Boiling Point - Die Bombe tickt

My review was written in April 1993 after a screening in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.

Promoted as a hard-action film for Wesley Snipes fans, "Boiling Point" turns out to be an old-fashioned police procedural. Low-key and bland in the extreme, it's strictly for film buffs, though Snipes should ensure a strong first-week sampling among action enthusiasts.

Disappointingly, writer-director James B. Harris ("Cop"), in his zeal to re-create the mood and character acting of 1940s film noir, seems to have forgotten about excitement and visual flair.

Snipes toplines as a U. S. Treasury agent partnered with Dan Hedaya. The third T-man on their stakeout is killed by ruthless thug Viggo Mortensen, who gets away with his partner Dennis Hopper before the feds can close in.

Because of the fatal snafu, Snipes is reassigned from Los Angeles to Newark. He holds out for one week's time to catch the killers; coincidentally Hopper is given a week to find the $50,000 he owes gangster Tony LoBianco.

Loaded with false irony, Harris' mechanical script emphasizes the parallel lives of the two main characters to an almost laughable extent. Throughout the picture, Snipes keeps running into Hopper, neither knowing one is methodically hunting for the other.

Because of terrific acting down to the smallest role, one's interest is maintained despite the minimalist direction and lack of story twists. Particularly through Mortensen's careful underplaying, the film builds suspense and a sense of dread, but it never pays off.

Hopper's Red Diamond is a memorable small-time rogue who's a romantic at heart. Snipes is stuck in a one-dimensional role. Valerie Perrine is touching as the woman Hopper once put out on the street to pay his debts. Lolita Davidovich, as Snipes' ex-flame turned hooker, has little to work with in a patently unbelievable part. Seymour Cassel and Jonathan Banks are on the money as criminal types.

Pic looks nondescript. The soundtrack makes repeated use of Johnny Mercer's lovely standard "Dream".

The film begins with Red Diamond, an ex-con(Dennis Hooper),recently freed from jail . He along with Ronnie(Viggo Mortensen), his pal from prison, undergo a new business, an operation about money forgery. But the issue go wrong and Ronnie murders an undercover agent. His partner a two-fisted named Jimmy Mercer(Wesley Snipes) together with another policemen(Dan Hedaya) swear discover the killer. Meanwhile, Red Diamond deals with mobster(Tony Lo Bianco) whom he owes some money. The story continues the trail some people after another attempting to get close over tracks of Red and Ronnie and there relationships with girlfriends(Valerie Perrine, Christine Elise) and lovers(Lolita Davidovich).

The picture contains action, suspense, several shootouts, bloody killings and lots of violence. It's exciting and tense, at time no too much interesting cop thriller. The story is plenty of firepower, intrigue, action packed and good performances. Wesley Snipes is fine as tough cop and excellent Dennis Hooper as likable delinquent and Viggo Mortensen as cold killer.Magnificent secondary cast with a plethora of known actors, such as Seymour Cassel, Tony Lo Bianco,James Tolkan, Jonathan Banks, Paul Gleason, among others. Atmospheric musical score made by means of synthesizer and fitting to action by John DÁndrea and Cory Lerios. The motion picture is written and directed by James B Harris. He's a notorious producer, he produced Stanley Kubrick's three awesome films(The killing, Paths of glory and Lolita)and occasionally director of thrillers(Cop, Fast walking)and another genres(Bedford incident). Rating : Acceptable and passable. The movie will like to Wesley Snipes fans and thriller buffs.

Not one for the awards shows, but still an interesting thriller as Wesley Snipes is a good guy this time and he is after the one who killed an undercover cop.

Need a sleaseball? Just whistle and here comes Dennis Hopper. Hopper as a con man is the most believable character he can play. For a partner, he has the young Viggo Mortensen.

There was a lot of support from some beautiful women like Lolita Davidovich and Valerie Perrine and Christine Elise. Just a little eye candy when the film dragged a bit.

Fair Snipes vehicle.

Wesley snipes as a detective out to find his partners murderer and Dennis hopper as a man on the run from the mob.. the two stories interweaving until they both cross paths and one meets a violent end.. an ok suspense action flick with good acting by snipes and hopper in an understated role Davidovich plays her part well as an ill fated lover but there is just not enough for all the talent to work with ...overall a disappointment.. on a scale of one to ten ..a 4

I'm slightly puzzled as to some of the harsher comments featuring BOILING POINT . I will confess that it's not a thriller classic but I will defend it against the accusation that it's a terrible movie Red ( Dennis Hopper ) is released from prison and owes some mafia types money and so is given a seven day ultimatum . Jimmy ( Wesley Snipes - And no early 90s urban thriller is complete without Wesley Snipes )loses a friend in the course of duty and the audience instantly know that these two unconnected characters will tie in with the plot somehow - And they do in a script that while not being the most tightly plotted screenplay you will ever see since there's a few too many characters involved is at least undemanding and easy to follow .

On the style front it's not exactly in the same league as HEAT but probably contains more substance than an episode of MAIMI VICE while we also get to see an early supporting role from Viggo Mortenson . I rate BOILING POINT six out of ten