This is one of my favourite films, though I have to admit, it is starting to look a bit dated (released 1998). This, however, does not detract from it at all, and the quality still shines through from what is an excellent and oft overlooked movie.
De Niro gives one of his better performances as a 'for hire' go-to guy, Jean Reno also plays well as his French equal, and Sean Bean pops up in what amounts to a cameo piece as an incompetent ex-SAS man for which he really hams it up for the cameras.
What sets this movie apart is the excellent car chase scenes, which really go on and on, and not in a bad way! This is real stunts, real set pieces done to very high quality, keeping the viewer gripped throughout (we have to remember that this is pre-Bourne movies, where the style of action film changed significantly). The cloak and dagger espionage and double crossing harks back to classic thrillers in cinema, and given the fact we never find out what everyone is actually chasing after, it is credit to the story telling and character building that this fact never actually matters in the end.
Twenty five years after release this movie is still a superior espionage/crime thriller with superb action set pieces and a strong cast. A highly recommended watch.
9/10.
De Niro gives one of his better performances as a 'for hire' go-to guy, Jean Reno also plays well as his French equal, and Sean Bean pops up in what amounts to a cameo piece as an incompetent ex-SAS man for which he really hams it up for the cameras.
What sets this movie apart is the excellent car chase scenes, which really go on and on, and not in a bad way! This is real stunts, real set pieces done to very high quality, keeping the viewer gripped throughout (we have to remember that this is pre-Bourne movies, where the style of action film changed significantly). The cloak and dagger espionage and double crossing harks back to classic thrillers in cinema, and given the fact we never find out what everyone is actually chasing after, it is credit to the story telling and character building that this fact never actually matters in the end.
Twenty five years after release this movie is still a superior espionage/crime thriller with superb action set pieces and a strong cast. A highly recommended watch.
9/10.