he kills again? Long a fantasy for upstanding citizens, this film is increasingly on its way toward becoming a reality (courtesy the NRA), due to laws permitting concealed handguns and to shoot now, ask questions later. Fed-up citizens with firearms are exactly what America needs to be great once again.

Brilliant, violent, and shattering....and funny, too....
The film critic Pauline Kael referred to this film as a "fascist" film, implying that simply because a cop who was disgusted by idiotic paperwork and having to obey bureaucrats and politicians who understand nothing about the world we live in decided to take an unconventional approach to fighting crime.Believe me, liberals like police, too.They're not going to care about certain people's rights when it comes to having a safe neighborhood.But then on the flip side, conservatives have never really liked civil liberties, unless they're arrested, then they want as many liberties as they can get.I personally hate when people with political axes to grind drag a film into their idiotic little world, because they're out to prove their point, and they'll distort the meaning of the film.It'll leave a bad taste in your mouth after you've seen it, because you've heard the verbose intellectuals talk and talk and talk and talk about it ad nauseum.This is a great film, one of Clint's best and the best film in the Dirty Harry series.It's intelligent, exciting, and funny as hell.It's politically incorrect, and that's a damn good thing.Life is politically incorrect, and that's a damn good thing also.There are many great setpieces, such as the opening bank robbery, the speech on why they call him Dirty Harry, the scene where they shoot Scorpio, and the final scene.A masterpiece....

GO for it, Harry!
I'm awaiting my copy of "Dirty Harry" - then I'll have all five of the...well, "Dirty Harry" movies.Let the snivling liberals whine about "police brutality," "read him his rights," ad nauseum - you can just BET that there are a LOT MORE of us that condone everything Harry does and stands for. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Dolby
• NTSC

Reviews (22)

great crappy movie
this movie is far far far away from being a masterpiece, but i've loved it since i was a kid. the only problem is, it's almost impossible to find, anywhere. they really need a dvd version!

Good for Stewart fans, suspensful, but not outstanding.
Masterminds is a hostage suspense story similar to Toy Soldiers.In this case Patrick Stewart is the culprit, ostensibly setting up security for a private grade school.Vincent Kartheiser is a teenage computer wiz who dropped off his little sister at the school, then stayed behind to pull a prank with the school's new computer system, getting trapped inside - hidden.There's plenty of action & suspense, but the plot's slightly confusing - it's not clear what Stewart's team is really up to, and some of it seems far-fetched even for this type of movie. In other words, it will keep you interested, but is hard to follow.Fans of Patrick Stewart probably won't be disappointed, except for the fact he's the bad guy.Brenda Fricker is good as the principal, the rest of the cast competent but not outstanding.

UGGH
I might say that it was not that a great movie, nor even a good movie at that. First we have antagonists who are most likely mercks, but lack the skills to prove that they are. Even their leader, considering his role, is not appropriate to be a British SAS. Also, they are very "soft", to consider that they are equipped with dartguns. I got irritated also that there were many times that the protagonist will surely be caught but the criminals were so stupid.The film also lacks of realism, not much crowds outside the gate, considering that these are children held hostages. Mines exploding very near policemen, but they were not much affected by the blasts, etc. Well I need not go on. For me, don't waste your money buying this movie. If you want, just rent it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Luc Besson (Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (391)

A Charm
Luc Besson is often described as the "French Spielberg," preferring large stylish popular films.For this film, the French Academy of Cinema nominated him as Best Director.While he would eventually win the French award for "The Fifth Element," this film also represents Jean Reno's sole French award nomination as Best Actor.Neither did the film win the 1994 Best Film award in France, for which it was nominated.
which version is the best?
so I bought the two disc deluxe edition last night from barnes and noble after an exhaustive attempt to discover which version of this dvd is the best. The DE is not it. The Uncut International Version is the only version that has, to my knowledge, all the original scenes that were later cut for american audiences. Both the Deluxe Edition and the Uncut International Version have the same listed running time, at 133 minutes each. However, after watching the DE, I realized that they are not the same, that at least one of the controversial "love" scenes between portman and reno has been cut. Even though the scenes are perhaps a bit uncomfortable, there is a tenderness to them that ties the whole film together in a way that none of the cut versions can quite accomplish. I personally don't see them as anything too controversial and I don't really understand why they needed to be cut in the first place. anyhow, my point is this. Buy the Uncut International Version. It is the ONLY complete dvd version of this film. barnes and noble were even good enough to let me exchange my already opened deluxe edition after i explained the situation.

- Leon is one hard core hitman with heart.
I originally seen this when it first came out on video but it was the "American version" still was entertaining but it had some holes in it.Just around a year or 2 ago I bought this version and it s much better.If you enjoy movies that have action but also show some depth, this is the movie.Also every character is perfect, Gary Oldman is the highlight as a completely out of control DEA cop who doesn't listen to anyone.Danny Aiello is good too, playing a "Italian restaurant owner/ bank" .Other than that please just see it, then buy it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

With stylish director Roger Spottiswode(Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Dolby
• Original recording reissued
• NTSC

Reviews (247)

just the way i like my bond...
Look people..its a Bond movie..movie loaded with 2 hours of action,explosions, cgi and hot women,this movie will give your sound system a workout, yeah some action scenes leave you doubting the realism but its BOND, get over it..GOLDENEYE still my favorite

Bad Bad Bad
Bad Bad Bad WORST VILLAN WORST PLOT WORST ACTORS WORST SONG NOTHING WAS GOOD ABOUT IT!!!!

Agent 007 vs the Media...
When MGM successfully resurrected the near dead James Bond franchise with "007:Goldeneye" starring the newest James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, many critics felt that maybe the franchise had experienced it's final adventure.The box office gold that resulted from the film told a different story, putting another adventure starring everyone's favorite MI-6 agent on the fast track to production.With a solid story, returning cast members and some new additions, not to mention Bond fans salivating over the casting of sexy Teri Hatcher (TV's "Lois & Clark:The New Adventures of Superman") as the latest Bond girl, expectations were justifiably high for this 18th James Bond film.While some of the efforts in this long-lasting franchise have been less than stellar, the most disappointing would be "007:Moonraker" starring Roger Moore (the worst James Bond in history), this newest Bond adventure was not one of the weak installments, and truth be told is one of the better adventures in the secret agent's illustrious career.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Action    2. Action / Adventure    3. Adventure    4. Feature Film-action/Adventure    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

Helen Mirren's Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, the only female DCI on an old boy's club London homicide squad, is like a phantom lurking around the edges of the action while the men rush through their latest murder case, joshing and winking in the kind of male camaraderie the cop genre has celebrated for decades. When DCI Shefford dies of a sudden heart attack, Tennison demands to take over. Despite her superintendent's resistance ("Give her this case and she'll start expecting more."), she becomes the squad's first woman to head a murder investigation. Scrutinized at every moment by her superior officers, Tennison is faced with a case that spirals out from a single murder to a serial spree, a second-in-command who undermines her authority and her investigation at every turn, a team resistant to taking orders from a woman, and a private life unraveling due to her professional diligence. Lynda La Plant's script is a compelling thriller riddled with ambiguity that turns dead ends, blind alleys, and the mundane legwork of real-life cops into fascinating details. Mirren commands the role of Tennison with authority, intelligence, and a touch of overachieving desperation. Superb performances, excellent writing, and understated direction make this BBC miniseries one of the most involving mysteries in years. Look for future British stars Ralph Fiennes and Tom Wilkinson in supporting roles. Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (21)

Best Way to Get the Man is Put a Woman on the Case
Prime Suspect started what has become the best series of detective specials ever.
Gripping, psychologically intense and gratifying!
This is the first in the series of one of the best police detective stories ever.Helen Mirren is masterful in her performance as Jane Tennyson the brilliant female detective creating who handles sexism and interrogating criminals with ease.She is an intuitive who is adept at psychological warfare as well as handling her team.In addition it is fascinating to see the British system of justice which in turn creates a window to view British culture.

Prime Suspect 1 and 2
This is the very best series I've ever seen.It is addictive in the best possible way. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Original recording reissued
• NTSC

Reviews (12)

An Awful Movie .... that I Still Love to Watch
As others have said about this film, it was great to watch as a kid (I was twelve when it first came out).It fed my uninformed, childish notions of espionage.
Loved it as a kid, don't think much of it now..
YOU CAN'T HELP BUT LIKE THIS FILM...
[w]ith dialogue as: "You have 2 choices, duck or bleed!"This isn't intended to be anything more than time wasting fare, yet there is a time accurate political element to the film proposing that the USSR was threatening to detonate a nuke in the Mid East oil fields in 1982.The film was released right around the time of Al Haig's exile from D.C. so there may have been more truth here than not.That aside, James Glickenhaus was the master of comic book violence in the early 1980's and you can see some of his influence in Quentin's first works.This is a good Saturday afternoon B flick the way the studios used to churn them out. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Everything clicked in this 1994 action hit, from the premise (a city bus has to keep moving at 50 mph or blow up) to the two leads (the usually inscrutable Keanu Reeves and the cute-as-a-button Sandra Bullock) to the villain (Dennis Hopper in psycho mode) to the director (Jan De Bont, who made this film hit the ground running with an edge-of-your-seat opening sequence on a broken elevator). This is the sort of movie that becomes a prototype for a thousand lesser films (including De Bont's lousy sequel, Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (193)

[Three and a half out of four] Very good movie for both Reeves and Sandra Bullock
But for a better view of Hopper, try
never get on the bus with dennis hopper
this is next to die hard one of thwe best action movies ever made. everything just clicked on this movie, the cast the script and the direction just make this the best way to spend some time watching a movie.a mad man(hopper,type cast now as the crazy villin,but here he just knocks the part out of the park)puts a bomb on a bus so that if it slows down below 50 mph it will blow-up. keanu reeves(in full blowen action hero glory) is the cop who must find a way to save the day as he gets on board the bus . sandra bullack is the love intrest and unlike most action movies she has a very important part to play in this as she is forced to take the wheel of the bus. this is one of those films that starts in 5 gear and never slows down and just when you think it's over you get one last bit a action in the almost unknown l.a. subway system. the extras are great and that makes this one a great part of my collection
This movie is more boring than church
Man, this movie sucks.Make no mistake, I am a man.I like my movies manly and violent.I just wanna point this out, cause so many people love to write reviews for things that they wouldn't generally care for, which is pretty worthless.I have nothing against 'Speed' in theory, or action movies in theory, anyway.Basically, 'Speed' lives on its gimmicky premise.The trouble is, this premise proves to be exceedingly dull.Riding the bus is not especially thrilling.In fact, actually riding the bus is more interesting than this film: there are often crazy people on the real bus.Also, you can play a game to try and determine which of the 5 cell phone conversations that you are overhearing is the most asinine. (This is futile, however.They are all always banal beyond belief.)Then the movie goes on for a lot longer than it should've, and simply becomes silly and moronic rather than tedious, so it covers all its bases, I guess.Also, it has the obnoxious, loathsome Sandra Bullock and a particularly dull Keanu Reeves.Hopper hams it up, as he ought to, but he's a lot less fun than usual.That's the ultimate problem with this movie-- it's stupid and tedious, but in a pious, serious way.You can't laugh at this the way you can lotsa crappy action movies.All you can do is groan, sigh, yawn and finally, sleep.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Frederick Forsyth wrote the novel and screenplay for this story about a plot to stage an enormous nuclear accident in England, a catastrophe so large that its source can never be identified but will lead to assumptions that America is behind it. Michael Caine plays an aging intelligence agent who picks up clues that the ingredients for such an apocalypse are being smuggled piece-by-piece into the U.K.--but he cannot seem to get his superiors to care. Caine is outstanding in a role that seems tailor-made for him, and Pierce Brosnan is very good as the Russian agent working undercover in England to effect the planned tragedy. The film perfectly captures a spreading suspicion and resentment toward superpower adventurism, even though such sentiments are, in fact, being exploited by the bad guys. Caine, as always, suggests a man walking a narrow line through a gauntlet of moral compromises. --Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (13)

Absorbing thriller!
A Russian pilot is disposed to reaffirm his noble patriotism setting off a nuclear weapon near an American base in U.K. Michael Caine will be the assigned officer in order to foil this brutal incident that would visibly alter the delicate terror' s equilibrium. In sum a pretty good spy thriller, where Pierce Brosnan reaffirmed his own style as a promissory actor, after his successful brief cameo in 1980 with The long good Friday. It's not mere casualty John Mackenzie had been the same director in both films.
DVD available in Region 2 of suspenseful thriller
In the 1960s Michael Caine appeared in a series of spy movies as Len Deighton's fictional cold war hero Harry Palmer.Then in 1986 Caine appeared again in much the same mold except in this instance, since it was based on a book by Frederick Forsyth, his character had a different name, even though in image and style he was very much a Palmer clone.
Great Movie But no DVD
I saw this movie when it first came out.Loved it.Why Why Why no one has put this to DVD i'll never know?I'll have to keep waiting I guess. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie