Nick of Time
Nick of Time
R | 22 November 1995 (USA)
Nick of Time Trailers

An ordinary man is suddenly forced into a plot to kill a politician in exchange for his kidnapped daughter's freedom.

Reviews
Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever
Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
Benas Mcloughlin Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.
Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
gavin6942 An unimpressive, every-day man (John Depp) is forced into a situation where he is told to kill a politician to save his kidnapped daughter (Courtney Chase).I simply cannot express my level of disappointment. Johnny Depp has his good movies and bad movies, and so does Christopher Walken. But together, you would think this would be a surefire hit. Walken is pretty good as the menacing bad guy... but Depp, he just seems lost in the material.The concept and plot are fine, but it seems to run on and on, and how many times can one guy bump into the governor? There are some plausibility questions, but we can ignore those. Really, it just comes down to Depp not selling the role.
SnoopyStyle Accountant Gene Watson (Johnny Depp) arrives on the train with his daughter Lynn from San Diego. Mr. Smith (Christopher Walken) and Ms. Jones (Roma Maffia) are debating about people at the train station and pick out Gene and his daughter. They flash a badge and take them back to their van. They kidnap his daughter and demand that he murder Gov. Eleanor Grant (Marsha Mason). He has less than ninety minutes. With Smith watching over him, he is finally able to convince Grant's assistant Krista Brooks (Gloria Reuben). Smith kills her revealing a big conspiracy within Grant's inner circle. Gene has only shoeshine guy Huey (Charles S. Dutton) to turn to.It's an intriguing premise of a thriller taking place mostly in real time. It does feel like the movie is trying too hard. Walken keeps coming by injecting his weirdness as threats. It needs a few moments of quiet to build up the intensity. I would also think that Gene would take the shot when he has Jones cornered with his daughter. There are a few moments where the movie stuck me as wrong. I like the premise more than the result.
videorama-759-859391 Nick Of Time is one of those short nifty films that just gets by by being cute, (so darn cute here) throwing everything in, but the kitchen sink. Depp and daughter arrive at an L.A. train station where they are approached by two mysterious figures (Walken and Mafia, like you've never seen her before) posing as plain clothes cops. At the flash of a badge, the daughter is snatched from Depp, and Walken gives him an ultimatum: assassinate this senator (Mason) within 75 minutes, of the daughter will be killed. These pro killers will carry out on their promise too. So we're working with real time, where it's hard to believe all of what Depp goes through, happens in this time space. I'll be honest, it's almost improbable, and you will notice by the cut back to time readings, time moves slow. It is interesting though in how Depp does his own thing, using his smarts, trying to figure an answer out of the dilemma, and what he resorts to. There are holes in this film, trust me. Depp plays it down the line, Mr Goody clean, in one of his sanest roles. He's superb, where Walken is fantastic as always, and menacing where Mafia is scary and disturbing. Mason with her doting public figure character, couldn't be finer, where Strauss, as a bad guy? yeah, and Mason's husband, does well. There are some thrilling turns in this, where Depp must outwit a sea of good and bad guys, but on the whole, NOT is weak, get by thriller, written by the guy who strangely enough wrote 94's dark, flat, adult pic, The Pornographer, where his baby was 82's The Beach Girls. NOT does have a truly thrilling and spectacular climax, bringing it's quality up, in something too little, too late. It isn't one of the brightest films, or brightest written, parts, involving dialogue too, seemed to be made up as it went, by a writer who's written his share of pics, and a consistent director, who's made his share.
FlashCallahan Gene Watson arrives home in Los Angeles, after attending his ex-wife's funeral, with his daughter. Soon, his daughter is kidnapped. He is given a gun, and the picture and itinerary of a person, and told that if he hasn't killed that person in one hour and fifteen minutes, his daughter will be killed. The following takes place between 12:00 and 1:30.......In the eighties and the early Nineties, John Badham was the king of really cheesy action movies that featured quite big name actors. The majority of them are not very good, but all of them are ridiculously funny, and, for reasons always unbeknown to myself, they are always worth going back to, for some strange sadistic reason.The gimmick in this particular movie is the fact that it's set in real time, and this just makes the film even more stupidly entertaining than it should be. The narrative is simple, as is the plot. Depp has to kill someone, or his daughter gets killed, and everyone he seeks help from is either in on it, or buys the big one.It shouldn't be as good as it is, it's all over the place, but it's really worth watching for three reasons.1) The film shows that Depp can do normal if he wants. His Watson is a thousand miles away from Jack Sparrow, and him not having to mug his way through a film is quite refreshing.2) The real time. It is a neat gimmick, and this was before the advent of 24. It makes the film that little bit more urgent. But then you have to consider the fact that Badham uses slow motion........and a dream sequence in real time. And Johnny Depp goes to the toilet more times in ninety minutes than Jack Bauer has done in his whole career.3) Christopher Walken. If you appreciate the actors career from 1990 to around 2003, you will understand what I mean when I say the this is him at his most 'Walken'. The little wink when he's angry, the little hunch head and smile when someone disagrees with him. And of course, the high pitch and sudden gravelly voice change he's best known for.It's all here.If these three elements were not included in the film, it wouldn't be anything more than a lethargic, below par, race against time thriller starring a career struggling Stallone or Willis, which is quite surprising as around this movies release, both said actors were struggling with their careers.Worth watching for all the wrong reasons.