Firstly, until now I have refrained from reviewing most films on IMDb, including many that I've really enjoyed.....but I feel that I cannot let this film escape without comment. I can't believe Slater even considered doing this film, as I've enjoyed many of his films in the past, & this really isn't any where near his normal standards. Every aspect of the film, sadly including the acting, is awful - the directing, the editing, the so called special effects & the pathetic attempt of using embarrassing 'one-liners' to try & give it a comedy feel........ Absolutely awful - & hopefully I can put people off spending their valuable time viewing it!! Please choose carefully before accepting any more work Mr. Slater.........
67 Reviews
Was this supposed to be funny?
aventer-116 September 2009
I could understand if this was a funny crime film where all the villains are cartoonish bumblers. This is played for real. We have Slater, a con-author who tells everyone how to run their lives but has made a ruin of his own. He runs afoul of Gooding, playing a prissy, effeminate, yet somehow feared smuggler of all kinds of stuff and his gang of over-age thugs. The head thug is a dead ringer for Patrick Troughton, the second actor to play Dr. Who. As such its hard to take him too seriously. The others are kind of old to be slapping people around. Yet, this gang is talented: they manage to shoot people, beat up men and women savagely, shoot up a hotel, crash their car, all in broad daylight and in public without attracting the attention of a single cop. And, like the evil killer in a slasher movie, they are unstoppable. No matter how fast or where Slater runs, how well he hides, how many people are witnesses, the crooks always catch him and beat him up. After a while the chase scenes become pointless since you know Slater is doomed from the start. And no matter how savagely he or his girlfriends are thrashed, a minute later they are just fine, broken ribs and fractured jaws forgotten, with maybe a little cut on the forehead to address. If the film had been played as a take-off on other gangster films, it could have been funny and entertaining. As it is, it's a plot hole ridden mess. Maybe I'm too critical. Others seem to enjoy it.
Home made job
morrymorgan7 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Times must be tough in Hollywood if Cuba Gooding Jr. and Christian Slater thought they were onto a winner when they read this script. The rest of the cast lets down these 'normally' great actors and the corny lines, and bad, bad, bad special effects make it a true B-grade, made for DVD movie. The airplane crash at the end looks like something out of the 1960s Thunderbirds science-fiction puppet show. Truly awful.
Slater and Gooding Jr. crack jokes throughout the movie, but it's clearly ad lib, as the rest of actor's lines are flat and robotic. I suggest that unless you're from Seattle or Spokane, Washington, and want to see your hometown, there's little reason to buy this movie.
Slater and Gooding Jr. crack jokes throughout the movie, but it's clearly ad lib, as the rest of actor's lines are flat and robotic. I suggest that unless you're from Seattle or Spokane, Washington, and want to see your hometown, there's little reason to buy this movie.
Horrible
Kirlian3 February 2010
It's simply incredible that two famous actors accepted to act in such a terrible Z-movie. The script and screenplay are so incredibly poor that it looks like a 5 year old child spent his time in writing this crap. Direction is something which made me hope there was no director, the result could have been better. Really, I can't save anything at all of this movie, the only nice thing is sometimes the soundtrack, but two songs repeated ad infinitum would result boring even if wonderful. Please, avoid this movie if you can, spend your free time in something more intriguing... like sleeping. And actors, were you really so short in money you had to accept it or there was a gun on your head to force you to?
Poor Action Thriller that Doesn't Deliver any entertainment!
mrcibubur2 January 2010
This is a very poor film indeed and is not recommended if you have alternative choices. Cant fault Chrstian Slater, he acts impeccably, it is just he must work with a very below average script with some really cheesy and ineffective dialogue. There is no real continuity or coherency in the movie and there is no realism to the diamond dealings at all, the two women are just two charlies angels out of context. Sure there is action and thrills but nothing bolts together at all and you WILL leave the cinema or the DVD room DISAPPOINTED. thankfully its not a long movie and its over before it starts. The potential plot actually is very good, shame nobody worked on it before taking it to the big screen. Oh yes, was there a director for this film? I notice a name but doubt any professional contribution.
Suggested tag line: "Not quite the worse film ever!"
Thelightbulb17 October 2009
I'll start by defending myself for actually watching this; someone else made me watch it! This isn't so much a review, but more of a warning. DON'T WATCH IT! The plot if you read the back of the DVD sounds quite promising. A writer's (Christian Slater) fiancé is kidnapped and he finds himself being chased by violent thugs (led by Cuba Golding Jr) who believe he has some diamond that his fiancé stole from them. Nothing groundbreaking about the plot, but OK, could be a good Saturday night action film. Alas no! What we get could be reasonably described as a cheese fest. Appalling acting, an awful plot, dismal effects and shoddy camera work.
Perhaps the most depressing part about this film is watching the death of the careers of two previously promising actors. Christian Slater and Cuba Golding Jr, both have successful films behind them, but both have had a recent string of turkeys, and this should just about finish them off. However to be fair, they are probably the best thing about this film, as the supporting cast are well out of their depths.
At one point in the film, it feels as though it might just save itself in becoming a sort of spoof of action films. The fight scenes and dialogue are so bad it is hilarious. The people watching it with me were laughing harder than we have done with some comedies. The trouble is, the film isn't meant to be funny.
I think this film has one use, to show it in film school to aspiring actors, directors, cameramen etc and explain this is how not to do a film.
Perhaps the most depressing part about this film is watching the death of the careers of two previously promising actors. Christian Slater and Cuba Golding Jr, both have successful films behind them, but both have had a recent string of turkeys, and this should just about finish them off. However to be fair, they are probably the best thing about this film, as the supporting cast are well out of their depths.
At one point in the film, it feels as though it might just save itself in becoming a sort of spoof of action films. The fight scenes and dialogue are so bad it is hilarious. The people watching it with me were laughing harder than we have done with some comedies. The trouble is, the film isn't meant to be funny.
I think this film has one use, to show it in film school to aspiring actors, directors, cameramen etc and explain this is how not to do a film.
Abominable
luke-578-63961910 November 2009
Lies & Illusions is an apt title. I felt lied to, deceived...cheated. Cuba Gooding Jnr and Christian Slater must have felt the same way when they saw the finished product. This film is remarkable. It is so utterly hideous that it is remarkable that anyone would actually allow it to be released. The script is weak, the acting weaker and the weird jazz-infused soundtrack is utterly incongruous. The 'special effects' are laughable and the camera-work and production quality are reminiscent of a high school drama project shot on a cheap camcorder. Don't ever willingly subject yourself to this film. I would be reticent to even subject my worst enemy to this abomination.
Just not a good movie...
Thanos_Alfie8 August 2013
At the beginning I saw that in this movie plays Cuba Gooding Jr. and Christian Slater and I thought it's gonna be a nice movie. Then I saw the trailer of this movie and I understood that it will not be such a good movie that I suppose.
It is not a good movie and I do not recommend it because I did not like it and I can tell you that it is a boring movie and not an action movie. Although one thing that I liked in this movie is the performance of Cuba Gooding Jr. as a bad guy.
Finally "Lies & Illusions" is a movie to simply pass your time and nothing more.
It is not a good movie and I do not recommend it because I did not like it and I can tell you that it is a boring movie and not an action movie. Although one thing that I liked in this movie is the performance of Cuba Gooding Jr. as a bad guy.
Finally "Lies & Illusions" is a movie to simply pass your time and nothing more.
Painful Secrets
tedg7 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
There is something worse than watching an inept movie — watching a one that had some promise and blows it.
This will likely go directly to video because of multiple deficiencies.
The plot:
We have a celebrated writer who has just written a book on honesty in relationships. During the writing of this, he gets married to someone he dearly loves. One night, they are attacked and she disappears, apparently killed. In the year since, while waiting for legal matters to settle, some puzzling, but minor questions pop up.
Our writer meets another woman, quite different. She nurtures him and like his lost wife, she feeds his creative writing urges. She solidly replaces the dead wife, helped by the suspicion that she (the first wife) had some secrets. A new marriage is in the works. Everyone is happy.
We slowly are introduced, noirwise, to a seemingly powerful agency. We learn not much overall about who they are, but by steps we know they are some mix of spies and thieves. The mystery deepens. We discover that the dead wife worked for them. We even discover a secret room in the house, with all manner of tradecraft.
So we have a sort of Mrs Smith situation, but without the fantasy. We enter Hitchcock territory, with a conventional macguffin — a suitcase of untold riches that we are chasing. But it is a modern, folded Hitchcock, because of the matters of trust, introspective writing, love. By now in terms of cinematic ambition, we are where "Vertigo" left off. The first wife returns and engages in the chase. There is conflicting evil and sliding loyalties.
But wait, we take an abrupt turn into even more interesting territory. The second wife, the one that was certain where the first one wasn't? Well, she it turns out is an agent of some other unnamed federal group, and was only with our writer as part of an investigation. She is chasing the macguffin too. But she REALLY loves our man, it turns out.
Maybe.
As the action heats up: chases, fights between the two women, death, cruelty... we are left with all sorts of emotional shifts, moving from one urge to another, lost in a hypnotizing array of desires and beguiling tension. Eventually, the writer chooses the first wife, revelling in her mysteries and tension, producing his greatest books.
Or such is the promise of this construction. In reality, every stroke of this that could grab or compel is not something that pulls us along, but a whoosh of missed opportunity. Every bullet misses. Every seduction by the writer (both of and in the movie) fails.
An example: There is a noise in the house. Danger! Writer creeps along. An attack! No, just a cat screech-jumping in front of the camera. In fact, the screech seems to have come from the same recording of stock sound effects that the hokey score does.
Where were the mysteries, the seductions?
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
This will likely go directly to video because of multiple deficiencies.
The plot:
We have a celebrated writer who has just written a book on honesty in relationships. During the writing of this, he gets married to someone he dearly loves. One night, they are attacked and she disappears, apparently killed. In the year since, while waiting for legal matters to settle, some puzzling, but minor questions pop up.
Our writer meets another woman, quite different. She nurtures him and like his lost wife, she feeds his creative writing urges. She solidly replaces the dead wife, helped by the suspicion that she (the first wife) had some secrets. A new marriage is in the works. Everyone is happy.
We slowly are introduced, noirwise, to a seemingly powerful agency. We learn not much overall about who they are, but by steps we know they are some mix of spies and thieves. The mystery deepens. We discover that the dead wife worked for them. We even discover a secret room in the house, with all manner of tradecraft.
So we have a sort of Mrs Smith situation, but without the fantasy. We enter Hitchcock territory, with a conventional macguffin — a suitcase of untold riches that we are chasing. But it is a modern, folded Hitchcock, because of the matters of trust, introspective writing, love. By now in terms of cinematic ambition, we are where "Vertigo" left off. The first wife returns and engages in the chase. There is conflicting evil and sliding loyalties.
But wait, we take an abrupt turn into even more interesting territory. The second wife, the one that was certain where the first one wasn't? Well, she it turns out is an agent of some other unnamed federal group, and was only with our writer as part of an investigation. She is chasing the macguffin too. But she REALLY loves our man, it turns out.
Maybe.
As the action heats up: chases, fights between the two women, death, cruelty... we are left with all sorts of emotional shifts, moving from one urge to another, lost in a hypnotizing array of desires and beguiling tension. Eventually, the writer chooses the first wife, revelling in her mysteries and tension, producing his greatest books.
Or such is the promise of this construction. In reality, every stroke of this that could grab or compel is not something that pulls us along, but a whoosh of missed opportunity. Every bullet misses. Every seduction by the writer (both of and in the movie) fails.
An example: There is a noise in the house. Danger! Writer creeps along. An attack! No, just a cat screech-jumping in front of the camera. In fact, the screech seems to have come from the same recording of stock sound effects that the hokey score does.
Where were the mysteries, the seductions?
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
How bad? Really Bad. Really, really bad.
RobertMorganAU11 July 2014
How bad could a movie be, really? Watch this movie to find out!
The almost comedic element towards the end of the movie suggests its producers know how bad it is. It's almost inconceivable that
Unbelievable rubbish. Irrecoverable trash.
Gives B-grade movies a bad name...
Christian Slater and Cuba Gooding Jr must be really resenting this little number on their cv's.
I've binned the DVD. It's that bad - not even worth passing on at any price.
It's not worth 10 lines of review text - it's a laboratory case of failed direction and production. The horror, the horror...
The almost comedic element towards the end of the movie suggests its producers know how bad it is. It's almost inconceivable that
Unbelievable rubbish. Irrecoverable trash.
Gives B-grade movies a bad name...
Christian Slater and Cuba Gooding Jr must be really resenting this little number on their cv's.
I've binned the DVD. It's that bad - not even worth passing on at any price.
It's not worth 10 lines of review text - it's a laboratory case of failed direction and production. The horror, the horror...
Its hard to believe just how bad this was
kjh1148516 May 2014
I would have rated this less than a 1 if it let me.
Definitely one of the worst movies I have ever seen With this cast, I thought it would be an OK movie.
The story line was terrible.
Action was awful.
It was so bad that it started to become a comedy.
Bad just doesn't begin to describe this movie.
I have seen better acting in adult films.
I am still in shock over just how terrible this movie was.
I want that hour and a half of my life back!
Definitely one of the worst movies I have ever seen With this cast, I thought it would be an OK movie.
The story line was terrible.
Action was awful.
It was so bad that it started to become a comedy.
Bad just doesn't begin to describe this movie.
I have seen better acting in adult films.
I am still in shock over just how terrible this movie was.
I want that hour and a half of my life back!
You get what you paid for. All out action.
poopboy37627 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Now I know what you guys want. You want reviews that bash the living turd out of this movie. But I'm afraid I can't do that for you. You think you know what you're going to get with this movie. Judging by Slater's face in the cover art you immediately think "Oh god, another piece of crap." But oh no. This movie blew me away, the sheer raw emotion portrayed by Slater is moving. You really get a feel for how stunned and in awe when he was re united with his wife after 2 years. "You were 'sposed to be dead" 10/10. I gave this a 9 cause I want the honour of my 10 to only go to a class film like Legion. S - Stupendous. L - Lingering in my mind. A - All out action. T - Tantalisingly great. E - Electrifying R - Raw emotion.
The cast is great, the rest should have been better
dbborroughs16 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Christian Slater plays a successful writer who's fiancé goes missing. She was taken away by baddie Cuba Gooding Jr who thinks she stole several million dollars in diamonds from him not to mention a list of his contacts through the world. With the girl gone and believed dead even by Gooding, the focus of the hunt turns to Slater who has no idea of his fiancé's past, despite the insistence of everyone that he does. Uneasy mixing of comedy and drama lessens what should have been a good action thriller. I blame the director who takes an A-1 cast and runs them around in a film that feels like a lesser TV movie. Certainly this film is no where near as good as Slater's recent failed TV series My Own Worst Enemy. This film should have worked better. I kept thinking that I should have loved this instead of just liking it. It is worth seeing,, I think you'll probably be amused, but its the sort of thing you're going to want to see on cable because its just not worth paying money to see.
Painful
sassigirlee3 January 2012
Wow that was painful! The film style used to film this movie made this movie so cheesy! Almost looks like a 70's style film... What a disappointment for Cuba & Christian. What where they thinking? They must be so embarrassed! The girls were very pretty and their fight scene was one of the best girl fights that I've seen. Even the cars weren't that great for being made in 2009. The airplane part was the kicker for me. LAME! I wish this sight showed how much money each actor got paid for their part. It would explain a lot.... I hope Christian does something better in the future. I've always like him especially in the Mob movie he did in the 90's. Christian plays a good sexy bad guy. I've always wondered why he isn't in more films. Oh well, I've heard all actors have at least one movie their not proud of.
At least the photography was nice
sol-kay23 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** Hard to figure out if "lies & Illusions" is either an action thriller unintentional comedy or some kind of Hollywood in joke concocted by those behind and staring in it. The one thing that I noticed about the film is that its star Christian Slater as self help author Wes Wislon is having the time of his life in being in the movie.
Slater who lately will take any role he can get his hands on somehow manages to keep a smile on his face throughout the entire film that you start to wounder if he's really enjoying being in it or is popped up on uppers to the point where he feels no pain or embarrassment in how ridicules the movie, or his part in it , really is. It's Wilson's misfortune to run into, while signing his best selling book, leggy Samantha, Sarah Ann Schultz. Wilson is so struck by Samantha's beauty that he falls in love proposes and marries her by the time the evening is over. As things soon turn out Samantha is involved with this hoodlum Isaac, Cuba Goodin Jr,whom she left high and dry by taking off with some 10 million dollars worth of uncut diamonds that he had her hold for him.
As things turn out Wilson becomes the major precipitant of Samantha's estate, after she was rubbed out by Isaac's goons on her and Wilson's wedding night, which includes the key to a bank safe deposit box where the diamonds are supposed to be hidden. To put a little more spice into the movie Wilson soon runs into, again while signing his book, magazine writer Nichole Williams, Christa Campbell, who's more interested in his love life, and what she can do to improve it, then his autograph. With all the major players in the movie now in place this sets up the scene for an almost hour long chase scene where Issac and his band of butterfingered henchmen wreck the entire city of Spokane Washington trying to get their hands of the diamonds with the local police either on vacation or out to lunch, only showing up when the movie is almost over, while all this destruction of city as well as personal property is going on!
***SPOILERS*** The film ends on a somewhat confusing note with a battered and bloodied Wes Wilson, who was shot and near death when it ended, now completely recovered and discussing a sequel to his best selling book with his friend an literary agent Martin, Al Madrigal. I guess this is what the title of the film meant! Was it actually true or just a BS story made up by Wislon for his latest literary project! As for the very embarrassed looking Cuba Goodin Jr he did, unlike Slater, look like he just couldn't wait for the movie to finally end so he could finally be through with being in it even if he would have to be killed off for that to happen!
Slater who lately will take any role he can get his hands on somehow manages to keep a smile on his face throughout the entire film that you start to wounder if he's really enjoying being in it or is popped up on uppers to the point where he feels no pain or embarrassment in how ridicules the movie, or his part in it , really is. It's Wilson's misfortune to run into, while signing his best selling book, leggy Samantha, Sarah Ann Schultz. Wilson is so struck by Samantha's beauty that he falls in love proposes and marries her by the time the evening is over. As things soon turn out Samantha is involved with this hoodlum Isaac, Cuba Goodin Jr,whom she left high and dry by taking off with some 10 million dollars worth of uncut diamonds that he had her hold for him.
As things turn out Wilson becomes the major precipitant of Samantha's estate, after she was rubbed out by Isaac's goons on her and Wilson's wedding night, which includes the key to a bank safe deposit box where the diamonds are supposed to be hidden. To put a little more spice into the movie Wilson soon runs into, again while signing his book, magazine writer Nichole Williams, Christa Campbell, who's more interested in his love life, and what she can do to improve it, then his autograph. With all the major players in the movie now in place this sets up the scene for an almost hour long chase scene where Issac and his band of butterfingered henchmen wreck the entire city of Spokane Washington trying to get their hands of the diamonds with the local police either on vacation or out to lunch, only showing up when the movie is almost over, while all this destruction of city as well as personal property is going on!
***SPOILERS*** The film ends on a somewhat confusing note with a battered and bloodied Wes Wilson, who was shot and near death when it ended, now completely recovered and discussing a sequel to his best selling book with his friend an literary agent Martin, Al Madrigal. I guess this is what the title of the film meant! Was it actually true or just a BS story made up by Wislon for his latest literary project! As for the very embarrassed looking Cuba Goodin Jr he did, unlike Slater, look like he just couldn't wait for the movie to finally end so he could finally be through with being in it even if he would have to be killed off for that to happen!
Why 2 good actors do this?
mosleh-15 July 2010
This a movie that couldn't get worse! You can have any amateur director add the worse screen write, and then top that with a bunch of terrible actors, and finally you'll get what you have in this movie. It's really really hard to believe that Cuba will do this to himself. I mean, so much time, so much money spent on this crap? Why? What a waste of time! I'm glad I didn't pay to watch this movie. I fast forwarded through the fight scenes as they were the worst! As if they purposely wanted to make this movie so terrible. Or perhaps the editor mixed up the deleted scenes with the real scenes, or we could say there was a computer glitch, or human glitch! Whatever it was! It really nominated this movie for Razzie award! Please DO NOT watch this movie! Do NOT waste your time!
Terrible movie
Nick-58-98882814 October 2011
There are movies that are so bad that, after a short while, I just stop watching and move on. This one had Slater and Gooding who, given what little they had to work with, made it somewhat bearable for me although the script had Slater doing such stupid things that the whole thing was idiotic. They tried to make it somewhat humorous but they really should have gone all the way and made it a spoof of thrillers. Screenplay stunk. Direction was awful. Editing so so (although probably not given much to work with). Would never have completed watching it if Gooding and Slater weren't in it.
If you absolutely have nothing else to do, go ahead and waste some time. Otherwise, much better things to do.
I watched it in segments because I couldn't sit through it in one sitting. My wife asks me why I do it. I tell her: "to appreciate the good movies that much more" that I see.
If you absolutely have nothing else to do, go ahead and waste some time. Otherwise, much better things to do.
I watched it in segments because I couldn't sit through it in one sitting. My wife asks me why I do it. I tell her: "to appreciate the good movies that much more" that I see.
Bleagh
richmondbb22 September 2009
I don't normally react to a movie, most of the time I recommend it to my friends and I try as much as I can to be objective about the whole thing... but this movie is so bad, and the most disappointing part of it was that the two lead cast (Slater and Gooding) are actually very good in other movies. Slater was a joke and I would like to say that Cuba Gooding was the only good thing in the movie but I can't say it, even his performance was dismal (to say the least). Christian Slater was acting so bad the two other actresses seemed like they were good. The feel of this movie is the described in one word.."BLEAGH!!" (along with the gag reflex)
Now that is stooping to a new low
zeevshemer18 August 2010
I can't believe Cuba Downey Jr. would stoop this low. Even Slater who is not a great actor to begin with, but has some charm, was absolutely awful in this flick. One of the most annoying aspects of this waste-of-time was the music in the background. What was that?
I admit the first 15 min I thought it was going somewhere, but in not time it was clear it was time to pull the plug.
The premise wasn't all that bad. A typical action/suspense plot were a husband does not know the true identity of his wife. But everything about it was wrong. You won't know how bad the movie is, until you've invested a good 15 to 20 minutes. The fighting scenes were ridiculous and Slater's bad acting just aggravated the situation.
I admit the first 15 min I thought it was going somewhere, but in not time it was clear it was time to pull the plug.
The premise wasn't all that bad. A typical action/suspense plot were a husband does not know the true identity of his wife. But everything about it was wrong. You won't know how bad the movie is, until you've invested a good 15 to 20 minutes. The fighting scenes were ridiculous and Slater's bad acting just aggravated the situation.
A movie so bad that it is worth watching, just to see how bad it is
bob188117 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
First, let me give you a specific example of just how bad this movie is. In one scene Slater gets beat up by the bad guys in broad daylight. He is bleeding from his nose and he is bleeding quite a bit from the right side of his forehead. Again, he is bleeding from the right side of his forehead. The next day the bad guys pick up Slater to go to the bank and other than a little scratch on his forehead, Slater's face looks really refreshed. And guess what? The scratch on his forehead is on the opposite side, on the left. The day before, when he got beat up, he was bleeding from the right side. But wait! It gets worse! You see the scratch while he is in the car with the bad guys as they drive to the bank. And then, as soon as Slater gets out of the car and turns around, MAGIC, the scratch on the wrong side of the forehead is completely gone! Slater is completely healed! There is nothing on his face. Slater has the power of Jesus.
Second, all of the reviews saying that this movie is crap are true. This movie is crap. The only reason I gave it a 2 out of 10 was because it was sooooo bad that I just could not believe it was playing on cable, and I could not believe Slater and Gooding were in it. You know when you see something so bad, or so out of place, that you are in disbelief and you continue to watch just to make sure that your eyes are really seeing what you think you are seeing? Well, this movie will keep you watching, but for the wrong reasons. I think it is a good movie to watch with a bunch of your friends just so that you can all comment during the movie about how bad it is and have a laugh at it. Because, honestly, the plot is sooo stupid, that you will laugh. Slater's girlfriend kills a guy in his apartment and then they go for coffee at a bar (not even a coffee shop) a few blocks away. Who does that? If you kill someone, you go into hiding, you leave town, you change your hair color, whatever! The one thing you don't do is go for coffee at a bar a few blocks away from where you just killed someone. Also, pay attention to the sounds the guns make when they are fired, they sound like little fire crackers. You can so tell they are fake.
Second, all of the reviews saying that this movie is crap are true. This movie is crap. The only reason I gave it a 2 out of 10 was because it was sooooo bad that I just could not believe it was playing on cable, and I could not believe Slater and Gooding were in it. You know when you see something so bad, or so out of place, that you are in disbelief and you continue to watch just to make sure that your eyes are really seeing what you think you are seeing? Well, this movie will keep you watching, but for the wrong reasons. I think it is a good movie to watch with a bunch of your friends just so that you can all comment during the movie about how bad it is and have a laugh at it. Because, honestly, the plot is sooo stupid, that you will laugh. Slater's girlfriend kills a guy in his apartment and then they go for coffee at a bar (not even a coffee shop) a few blocks away. Who does that? If you kill someone, you go into hiding, you leave town, you change your hair color, whatever! The one thing you don't do is go for coffee at a bar a few blocks away from where you just killed someone. Also, pay attention to the sounds the guns make when they are fired, they sound like little fire crackers. You can so tell they are fake.
Completely on par with a high school production. Alternative title suggestion: "The pointless chase scenes of geriatric hit men with bad hair"
jimk_999821 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I had high hopes based on the cast and the description, but this is not a thriller. I think it's trying to be a comedy, but not everyone was in on the secret. It's not clear that there was even a script after the opening scenes. You may find yourself mumbling things like, "Why doesn't someone either give him (Christian Slater) some good lines or just make him stop talking instead of incessantly blurting out useless commentary for the whole last half of the movie." The background music was the only redeemingly professional aspect of this whole production. Cuba Gooding tried to do his best. I'm not sure about Mr. Slater. So much of the action and plot was improbable or laughably inept. Argh.
Smelly!!!!
dlmadden-731-1382079 May 2010
This is one of the worst movies I have watched. Not only is the script juvenile, but the actors don't know how to act. Cuba must be on vacation with this one. I know he has been in some lousy movies, but this one "takes the cake". I seldom turn them off early but had a hard time lasting thirty minutes with this one. For some dumb reason the IMDb people require ten lines of review to post it. That is difficult with this movie as it does not deserve two lines of text, good or bad. I have to continue. Since this is my first IMDb review, I must say that it may be my last as I find the procedures to be dogmatic and ridiculous.
Action Comedy Fun
eyvette20092 October 2009
As an action comedy this film is fun. The DVD cover and the serious sounding corny title promises a harder edged action piece possibly disappointing some fans of Slater and Gooding Jr. in this while the film itself wants to be some kind of dark comedy. Right from the opening animated credits to the outrageous premise and goofy characters it says to me "dark comedy" why would anyone take this story seriously. Judging from the more whimsical original DVD cover art viewable elsewhere on the internet the seriousness might have been an afterthought a marketing ploy. The mixing of comedy and drama can be a risky proposition and best handled by experts with big budgets. Its the actors that make this film worth seeing and entertaining enough as a DVD rental. I give it the benefit of rating it as a dark action comedy with a 7.5 out of 10.
really? i mean really......
leddog19985 November 2009
i give this 5 out of 10 stars purely for entertainment value. it was so freaking bad it was funny. this movie was like "hey lets take a great script and 2 great actors and surround them with porn stars (that keep their clothes on) and give them a $12 budget and see what lines they come up with". if you look at it that way it was cool as heck but if this was an honest attempt at a serious film uhhhhh... pure shite. i must fill lines for a post to be allowed so now I'm going to talk about how much i hate dog turds. i hate dog turds more than just about anything on the planet and this movie reminds me of dog turds. just rambling here so i can fill the lines and help you all avoid getting this movie unless you love bad acting and total cheese.
wooden performances
jonathanRoss13 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
... recorded by a shaky cameraman. The review I quote below says it all "There is something worse than watching an inept movie — watching a one that had some promise and blows it.
This will likely go directly to video because of multiple deficiencies.
The plot: We have a celebrated writer who has just written a book on honesty in relationships. During the writing of this, he gets married to someone he dearly loves. One night, they are attacked and she disappears, apparently killed. In the year since, while waiting for legal matters to settle, some puzzling, but minor questions pop up.
Our writer meets another woman, quite different. She nurtures him and like his lost wife, she feeds his creative writing urges. She solidly replaces the dead wife, helped by the suspicion that she (the first wife) had some secrets. A new marriage is in the works. Everyone is happy.
We slowly are introduced, noirwise, to a seemingly powerful agency. We learn not much overall about who they are, but by steps we know they are some mix of spies and thieves. The mystery deepens. We discover that the dead wife worked for them. We even discover a secret room in the house, with all manner of tradecraft.
So we have a sort of Mrs Smith situation, but without the fantasy. We enter Hitchcock territory, with a conventional macguffin — a suitcase of untold riches that we are chasing. But it is a modern, folded Hitchcock, because of the matters of trust, introspective writing, love. By now in terms of cinematic ambition, we are where "Vertigo" left off. The first wife returns and engages in the chase. There is conflicting evil and sliding loyalties.
But wait, we take an abrupt turn into even more interesting territory. The second wife, the one that was certain where the first one wasn't? Well, she it turns out is an agent of some other unnamed federal group, and was only with our writer as part of an investigation. She is chasing the macguffin too. But she REALLY loves our man, it turns out.
Maybe.
As the action heats up: chases, fights between the two women, death, cruelty... we are left with all sorts of emotional shifts, moving from one urge to another, lost in a hypnotizing array of desires and beguiling tension. Eventually, the writer chooses the first wife, revelling in her mysteries and tension, producing his greatest books.
Or such is the promise of this construction. In reality, every stroke of this that could grab or compel is not something that pulls us along, but a whoosh of missed opportunity. Every bullet misses. Every seduction by the writer (both of and in the movie) fails.
An example: There is a noise in the house. Danger! Writer creeps along. An attack! No, just a cat screech-jumping in front of the camera. In fact, the screech seems to have come from the same recording of stock sound effects that the hokey score does.
Where were the mysteries, the seductions?"
This will likely go directly to video because of multiple deficiencies.
The plot: We have a celebrated writer who has just written a book on honesty in relationships. During the writing of this, he gets married to someone he dearly loves. One night, they are attacked and she disappears, apparently killed. In the year since, while waiting for legal matters to settle, some puzzling, but minor questions pop up.
Our writer meets another woman, quite different. She nurtures him and like his lost wife, she feeds his creative writing urges. She solidly replaces the dead wife, helped by the suspicion that she (the first wife) had some secrets. A new marriage is in the works. Everyone is happy.
We slowly are introduced, noirwise, to a seemingly powerful agency. We learn not much overall about who they are, but by steps we know they are some mix of spies and thieves. The mystery deepens. We discover that the dead wife worked for them. We even discover a secret room in the house, with all manner of tradecraft.
So we have a sort of Mrs Smith situation, but without the fantasy. We enter Hitchcock territory, with a conventional macguffin — a suitcase of untold riches that we are chasing. But it is a modern, folded Hitchcock, because of the matters of trust, introspective writing, love. By now in terms of cinematic ambition, we are where "Vertigo" left off. The first wife returns and engages in the chase. There is conflicting evil and sliding loyalties.
But wait, we take an abrupt turn into even more interesting territory. The second wife, the one that was certain where the first one wasn't? Well, she it turns out is an agent of some other unnamed federal group, and was only with our writer as part of an investigation. She is chasing the macguffin too. But she REALLY loves our man, it turns out.
Maybe.
As the action heats up: chases, fights between the two women, death, cruelty... we are left with all sorts of emotional shifts, moving from one urge to another, lost in a hypnotizing array of desires and beguiling tension. Eventually, the writer chooses the first wife, revelling in her mysteries and tension, producing his greatest books.
Or such is the promise of this construction. In reality, every stroke of this that could grab or compel is not something that pulls us along, but a whoosh of missed opportunity. Every bullet misses. Every seduction by the writer (both of and in the movie) fails.
An example: There is a noise in the house. Danger! Writer creeps along. An attack! No, just a cat screech-jumping in front of the camera. In fact, the screech seems to have come from the same recording of stock sound effects that the hokey score does.
Where were the mysteries, the seductions?"
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