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For most of it's time "No way out" is a conventional and good thriller . The movie proceeds as expected . Still , the more you watch the movie the more your are dragged into the story . Roger Donaldson certainly directs it with confidence . In the end , when the last half of hour comes you will be rewarded by the story . There is both adrenaline and shock for you there.

Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman deliver what you could expect from them. Costner is quite wooden , but tolerable . Hackman is good . If you seen him in "Absolute power" you won't be surprised by his performance here. George Dzundza gives a memorable performance as a scientist on a wheelchair.

Two persons steal the show . Sean Young hasn't got too much screen time, yet she fills the movie with energy and vulnerability when she's on screen. Will Patton gives the best performance of the movie as a man dedicated to Hackman . He's two-faced , cold , cynical and ruthless. A nomination for Oscar would do him justice.

I give it 7/10 . Watch it . You won't regret it . The final is worth watching itself. Mind blowing.

"No Way Out" is one of the most original, suspenseful, tightly-knit thrillers ever made, comparable to John Frankenheimer's "Seven Days in May". Set in the Cold War era, Gene Hackman plays the Secretary of Defense, a married man obsessed with his mistress, the exquisitely beautiful Sean Young...as is her other secret lover, Costner, a Naval Admiral who is the C.I.A.'s Liaison. When Hackman accidentally kills Young in a jealous rage, a cover-up begins to find the notorious, never-seen Russian mole "Yuri" who works within the Pentagon, and to frame him for the murder. Costner is commanded to oversee the operation, and the action begins...and is sustained with the intensity of a race on the Autobahn. The amazing all-star cast also features Will Patton, George Dzunda, Iman and David Paymer. Costner delivers what is perhaps his most subtle performance. What distinguishes "No Way Out" is its brilliant plotting, tautness, and constant surprises...with the ending being the most deliriously mind-blowing surprise of all.

Watching "No Way Out" is like reading a dime store pulp novel: it doesn't really amount to much in the end, but there are twists and turns aplenty to keep you interested and engaged. Fortunately, a wonderful cast helps this pulpy thriller remain somewhat memorable in the annals of film.

For a very basic overview, "No Way Out" tells the story of Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner), a naval officer who is romancing Susan Atwell (Sean Young). The problem? Tom's boss--Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman)--is also "involved" with Ms. Atwell and responsible for her death. This sets off a cat-and-mouse coverup scheme as Farrell and Brice both try to resolve the situation.

As previously mentioned, there are quite a few plot machinations that get thrown at "No Way Out" viewers. If they are all truly scrutinized, they don't hold up to much--if any--logic. As such, this film was never going to be any sort of all-time classic. That being said, there are three aspects that director Roger Donaldson and writers Kenneth Fearing & Robert Garland have going for them here...

First, the combination of Costner (in between his Bull Durham & Field of Dreams roles), Hoosiers-era Hackman, and an almost impossibly young Will Patton could make just about anything watchable. The chemistry between those three stalwarts (plus a vivacious Young) alone is worth the price of admission.

Secondly, "No Way Out" is sort of a "ticking clock" of suspense and tension. It seems as if everything is a race to grab some piece of information or individual before someone else gets to him/her, which makes it so that the proceedings are never dull or bland. It also features technology that, while laughably out-of-date now, was cutting edge in the late-80s.

Finally, a whopper of a surprise ending is completely and utterly ludicrous, yet so out-of-left-field that it actually works well amidst all the other pulp in "No Way Out". One of those situations where you sort of know the ending is ridiculous, yet it doesn't rankle because that is largely the name of the game all the way through.

Overall, watching "No Way Out" is a bit of a wild experience no matter how you slice it. I'd never give it a cent over 7/10 stars, but if you can turn the plot-based, analytical part of your brain off and just ride the rollercoaster--while enjoying some actors at the top or beginning of their games--it can be enjoyed.

The last quarter drags on a little too long, and the characters and their decisions often seem unrealistically erratic, but it all comes together in the end. I was surprised this movie was able to pay off so well. The finale comes out of nowhere, but it provides the plot and main character some depth.

Music is corny though. Some of it sounds like it was made for a bad '80s TV show. That's my lone complaint.

There are only a fistful movies I gave 9 points. This is one them. After watching it I immediately had an itch to watch a sequel (regrettably impossible due to the story line). Didn't actually want it to stop and was sad that it ended. (True for just a few other movies, like for example Dr. Zhivago or 12 Monkeys) When I checked the IMDb - rating composition to find out why this movie is so grotesquely underrated, I asserted that the IMDb Staff gave 8 points, anyway. (Phew!) One of the very few US-thrillers, the end of which I wasn't able to predict. Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner are habitually brilliant, Will Patton deserves an Oscar as the best supporting actor in my book.