Next of Kin

Patrick Swayze stars in an action revenge thriller in the same year that he also made Road House, the following year he made Ghost, these were two years after he had made a sensual splash with Dirty Dancing. Thus it's safe to say that Patrick did not pigeon hole himself. Next of Kin holds no great hidden gem rewards, but it's a rock solid thriller boasting a splendid cast list featuring Liam Neeson, Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Adam Baldwin, Andreas Katsulas, Ben Stiller (in a serious role), Michael J. Pollard, Ted Levine and Paul Greco.

Plot finds Swayze as a Chicago cop who after the murder his younger brother desperately tries to uphold the law while one of his brothers from the "sticks" would rather enact all out revenge on the mobsters that killed the younger sibling. Suffice to say things go pear shaped and blood, loyalty and life altering decisions do follow.

The trajectory is simple , honest cop tries to do the right thing by the law in spite of the hurt in his heart, hillbilly brother (Neeson getting the best role in the film) would rather deliver some "deliverance" type justice - all while the rest of the "Gates" family clan await the call to come wading down from the hills to aid the retribution flow. The action scenes are well enough staged by director John Irvin, there's a whole bunch of fun in the characterisations - even if they are standard 101 scripted - while if you can get past Swayze's ponytail you will find a very restrained and cool performance.

Hardly a must see, but definitely no stinker and worth your time as a time filler, if only to see such a fresh faced young cast of well knowns turning tricks before bigger things awaited. 6/10

I have lived in Chicago all my long life, and I really appreciated the authenticity of the location scenes. The area around Wilson and Broadway is exactly where the "hillbillies" (forgive the term), especially the single men, generally migrate. The characters in the flophouse and bars must have been taken right from the street. The "project" was recognizably Cabrini-Green, and Truman and Jesse's restored three-story house could almost be pinpointed to Lincoln Park (except that the "bad guys", and Truman, would never have found such open parking - they'd still be circling the block).

The cemetery where the final showdown occurred is Graceland on Clark Street, as everyone who has toured or visited this landmark would know. It was an agony to watch these historic monuments being blown to bits - I had to keep chanting "it's only a movie, it's only a movie".

But the readiness of the Kentucky family to jump into the fray was very real. That wonderful scene of the pickup truck on its northbound trek up Lake Shore Drive has its counterpart in everyday life, so I've been told.

Liam Neeson is a revelation. It's hard to believe that the same actor who plays to perfection this tight lipped, lean and mean mountain man, will later be nominated for an Oscar for his heart-rending portrayal of a sophisticated German industrialist.

Truman Gates may be my favorite Patrick Swayze character. There's plenty of blood-and-guts action, but it's easy to believe that a concert violinist would fall madly in love with this exciting, unusual cop. Helen Hunt, as his wife, and Michael J. Pollard as a benighted flophouse manager, are excellent in their roles.

See this movie for a good story, authentic characterizations, and non-stop interest.

Patrick Swayze stars in this action crime drama as a Chicago cop from the south avenging the death of his brother. So the plot is pretty basic, so what, it is still an enjoyable action/crime-drama. The cast was very good in this film, which includes Liam Neeson, Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Adam Baldwin, and even Ben Stiller in a smaller role. The action was pretty good too, especially the chase on top of the train. The film also used its Chicago locations very well, which is something I like in movies. The film has a few faults, including an extremely predictable ending. But aside from that its a fun film for action fans. 3.5/5

My review was written in October 1989 after a screening in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.

John Irvin's atmospheric direction lifts the Patrick Swayze cop vehicle "Next of Kin" from routine programmer to sleeper status. Unfortunately, Warners' no-press-screenings play is indicative of this intriguing B+ picture getting the heave-ho in the marketplace.

Pic is of historical interest as the final film to go into production (August 1988) at Lorimar, while theindie was being swallowed by Warner Communications.

Interesting wrinkle in Michaei Jenning's screenplay (based on a script by Jenning and pic's associate producer, Jeb Stuart) is a mixing and matching of two ethnic strains of the vendetta: backwoods Appalachian version and revenge Sicilian-style.

These plot threads ar4e set in motion when Bill Paxton, a Kentucky boy from the hills now working in Chicago, is ruthlessly murdered by mafia enforcer Adam Baldwin as part of a strong-arm move in the vending machines racket. Paxton's older brother, Patrick Swayze, is a Chicago cop determined to find the killer.

Interfering with Swayze's efforts is the old-fashioned "eye for an eye" vengeance demanded by eldest brother Liam Neson. Picture climaxes with an elaborate war ina Chicago cemetery between Baldwin's mafioso and Neesons Kentucky kin, matching automatic weaponry with primitive (but reliable crossbows, hatchets, snakes and knives. Treachery on the Cosa Nostra side brings out a parallel "next of kin" subplot that concludes the film effectively.

Director Irvin's technical skill and Steven Poster's muted-color photgraphy bring out th4e flavor of both Kentucky and Chicago locations, with consistent tongue-in-cheek eleents (and ouright comic relief by the delightful Michael J. Pollard) balancing the film noir mood.

Swayze is solid as the mixed-motives hero, and inspired casting teams him with Irish thesp Neeson, most convincing as a tghrowback whose fish-ou-of-water misadventures in Chicago are a treat. Cast against type, Baldwin, the hulking youngster, familiar from "My Bodyguard", builds a fascinating portrait of evil lurking behind the innocent face. Supporting cast is convincing and physicaly perfect.

Patrick Swayze, coming off the heels of 'Dirty Dancing', did a couple of somewhat cult action films back in 1989. One was 'Road House' and the other was this film; 'Next of Kin'. My memory of this was better to say the least. This is a bad movie. Basically it's a revenge flick that makes no sense whatsoever. It's a country vs. the city movie, as hillbilly rednecks take on the mafia. I won't bother with the plot, other than to say it's badly written. What is interesting about this movie is the cast.

You have Swayze of course as the lead, Helen Hunt as his love interest, and a relatively unknown Liam Neeson playing Swayze's older brother in a heroic role. Adam Baldwin, Ted Levine, Bill Paxton and a young Ben Stiller are in this movie as well. Out of the cast, Neeson's Briar is the most interesting character, and Neeson delivers the goods. Always worth checking out films you remember from your youth if you are someone like me, but this is just essentially a cheesy action film from the 80s that you can easily skip.

** out of *****!