If you read reviews here on the imdb, you most likely know that most of them are written by utter morons. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's cut to the chase. This is the only review you need to read - you certainly don't need to read any review that contains more than one star.
This is, simply put, a complete embarrassment. Bryan Forbes, who once showed a little talent, here is at his nadir - this is one of the worst movies ever and his work here is truly awful, both as screenwriter and director. The only amusing thing he's managed to pull off here is the casting of Anne Archer, an almost dead-ringer for Forbes' actress wife Nanette Newman. Roger Moore never has a chance with his incredibly ridiculously written character. Archer is terrible, and all the supporting roles are played by bad actors because after Moore, Steiger, and Gould, they probably had nothing but scale money left. That was, of course, the Golan-Globus way.
And that brings us to Mr. Steiger. In a career filled with method acting scenery chewing, this is his most egregious performance. He is so bad here that one wonders if Mr. Forbes simply had to give up. If Forbes encouraged this kind of performance, well... If any cop acted the way Steiger acts he would be sued and drummed out of the force, it's that simple. He gives over the top a whole new meaning - it's a super size ham on rye performance with much screaming and yelling - it's just laughable. I liked him in No Way to Treat a Lady and In the Heat of the Night and perhaps Duck, You Sucker, and he's good in a few of his early movies. But as the years went on, I'm guessing he was just impossible to direct. I wonder if he was up for a Razzie for this - he should have been. Gould is the only one who escapes this mess by underplaying everything.
The film looks okay, the musical score, right from the get-go with those stupid eighties' electronic drums, is terrible - Michael J. Lewis was very talented, but this stupid film seems to have done everyone in.
This is, simply put, a complete embarrassment. Bryan Forbes, who once showed a little talent, here is at his nadir - this is one of the worst movies ever and his work here is truly awful, both as screenwriter and director. The only amusing thing he's managed to pull off here is the casting of Anne Archer, an almost dead-ringer for Forbes' actress wife Nanette Newman. Roger Moore never has a chance with his incredibly ridiculously written character. Archer is terrible, and all the supporting roles are played by bad actors because after Moore, Steiger, and Gould, they probably had nothing but scale money left. That was, of course, the Golan-Globus way.
And that brings us to Mr. Steiger. In a career filled with method acting scenery chewing, this is his most egregious performance. He is so bad here that one wonders if Mr. Forbes simply had to give up. If Forbes encouraged this kind of performance, well... If any cop acted the way Steiger acts he would be sued and drummed out of the force, it's that simple. He gives over the top a whole new meaning - it's a super size ham on rye performance with much screaming and yelling - it's just laughable. I liked him in No Way to Treat a Lady and In the Heat of the Night and perhaps Duck, You Sucker, and he's good in a few of his early movies. But as the years went on, I'm guessing he was just impossible to direct. I wonder if he was up for a Razzie for this - he should have been. Gould is the only one who escapes this mess by underplaying everything.
The film looks okay, the musical score, right from the get-go with those stupid eighties' electronic drums, is terrible - Michael J. Lewis was very talented, but this stupid film seems to have done everyone in.