Bird on a Wire

I've watched "Bird on a Wire" ever since my age was a one-digit number. The plot focuses on a man in the witness protection program (Mel Gibson) who is being pursued by the criminal that he put away (David Carradine). He teams up with an old flame (Goldie Hawn) and the two go on an action-filled road trip, ending in a climactic battle in a zoo.

This has got to be one of the funniest, coolest, and most exciting action movies I've ever seen. I recommend it to anyone who knows that EVERY SINGLE action movie doesn't have to have perfect plot or perfect acting.

Great action, 7/10.

The star power of Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn help this 1990 action film, which is about a witness protection program refugee who reconnects by accident with his old girlfriend. The two then run to avoid the people after him. And run and run and run.

There are so many chase scenes in this movie, I lost count, but they lead to a very effective finale in the zoo. I enjoyed this movie because of its two stars. I thought they had great chemistry and repartee.

The movie is short on plot and character development, you know, things that one would occasionally enjoy seeing in a film, and long on action, charm, Mel's rear, Goldie's figure, and fashion. On this basis, I found it enjoyable.

This is a middle of the road but enjoyable action comedy. John Badham a veteran of the action genre handles proceedings with flair and paces the movie well. The film hardly lulls despite a someone choppy ending set in a zoo. The film is routine but gets by with the likable leads, Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn. Gibson was making a name for himself as an action man by this time having already done 3 Mad Max films and 2 Lethal Weapon movies. Gibson's everyman likability and at the same time tough guy physique worked well in these movies, despite wasting his acting ability, with the exception of a great role in Lethal Weapon. At the same time as Gibson evading death by the pursuing dirty lawmen, David Carradine and Bill Duke, Goldie Hawn seems to be in her very own light-hearted Goldie movie about the posh bird who learns there is more to life than money and essentially she is still acting from her previous movie, Overboard. Despite this Hawn is likable and has good chemistry with Gibson. The trademark showing of her ass is once again here and Hawn parades her derrière in her movies even more than Jean-Claude Van Damme. The film also features the gorgeous and future queen of soft core, erotic, B-movies Joan Severance.

The film has some good action scenes and plenty of on screen carnage and thanks to Badhams brisk direction it engages. The story maybe wafer thin but the film moves by so quickly it is difficult not to enjoy. The chemistry between the two leads more than make up for the clichéd by the numbers performances of the bad guys Carradine and Duke. Carradine is so far from his great performance in Kill Bill 2 that you have to wonder why it takes so much inspiration to coax a performance from the man whose wooden demeanour has led to him being a B-movie staple for nearly 20 years.

Overall this is enjoyable stuff and typical of the sort of harmless and moronic fun action movies of the 80's. ***

Rick Jarmin, who in the FBI witness protection program, is working in a Detroit gas station under an assumed name. Things are going well until old flame Marianne Graves pulls up and recognises him. He calls the FBI to get relocated but learns his handler has retired. The replacement promises to help but quickly shows himself to be corrupt as he passes Rick's details to two corrupt ex-DEA agents; one who is still wanted the other who has just finished a fifteen year jail sentence thanks to Rick's testimony. The two men quickly turn up and Rick's boss is killed in the shoot-up; after that Rick ends up on the run with Marianne. There are a series of chases till the fleeing duo confront their chasers in a zoo.

This is a fun action comedy. The story is fairly simply but serves to provide a series of enjoyably chases and action sequences. This includes chases in cars, on motorbikes and in aircraft and action that features shooting, explosions and an impressive final confrontation in a zoo, complete with dangerous animals. The laughs come from amusing situations rather than forced gags for the most part... an early gag where Rick tricks his boss may be a little forced but it is also very funny. Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn have a good chemistry as Rick and Marianne. The villains played by Bill Duke, David Carradine and Stephen Tobolowsky are solid enough but get less screen time than one might expect. Overall this might not be a must see film but it provides sufficient laughs and action to make it worth watching if you want decent, not too extreme, action with plenty of amusing moments.

I don't think this movie is as bad as some comments say, it is not a hit, but it is just the kind of movie I like very much and that IMHO are not being made anymore. It's a classical 90's easy-going action/comedy that won't disappoint anybody, who is not looking for a complicated plot and surprising end :)

I really enjoyed watching this movie, especially thanks to a beautiful couple made by Mel Gibson and Golide Hawn. It's just one of those movies you can watch over and over again and it sill keeps you entertained (well, the final scene seems a little boring to me...).

If you are looking for a nice action/comedy, check this one out, you won't be disappointed.