Bad Company - Die Welt ist in guten Händen

When does a knighted actor collect a paycheck? When he acts benightedly in a cliched spy thriller that is a virtual textbook of Hollywood expectations, right down to the scruffy mid-eastern terrorists and the oversized red digital readout on a nuclear bomb.

Anthony Hopkins plays a CIA veteran who must train a streetwise kid, played by Chris Rock, how to act like a real agent in 9 days. You can guess the outcome; in fact you can guess every scene before it unfolds. Movies like this make me know I couldn't do reviewing for a day job-I'd have to see bombs like this everyday. Did I say bomb again? Did we just have one come to America in `Sum of All Fears'?

I am committed to saying something favorable for all movies if I can. Hopkins is always interesting to watch: he underplays here with a `sang froid' that would make Hannibal Lecter proud. The bad side of `Bad Company' is the bug-eyed, monotone, hysterical Chris Rock, who may have been medicated for this role because I didn't have to cover my ears this time-I just bore up under his boring delivery.

Brooke Smith, who was the captured girl in `Silence of the Lambs', plays Hopkins' partner. `Lambs' this is not.

The film moves rapidly enough for espionage junkies. There, I said 2 good things. The movie still is `bad' company for the serious filmgoer.

In Prague, the CIA secret agent Kevin Pope (Chris Rock) is killed in a mission with Oakes (Anthony Hopkins). They were trying to recover a nuclear bomb from the hands of some mercenaries. In order to proceed with the operation, Jake Hayes (Chris Rock), twin of Kevin, is recruited by CIA to act as if he were his brother. Jake is a rascal ticker scalper and his dead brother was an exquisite man. The CIA agents have nine day to make Jake as refined as he brother was. Although having a plot very predictable and full of cliches, this movie is a funny action movie, almost a comedy. Therefore, it objective of entertainment is accomplished. My vote is seven.

I don't really know what I expected from this film, but I certainly found much more than I had been looking for. Given that it stars Chris Rock, I did expect a great deal of irreverent, silly comedy. What I found, instead, was an interesting spy film and a very, very odd buddy picture.

The acting from both Rock and Hopkins is exceptional. The plot, while a bit thin, is interesting.

The film pulled me in and held me from beginning to end.

Street punk (Chris Rock) discovers his stranged brother was a state agent who has just been killed . Then the African-American street-wise hustler is drafted into CIA Agency to carry out an operation , being experienced Agent Oakes (Anthony Hopkins) the Company's grey eminence to train him in place of the murdered twin he knew he had. He has nine days to fill his brother's place. Two Mismatched Partners. One Messed Up Case! The World is in Good Hands . These Two People Are In Bad Company!

Typical plot about identity replacement in which a roguish young is drafted by US agency honcho Hopkins to take over his bro' mission , which involves terrorists , destructive bomb , nuclear warhead , mayhem and the tourist cities of Prague and New York City . Considering these so-so elements , it's no wonder this one got delayed its premiere . Cue a crash course in spy school , knee-jerk thrills involving Eastern European terrorists in tight leather trousers , hilarious scenes , spurious intrigue with nuclear device ticking away at the heart of Manhattan and some of the least funny shtick this side of global meldown . Stars Chris Rock who deserved a better film , but he salvages this one, at times ; anyway , he gives a sympathetic acting . He's up against a standard issue plot that merely serves to get to the next action set piece which, this being a Jerry Bruckheimer lavish production, are done well , but done too often. The two likable main actors : Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins , are well accompanied by a fine support cast with plenty of familiar faces , such as : John Slattery , Kerry Washington , Matthew Marsh , Gabriel Macht , Garcelle Beauvais, Peter Stormare, Brooke Smith, Irma P. Hall , Daniel Sunjata , among others.

It displays a climatic and moving musical score by composer Trevor Rabin . Likewise , colorful and brilliant cinematography by cameraman Dariusz Wolski, including a lot of sightseeing from bridge of Prague, Czech, Railway station Praha hlavni nadrazi, Wilsonova, Prague, Czech Republic, Grand Central Terminal, New York City, World Trade Center, Manhattan, New York City, Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Queens, New York, USA. Made in usual syle by Joel Schumacher whose credits include some of the most egregious Hollywood codswallop of the last thirty years , such as : ¨Dying young¨, ¨A time to kill¨ , ¨Flatners¨, ¨Batman and Robin¨, ¨Batman Forver¨ and he also made a successful musical ¨Phantom of Opera¨ . As Schumacher manages to submit his worst insticts , but it doesn't really help. Rating : 5.5/10 . Acceptable and passable, but average . The flick will appeal to Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins fans.

This movie was very entertaining but certainly not great. I think Chris Rock gave a great performance and Anthony Hopkins is always wonderful. The action sequences were very good, especially the camera work in the field car chase. I'm glad I didn't see it in the theater, but I'm glad I saw it just the same.