Matialth
Good concept, poorly executed.
Humaira Grant
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Anoushka Slater
While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
Lachlan Coulson
This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
david-sarkies
Generally I have discovered that terrorist movies where terrorists place bombs everywhere are quite dull. They have been so dull that I can't even record their names. This movie promised to be such a movie and as such I was slow in wanting to watch it. In fact I was quite surprised. The bad guys were middle eastern terrorists and as such it promised to be even more dull. Then the main character was having problems with his wife and I was wondering when the clichés would end.Well, the movie wasn't all that bad. Three senators were promising to supply weapons to some Middle Eastern nations, but there were three who rescinded on their promise and had the influence to block this. As such the terrorists wanted to pressure them to fall into line, and had devised an explosive which activates when mixed with acid. One expects bombs to be devices that are activated with timers, but this explosive is simply activated through a reaction with acid - especially stomach acid and as such is disguised as water and the subjects drink it, then explode.The catch in this movie is that the FBI agent who is investigating these explosions has a problem with one of the senators - his wife was caught having an affair with him. Thus the agent is torn between his animosity towards the senator and his duty to protect him. There are a number of suspicions that the agent has towards him, but he is generally treated as being a decent chap. In the end though it is realised that he is corrupt and his death is very deserving.This movie is okay. It isn't one to rave about, nor is it full of action packed explosions. It is something to simply watch and enjoy while waiting for a movie of a decent caliber to come along.
arcticcarrot
Let me start off by saying there were several scenes that I enjoyed in this film. And I think Pierce Brosnan did a good job. What I had trouble with was the fact that in the courtroom scene, Brosnan notices the criminal make eye contact with a suspicious-looking man, who then gets up and leaves. Brosnan figures out that there is a bomb in the courtroom and gets everyone out (well, almost everyone) - and he's figured this out by the look exchanged by those two men. He got a very good look at the other guy. Yet, they never follow up on that lead. It's a courtroom in D.C. Surely there is surveillance footage they could be going through to identify this man. They never do that. They forget about him entirely. In fact, Brosnan never mentions this guy to anyone. Also, when they figure out that the terrorists will next target Ron Silver (because of a certain bill that he sponsored), Brosnan goes over to his house - but instead of questioning Silver about who might be against this bill, who might want him dead, he just yells at him to stay away from his wife. And then later when they figure out that what the bomb is, and how it's detonated, they also figure out a very easy way to defuse it. I won't give it away here. But suffice it to say that in later scenes with a bomb, they never bother to try this method of defusing it. It's sloppy writing. A bad script, with some good actors, some poor direction, and a terrible score.
Randall Cameron
Another film with several good elements that manages to fail, chiefly because of weaknesses in the story.Good cast in Pierce Brosnan and Ben Cross -- they must have needed the money to take the job.A key "science fiction" element is not really believable, but this is a Hollywood thriller, so if you accept it, you could enjoy the story.There are many good one-liners, and the interactions between the protagonists and various minor characters are believable and entertaining. The pace is reasonable, and some degree of suspense is maintained, with some stock "thriller" elements.Brosnan's character and his personal problems are well developed and make him sympathetic, and he plays his part well.The film is also mercifully short.BUT -- two major holes in the story killed it for me: 1. A political background (the reason the story is happening) is mentioned, but not really explained in terms of motives. Two minutes dialog could have filled in the holes and added a lot in terms of believability.2. The villain's character is not developed at all. What motivates him (other than money?) Ben Cross does what he can with a lousy script (not much). And his name, Mikhail Rashid (I think never actually mentioned in the film - a Tatar father and Russian mother) seems intended to exploit negative racist stereotypes (Russian = corrupt mafiosi; Arabic name = terrorist). He seems like a cartoon, Bond-esquire villain without the glitz. With Ben Cross, they could have written a complex, nuanced, even sympathetic villain, and this would have improved the story immensely.I gave this 5 out of 10 -- not painfully repulsive, but there are better ways to spend your time.
bob the moo
Bomb disposal expert for the FBI Danny O'Neill is having a rough old time. Not only his wife having a very public affair with a senator, but someone is killing a group of senators using a device that he can't find after the event. The device is a liquid that looks like water and reacts with stomach acid to cause an explosion. Danny gets even more involved when his wife's senator lover becomes a target.This was made before bomb disposal expert movies got really popular with Speed in 1994, so non one should accuse it of cashing in. It starts with an interesting idea an explosive that looks like water and explodes inside the victim however this needs to be treated carefully as it nees us to suspend disbelief for it to work. Unfortunately it doesn't manage to do this and the film stays a little silly throughout. The explosions are good and it provides some good scenes but it also provides some laughable scenes, such as our hero shouting `get away from her, she's gonna blow!' or, my favourite, the bit where he has a mime in a wheel chair who has just drunk the bomb and he's looking to get him away from the crowds!It's a shame because it does start well but it can't get past the idea of how silly it is and it affects the film. The action goes well, but once your first person blows up it has nothing left to offer and the ending is a damp squid. The cast are so-so as well.Brosnan has star power he's very watchable. But here he seems to be trying to hard to be a tough guy on the edge and he gets squaring his jaw and making threats etc
.it's not really him. Silver does his usual smarmy stuff but doesn't have much to do and a fine actor like Philip Baker Hall is wasted in a small role.Overall it starts OK, but the weaknesses are quickly exposed just like the liquid bomb
you won't find the plot here easy to swallow!