Mörderischer Vorsprung

Sidney Poitier's return to movies (after a 10 year absence) was this wilderness action flick which is fun all the way.

FBI Agent Warren Stantin (Poitier) trails a nasty serial killer to the wilderness and enlists the aid of an experienced mountain guide Jonathan Knox (Tom Berenger). The killer has "hitched" a ride with 4 other campers who are being led through the mountains by Knox's girlfriend (Kirstie Alley).

Well written script, first rate action sequences and solid acting by Berenger and Poitier make Shoot to Kill an excellent action-adventure yarn that's sure to please most. The opening 50 minutes or so are airtight and then it loses a bit of steam but on the whole it's damn good overall.

I would just like to start off this review by giving Sidney Poitier the recognition he deserves. He is most definitely one of the most distinguished and talented actors of our generation and a role model for all aspiring actors! Now, on with the review. I first saw this movie during a vacation to the beach with my friend and his family. I had seen several other Poitier efforts such as "In the Heat of the Night" and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?",and I stumbled upon this thriller while watching television on one of the nights that it rained. I stopped at TBS and I'm certainly glad that I did! This movie is one of best Poitier movies I've ever viewed! This film incorporates comedy into a genre the usually takes itself a little too seriously. The movie has an overall seriousness about it, but there are a few cheeky moments between Poitier and Berenger. Some of these comedic moments include: a scene where Berenger and Poitier are in an ice tunnel during a snow storm. Berenger is laying on top of Poitier to keep him from freezing to death. Poitier asks something like : "What are you queer or something?!" and Berenger says something like: "What's the matter? Haven't you ever heard about us mountain boys?" Another funny moment comes when Poitier is trying to scale a wall even though he is exhausted. Berenger is at the top trying to convince him to go back. The look on Poitier's face is more than enough to inspire a chuckle. The performances, the direction, and the cinematography are all well done in this film. The beautiful mountain landscapes inspire sort of a wistful feeling that can often be distracting. I'll also give a thumbs up to the sound effects department of this film. The sound of the rope snapping when Berenger was plummeting from the cable extending across the gorge was enough to make me wince with agony. This movie was executed well and my only complaint was that the villain's identity was revealed earlier than I thought it should have been. All in all I think it was a solid effort that I think anyone who is a fan of suspense films will enjoy. Your best bet as far as renting this movie is to go to a hole-in-the-wall movie rental store that never throws any movie away because, as other reviews have said, it is very hard to find. You may get lucky once in a blue moon and catch it on TBS or TNT, but the edited for TV versions are never as good as the uncut versions. If none of the mom and pop movie rental outlets still carry it, go to blockbuster and demand that they order this movie for you! This movie is a definite must-see for any fan of the suspense genre! FINAL SCORE 9/10

Warren Stantin (Sidney Poitier) is an FBI agent in San Francisco. A hostage situation goes wrong. The killer escapes with a bag of diamonds. Stantin follows a similar killing to the wilderness of Washington. He suspects the killer had surreptitiously joined a fishing expedition guided by Sarah Rennell (Kirstie Alley). Her partner Jonathan Knox (Tom Berenger) sets out to follow and is forced to take the city slicker G-man with him.

It's Sidney Poitier's first movie in over a decade. He hasn't lost a step. He is surprisingly funny at times. The fish out of water aspect is solid and fun. His most memorable scene is probably scaring away the bear. The killer is kept a mystery in a good way. That half is a fun little mystery. I would have preferred ending the movie in the woods. There are a couple of good ideas in the city. The car chase is nothing special but solidly 80's action. There is a good switch-a-roo that ties in with an earlier moment. I don't know about keeping Kristie Alley a hostage all through that part of the movie. It makes much more sense for the killer to kill any possible witnesses once he escaped to the city. Kristie becomes a hinderance during the escape. That's all the more reason to end the movie in the woods. The killer is incentivized to keep his hostage alive as long as he needs a guide. Overall, this is a solid 80's action thriller.

Well, this movie's a pleasant surprise; pretty much on every front. "Shoot to Kill" is a taut thriller to to bottom, but I think what sets this apart from other buddy movies is that it crosses genres. It's not just two disparate men on a dangerous mission, but there's also a manhunt and a wilderness movie thrown in for good measure. Still, Poitier and Berenger have a solid chemistry, and their road to mutual acceptance is a rocky one. It's a good cast throughout with a charming Kirstie Alley (to be fair, I haven't (yet) seen "Cheers" and I only really know her as a Vulcan). NIce scenery, too; I got a real "First Blood" feeling with that Pacific Northwest locale. I'm not sure why I hadn't heard of this movie until today, but either way, it's great.

7/10

It think whoever wrote the script for this movie had the first half all planned out, but then didn't know where to go afterwards. The first 40 minutes or so is riveting, one of the greatest openings to a film you'll ever likely to see because it keeps you guessing, there's decoys thrown in and it throws up one big question, which one of the fishermen is the bad guy? I guessed wrong. Once his identity is revealed it all becomes a bit stock standard, other users have said that the bad guy question was answered too soon and i tend too agree, another 20 minutes or so would've helped, the fishermen tour is a fun part of the movie.

Despite it's slight decline in power at this point the directing and cinematography remain first class. The characters are believable, realistic, give good feedback and are easy to relate to. Character development in Shoot to Kill isn't matched by many others, simply first class. The script is laugh out loud witty at times and Poitier and Berenger gel well, but the acting does have it's poorer moments, as does the script. A couple of plot holes don't help. But look past some minor flaws and the movie is great, the curiously catchy soundtrack adds to the movies feel, and the scenery is documentary spectacular and also gives a good sense of it's intimidation. Definitely a must watch for thriller fans. Everyone I've shown it too loved it, and everyone I know who's seen it loved it. Highly underrated, yet highly enjoyable.