Charles Bronson plays Murphy. A drunken lifer cop who stumbles around town struggling through investigations while also lamenting about an ex-wife who would prefer being a stripper than being married to him. Ouch.
For a reason we will discover late in the flick, he is being hunted by a FEMALE ASSASSIN. Played wonderfully by Carrie Snodgrass (which looks like a role Helen Mirren would rock today). She is brutal and calculating and devoid of any maternal instincts.
Bronson is also saddled with a street urchin played by Katherine Wilhoite. She's foul mouthed and mean but also streetwise when it comes to surviving. Together they set out to clear Murphy's name from a crime he'd been framed for.
What I dig about J. Lee Thompson, is that he really doesn't paint a pretty picture when it comes to humanity. People do ugly things. And innocent people do get killed. In a lesser flick, I think they would sanitize the violence. But he doesn't. And for a movie made in the mid-80's it's surprising how well it holds up. Bronson isn't going to be known for his depth in character here. He is...who he is. Which isn't a bad thing. You want him to be the sad sack cop. Burned out and tired. Fed up. He looks and acts physically tired. In this case, the thing does work for what it is.
For a reason we will discover late in the flick, he is being hunted by a FEMALE ASSASSIN. Played wonderfully by Carrie Snodgrass (which looks like a role Helen Mirren would rock today). She is brutal and calculating and devoid of any maternal instincts.
Bronson is also saddled with a street urchin played by Katherine Wilhoite. She's foul mouthed and mean but also streetwise when it comes to surviving. Together they set out to clear Murphy's name from a crime he'd been framed for.
What I dig about J. Lee Thompson, is that he really doesn't paint a pretty picture when it comes to humanity. People do ugly things. And innocent people do get killed. In a lesser flick, I think they would sanitize the violence. But he doesn't. And for a movie made in the mid-80's it's surprising how well it holds up. Bronson isn't going to be known for his depth in character here. He is...who he is. Which isn't a bad thing. You want him to be the sad sack cop. Burned out and tired. Fed up. He looks and acts physically tired. In this case, the thing does work for what it is.