In post-production limbo for three years and then critically lambasted on release, this Sylvester Stallone-starring serial killer opus has been unfairly maligned, in my opinion. Sure, it's not a great movie, and it has its fair share of faults. The film is pretty poorly edited and paced and suffers from an over extensive supporting cast of interchangeable characters which robs the narrative of its lucidity; you're never quite sure who the latest victim is, so that ruins a lot of the suspense and tension they strive to create. But did this deserve to go straight-to-video when other rubbish Hollywood flicks were shown in the cinemas?
I don't think so. For what it is, it works. It's one of those post-SEVEN serial killer movies in which tired, past-it cops attempt to track down psychopaths who always seem to be one step ahead. And you don't get much more down-on-your-luck than Jake Malloy, the lead character here. Driven to attempted suicide by the brutal slaying of his girlfriend, he's dispatched to a rehab clinic in the icy wastes to help him overcome his mental problems. Stallone takes this lead role, which led to a number of critics slating him. I really don't get their attitude. If he stars in an action flick they laugh at him; if he tries to do something different, like here, then they call him miscast. How about giving the guy a break? Stallone gives a typically excellent performance even though the script doesn't give him all that much to do, and you can really feel for his character's plight. I loved him to bits.
The film starts off in a pretty grisly and unpleasant fashion and carries on from there. Once we move to the isolated detoxification centre it starts to pay homage to THE THING, what with the characters trapped in a single, snowy locale, and picked off one by one by an unknown menace. The twist that all the intended victims are cops makes it interesting to watch, as they're actually capable of fending for themselves and working stuff out, rather than the usual lame teenager running off into dark corridors type stuff we see.
The last great thing about this movie is the fantastic ensemble cast. It reads as a who's who of character actors and takes some beating. Kris Kristofferson plays the clinic director with his customary Blade persona: all gruff and gritty; Christopher Fulford plays the British contingent; Jeffrey Wright is the on-the-edge, half-crazy guy; Robert Patrick is the wise-ass; Courtney B. Vance is the religious nut; also popping up are old-timers Tom Berenger and Robert Prosky. One of my favourites is Charles S. Dutton, who excels as Stallone's cop buddy. Female support is from Dina Meyer and pretty Brit Polly Walker who brings a lot of integrity to her part. Okay, so it's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but I had a good time watching – and you can't say fairer than that.
I don't think so. For what it is, it works. It's one of those post-SEVEN serial killer movies in which tired, past-it cops attempt to track down psychopaths who always seem to be one step ahead. And you don't get much more down-on-your-luck than Jake Malloy, the lead character here. Driven to attempted suicide by the brutal slaying of his girlfriend, he's dispatched to a rehab clinic in the icy wastes to help him overcome his mental problems. Stallone takes this lead role, which led to a number of critics slating him. I really don't get their attitude. If he stars in an action flick they laugh at him; if he tries to do something different, like here, then they call him miscast. How about giving the guy a break? Stallone gives a typically excellent performance even though the script doesn't give him all that much to do, and you can really feel for his character's plight. I loved him to bits.
The film starts off in a pretty grisly and unpleasant fashion and carries on from there. Once we move to the isolated detoxification centre it starts to pay homage to THE THING, what with the characters trapped in a single, snowy locale, and picked off one by one by an unknown menace. The twist that all the intended victims are cops makes it interesting to watch, as they're actually capable of fending for themselves and working stuff out, rather than the usual lame teenager running off into dark corridors type stuff we see.
The last great thing about this movie is the fantastic ensemble cast. It reads as a who's who of character actors and takes some beating. Kris Kristofferson plays the clinic director with his customary Blade persona: all gruff and gritty; Christopher Fulford plays the British contingent; Jeffrey Wright is the on-the-edge, half-crazy guy; Robert Patrick is the wise-ass; Courtney B. Vance is the religious nut; also popping up are old-timers Tom Berenger and Robert Prosky. One of my favourites is Charles S. Dutton, who excels as Stallone's cop buddy. Female support is from Dina Meyer and pretty Brit Polly Walker who brings a lot of integrity to her part. Okay, so it's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but I had a good time watching – and you can't say fairer than that.