Presidio: Base militaire San Francisco

I haven't seen "The Presidio" for about a decade, so watching it again recently after so many years was almost like watching it for the first time.

Although it's definitely not a top class thriller, more of a low-key crime drama, the final twist in the tale makes it a decent picture. It's got fantastic setting. Peter Hyams, who apart from directing the film also holds a spot as director of photography, shots exteriors stylishly. The slightly cold colours correspond well with Sean Connery's characterisation as a strict man of principles.

In case of Connery it's always as much about the acting as it is about the looks and he looks really good as an MP officer, mostly wearing regular uniforms, prefferably dark blue. If he hadn't succeeded as 007 he would have definitely made a career as a character actor playing officers.

Mark Harmon takes over as an action man from Connery which is a nice change. The chase scene is quite impressive even by today's standards, well done! On the other hand the fight scene with Connery is also well choreographed.

My only complain would be about Meg Ryan's character. She seems too soft, too childish as for a person rised only by a father, who happens to be a rather tough guy, shy of showing emotions. Somehow her character doesn't convince me at all.

In a nutshell: you'll like the film if you like San Francsico and you'll love it if you like Sean Connery. No more, no less.

A break-in at a military base leads to a murder; the perpetrators' escape causes the death of a cop outside the base, so the case will involve both the San Francisco P.D. and the military police. Former MP Jay Austin (Mark Harmon) is now a detective who will butt heads with his old commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Alan Caldwell (Sean Connery). They'll argue about methodology, and jurisdiction, and other such things, and Jay will naturally fall in lust with Caldwells' conveniently cute daughter Donna (Meg Ryan).

Although there are some good moments for the main actors - Jack Warden also among them, as Caldwells' longtime friend Ross Maclure - this movie is more entertaining during its murder investigation scenes. It IS played awfully straight, with not much in the way of humour, but then, this is more of a serious thriller than the typical buddy-cop action film. It does also have, however, a ridiculous scene that serves no real purpose to the plot other than to show how bad ass Connery is, as he beats up Rick Zumwalt (as a bully in a bar) with his THUMB. Slickly made, with capable direction by Peter Hyams, who again serves as as his own cinematographer (and does a better job of lighting the proceedings than usual). The location work in SF is excellent, fortunately.

The handsome Harmon is passable as our likable good guy protagonist, but he doesn't have much chemistry with either Connery or Ryan. The supporting cast is solid: Mark Blum, Marvin J. McIntyre, Dana Gladstone, the much too briefly seen Jenette Goldstein, Don Calfa (in a quick cameo), John DiSanti, Robert Lesser, Patrick Kilpatrick, etc., but Connery is the principal reason to watch "The Presidio". His effortlessly strong presence lends itself well to the role of a career military man.

This is easy enough to watch, but also easy enough to forget.

Six out of 10.

This is an enjoyable mystery, crime and action movie, with a good plot. As Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell and Police Detective Jay Austin, Sean Connery and Mark Harman play well off each other, although neither role is outstanding. Meg. Ryan, Jack Warden and the rest of the supporting cast are okay. The script is the weakest part of the film, and seems almost to drag the story along at times. The cinematography is very good, but could have been much better, give the location.

My higher rating for "The Presidio" is because of the film setting, and its historical value in capturing the place and time when the San Francisco Presidio reigned as a renowned Army installation. Many scenes in the film show historical parts of the Presidio then. In 1994, the Presidio was closed as a military base – just six years after this film was made. But thankfully, much of the former Presidio is being preserved as an historical area. In 1996, Congress established a trust to oversee the area. Today much of the Presidio is part of the Golden Gate National Park. Part of the area has a combination of commercial and residential lands with parkland and historical sites maintained by the trust and the National Park Service.

When it closed in 1994, the Presidio was the oldest continuously operated military base in the U.S. Visitors today can enjoy the several historic sites around the Presidio. Its National Cemetery is one of only two cemeteries that remain within the city of San Francisco. And the area has great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay.

Sean Connery fans,this is a must. Mark Harmon fans, this is a must. Meg Ryan fans, this is a must. For: a) Sean Connery fans (of which I am one), watching Scotland's favourite son beat up a bully with his thumb is impossible to miss. He's great as a solder, and acts well (as usual). b) Mark Harmon fans, watching him as a coool detective smirking down a barrel of a gun held by a pretty much insane villain is quite amusing AND c) Meg Ryan fans, though she appears in few scenes, she takes over each one with her wild hair and sexy manner. In other words, see it. It's got an element of mystery and and action, and, in my opinion, it's very well acted. Enjoy.

Despite what some people have said about this movie, I must tell you I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sean Connery, as always, gets into his character Lt. Col. Caldwell very well (he should be cast as a military officer more often). Meg Ryan, though limited in screen time, shines as his daughter Donna...they're father-daughter sessions make for some good drama.

Mark Harmon, who for some reason hasn't received many offers to star in big movie roles, plays Jay Austin. He's a cop who used to be an MP at The Presidio, the base at which a murder takes place. Harmon does an excellent job, both as Donna's lover and Caldwell's unwanted partner.

The fact is, the performances are wonderful, the story is fascinating, and the chase scenes create pulse-pounding excitement. If you like action, romance, drama, and a little humor every now and then, I recommend The Presidio.