Ben Burgraff (cariart)
'Forbidden City' is a modestly-budgeted adventure yarn, that actually is fairly well-made and exciting! The story of an expedition searching for a lost Mayan 'City of Gold', it relies on the usual cliches of jungle movies (double-crossing team members, venomous animals, the ever-popular capsizing boat in a raging river), but serves it up with a kind of brawny acceptance, best personified by Fred Ward, as the adventurer leading the party ("Don't expect tears; you play the cards you're given.") By keeping the story moving, you find you don't mind the familiar territory as much!The opening is reminiscent of 'Romancing the Stone'; an American archeologist in Central America calls his brother, begging him to bring a Mayan plate that had been a gift to their mother. The brother (Robert Patrick), an insurance investigator, agrees, but arrives a day late, with fatal results for his brother!Upon arrival, Patrick discovers his brother's body, and is taken into custody by the police; upon release, he is immediately chased by the gang of thugs who murdered his brother! At the last moment, he is rescued by a pretty Italian archeologist (Chiara Casselli), who explains that the plate is a map, which, when joined with another plate, will give directions to a lost city with a fortune in gold. The second plate belongs to an American millionaire (Fred Ward) who is prepared to finance and lead an expedition. This is where the adventure REALLY begins!Robert Patrick, best known as 'Terminator 2', and as Scully's new partner on 'The X-Files', is, as always, a bit wooden as the lead, but he can deliver a one-liner with just the right degree of sarcasm! Casselli is lovely, with jet-black eyes, and a more modest sexuality than you usually see from the female lead in this kind of film. The real 'star' here is Fred Ward ('The Right Stuff'; 'Tremors'), who conveys cockiness, arrogance, and pathos with equal skill. He is always fun to watch, and gives an 'A' movie performance in this 'B' movie!If you want a jungle 'classic', check out 'The Emerald Forest', but if you're in the mood to kick back and relax with a good no-brainer 'lost treasure' flick, try 'Forgotten City'! It won't win any prizes, but it will serve up a nice helping of old-fashioned adventure!
ApolloBoy109
I want to know how these kinds of films get money. How does an 'Omega Code' or a 'Vivero Letter' make it beyond the script reading process? Basic writing rules are broken here. The acting including Fred Ward's is pure high school. Now, we all know Robert Patrick is NO ACTOR, but usually he's interesting to watch --- but the writers gave him nothing to say and he ain't that pretty or naked. So why? The worst of it is -- this is suppose to be a tresaure hunt, and as a veiwer half the fun is following the heroes as they go through the steps but there are no steps. What we are given is "No don't blow up the temple. Usually there are keystones that open the door. Let me look. Oh, look, here it is" or my personal favorite, "The symbol is the magician, (we are never shown a close up of the 'tray') so that must mean a river with teeth" Just bad. Purely Bad. Bad. So bad ------------------
moviewiz-4
I've seen this movie on cable tv and thought it will be interesting as "Indiana Jones" series. I was wrong.The story is fine at the beginning and when the final parts are about to come, it changes to a very dull plot with no direction. It seems that Patrick's performance is much more better than the rest because of his acting experience.The leading girl is fine but i can see her looking at the camera instead of looking at the person she supposed to talk to.
scoobydoo2000ms
This movie is the worst movie I've seen."The Vivero Letter" stars Robert Patrick, who gets entangled in a search for gold, after his brother is murdered for something that he may have. Patrick is the only bright spot in this film.This movie is too slow for me but it did not diminish the fact that Patrick is a good actor. He is come to be one of my favorite actors ever since he costarred in "Copland."The plot needs a lot of work because it is just too dull and unoriginal to be considered good. As soon as everyone took off to locate the gold in the forgotten city, I could have turned off the movie knowing how it turned out.
I can't believe I watched the whole thing. I guess I like Robert Patrick a lot. I don't suggest this movie to anyone unless you like Robert Patrick.
