Ricochet: Der Aufprall

"Ricochet" is a movie worth seeing (renting) for its two lead actors; both of whom approach this movie with gusto, not to mention serious talent: Denzel as the righteous crusader attorney, and Lithgow as the bat-guano crazy killer. Lithgow plays the hell out of the psycho here, not the scenery-chewing bad guy you picture from "Cliffhanger", but the unhinged and unpredictable kind. The mindscrew he puts Denzel through in this movie is something else, man. Way out there.

Sleazy and over-the-top are both very good descriptors for "Ricochet", which isn't at all what I'd expected. It does have that early '90s violence (you know it when you see it), but a lot of it's shot like a music video; it's kinda surreal. Ice Ti's character/subplot is awkwardly shoved in there, but on the other hand, Kevin Pollack's a reliable presence. I do love that Mary Ellen Trainor's playing the same character she did in "Die Hard") it's so random). This holds your attention, but it's also fairly forgettable.

6/10

Denzel Washington, a policeman in law-school is playing basketball with the neighborhood toughs.

He achieves fame by bringing down a drug dealing character, played extremely well by John Lithgow, who by his acting of a psychopath, put a new dimension into his acting abilities.

Washington has it made as the years pass. Lithgow plots revenge while incarcerated and breaks out violently at his parole hearing.

He turns the tables on Washington in several ways including the killing of his friend and fellow officer, nice played by Kevin Pollak. Washington is blamed for the killing. He kidnaps Denzel and shoots drugs into his system and provides him with a prostitute.

The two eventually tangle on top of a high area before the obvious ending occurs.

A good story allowed to go awry by crazy staged events.

Early in the movie there was a discourse between Nick Styles (Denzel Washington) and Odessa (Ice-T) that was a prelude to Denzel Washington in his Oscar role in Training Day. Seeing that was very exciting. Now, unfortunately, the rest of the movie wouldn't be on the level of Training Day but it was still good.

Earl Talbot Blake (John Lithgow) was put behind bars in 1984 by Officer Nick Styles. From that day until Blake was able to secure his release in 1991 he'd been planning his revenge. The revenge was well coordinated and pretty much flawless. A little too flawless.

I appreciated Blake's commitment, preparation, and execution. It was a creative plan he authored to not simply kill Styles, but to destroy his life. But the plan was so grandiose and so elaborate that it defied all reason and feasibility. As I've mentioned in other reviews: elaborate plans that rely on so many moving parts and rely upon predicting the precise actions of another human being are just too far-fetched and unrealistic for me to swallow.

Still, even with that aspect and flaw I thought the movie was good. It offered action, a decent plot, and of course good acting from Washington and Lithgow. Washington was the suave, upwardly mobile cop turned DA while Lithgow was the seething psychopathic megalomaniac with a burning desire to destroy his enemy. They were an excellent mesh.

Nick Styles is a cool cop who whilst on the beat with his partner captures and embarrasses on live TV, ruthless crime maniac Earl Talbott Blake. Styles goes on to achieve fame and lands the job of Assistant District Attorney, whilst Blake is sent to prison from where he plots a mission from hell that will destroy Styles life wholesale.

Whilst not amounting to more than your standard revenge thriller, Ricochet does have grizzly devilment within its plot to make this a recommend for those who enjoy the popcorn thriller. John Lithgow is always great as a loon bad guy, and here he is a cackling grinning maniacal maelstrom of hate, and some of the lines he gets to deliver are icy madness personified. Denzel Washington is routinely good as Styles, handsome and believable as the cop done good who gets his life flipped upside down by the revenge thirsty Blake. The film is tight on action (including a couple of gross scenes for those inclined), no little suspense, and a wonderful homage to White Heat into the bargain.

It's no award winner, it's for those who like to be entertained with a bowl of no brain popcorn on their laps. See this if you enjoyed Lithgow in Cliffhanger, or purely if you like Washington period. 7/10

It's so bad, it's good? I don't even know how to explain the absurdity going on in this movie. From the power guy/bad guy having cake with the babysitter to everyone believing a dubbed video of the protagonist passed out screwing a hooker is real. Everyone close to him IMMEDIATELY turning on him for absolutely no reason whatsoever to god knows what because I haven't even finished this train wreck. I don't know if someone really wrote the most terrible script in the world or half this movie got left on the editing room floor. God it's bad.