BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Tetrady not as good as all the hype

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Jemima It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

videorama-759-859391 This lesser known and short running film, didn't get the exposure it should of. This is one of those known films you go to the cinema, and really enjoy. This film has a great premise: Cop's kid needs a bone marrow transplant, the only possible match is that of a serial killer Peter MCcabe (Keaton). It's a nice chilling performance, though he's no Anthony Hopkins, who won't make you shudder, squirm, or make the hairs on your wrist stand up, but I for one, was quite impressed, especially after seeing him play it down, in the disappointing Jackie Brown. Garcia plays the determined cop, and pours a lot of humanity and heart into the role. Heavy duty prisoner, MCcabe, agrees to be the donor, of course for obvious, selfish, reasons. Now the real movie starts up with MCcabe loose in the hospital. Now consider Garcia's dilemma: he must stop his other colleagues from taking out Keaton, where meanwhile little son's condition is weakening. It's a great thunder show of explosions and shootouts, where Keaton has his humorous moments too. The car chase lead up, to a finale between Garcia and Keaton adds to the coolness of the movie, upholding the fun and excitement, which has been with us since Act 2. From the opening scene, the movie throws us right into Garcia's peril, where early in the film where father and sick son speak, I drew a few tears. It's really a well earned tear jerking moment. I can't really understand how this movie has got ridiculed so much as it has. Of course, it might seem quite far fetched, not in the way the action is delivered, but this is only a movie. In reality of course, Garcia, would of had a lot of explaining to do. From the get go this Barbet Schroder film, sets out what it wants to do, immediately involve our audience into the situation. Classic of a final frame moment too. It's a killer, preceding CCR's "Rolling On A River".

Leofwine_draca DESPERATE MEASURES is one of those "high concept" thrillers that the 1990s were so fond of: an entire movie written around a single sentence premise guaranteed to garner interest. This time around, it's simple: a cop's dying child needs a bone marrow transplant and the only matching donor is a jailed killer.What follows is a movie that starts out on a fairly tense level before gradually become more and more preposterous as it goes on. It soon transpires that the killer, played with relish by Michael Keaton, is intent on using the opportunity to escape, and of course to take down anyone that stands in his way. Said cop Andy Garcia must do everything in his power to stop him.Much of the film involves a tense stand-off inside a hospital and it's during this section that it starts to get silly. Garcia does things like assisting a criminal to escape and driving his stolen motorbike through glass doors yet at no time do any of the detectives or police force attempt to apprehend him, preferring to let him get on with it.The plot gradually breaks down and in the end becomes one long chase sequence, filled with all of the over-the-top stunts you'd expect from a '90s-era action movie. The ending is both schmaltzy and expected. While Keaton is good value for money, I always find the staid Garcia a bit of a bore and he's no exception here. Still, if you take it for what it is - and you have a soft spot for laughably OTT direction and nostalgia for the late '90s - then DESPERATE MEASURES does contain a few nuggets of merit along the way.

thinker1691 This fast paced, exciting and gripping movie was written by David Klass and directed by Barbet Schroeder. It relates the story of Frank Connor, (Andy Garcia) a police detective who's son is desperately ill and needs a bone marrow transplant. However, when the perfect donor is located, it turns out he's in a maximum security prison and belongs to one, Peter McCabe (Michael Keaton). McCabe is a serious minded, multiple murderer who's I.Q. is in the genius range. Connor's is desperate enough to try anything to save his son and that includes releasing the prisoner from his maximum enclosure, long enough to extract the necessary ingredient while under the most stringent security measures available. However, despite the nearly impregnable restrains, McCabe is incredibly versatile, crafty and learns the weaknesses of his jailers, enough to exploit their mistakes and take advantage of their ignorance. From the moment the prisoner is removed from his incarceration, the audience is given an explosive, action-oriented and dramatic film which makes for a great escape. Keaton is magnificent and his role will surely make this effort a Classic. ****

MovieAddict2016 I really wanted to see this film - I thought the plot was really unique and intriguing. A cop (Andy Garcia) has a son who is dying and needs bone marrow replacement in order to live. The only match is a convicted serial killer, who escapes from jail. To save his son he has to track down the killer.Michael Keaton plays the convict in one of many disappointing aspects of the film. Keaton is a great actor at times but here he is pretty much boring. It's over-the-top to the point where you just stop caring.Garcia is better but tries too hard for a film that isn't up to par. Barbet Schroeder (at one time such a promising director with films like "Barfly" that amounted to pretty much nothing in the American market) directs well enough - I honestly thought the script was the culprit here...it's just a big mess.The film ultimately wastes a lot of good material, good actors and a good director - all because of a faulty script. What should have been a tense and thought-provoking film is just a Hollywood action dud.