Impatto imminente

I caught this one on TV at about midnight, and I wasn't planning to see more than five minutes of it. I did (why would I write this comment if I didn't) and it kept my interest through the whole film. Bruce Willis and Sarah Jessica Parker were excellent together and the supporting cast was also outstanding.

Director Rowdy Herrington also brought us the awful A Murder of Crows (1999), but he didn't ruin this one, even if it did get a little far-fetched in places. An interesting plot line, and Willis is believable in his role.

+ (GOOD THINGS) 1.) Direction 2.) Chemistry between Willis and Parker 3.) Ending (unlike everyone else, I didn't see it coming) 4.) Length 5.) The score 6.) John Mahoney's performance

• (BAD THINGS) 1.) Believability 2.) The script (uneven in places)

TOTAL: 7/10

I'd be lying if I didn't admit this is yet another patterned Bruce Willis flick. The kind where he plays the hard boiled cop with a colorful past, but I gave it a chance. This one finds Willis as Tom Hardy. A cop from a family of cops and things aren't going too well. First off, he's just ratted out his violent partner (Robert Pastorelli) at an official police inquiry and that doesn't win him any fans in the department. All of the while there's this killer on the loose and when he lets it be known he thinks the killer is a cop - suddenly he's reassigned to River Patrol.

This movie succeeds on a basic level -- it's entertaining. Sure the story is loose and the film's surprises are somewhat stale, but it's all in good fun. Willis gets to look aptly serious and hunt for the killer on the waters and there's just enough suspense to sustain interest and the story moves at a good pace. Meanwhile the rounded supporting cast keeps things lively and keeps the viewer going, "Where have I seen him before?" or "Hey that's such and such".

I've read on here how people think this is stupid, dumb and lacks any suspense or thrills. Like any of the Die Hard movies had exceptionally smart stories or you didn't know what was gonna happen next. Of course not. For a entry level Bruce Willis flick, this one satisfies. Now if I can only get that 'Little Red Riding Hood' song out of my mind!

Although this film is not a classic, you'll love this if you enjoyed Bruce in The Last Boy Scout, Hudson Hawk or the Die Hard Movies as he basically plays the same character. A down on his luck cop who kicks ass as hard as he hits the bottle.

Bruce stars as Tom Hardy, a Pittsburgh city cop who gets busted down to working on a police pursuit boat as he testified against his partner. His ex girlfriends keep getting murdered and dumped in the river - he knows that someone is doing this to frame him but who? This movie has an excellent car chase and some cool lines from Bruce plus some very good set piece action scenes. There are also some very good supporting performances from Tom Sizemore and a very crazy Robert Pastorelli.

I picked this up on DVD from ebay and was surprised by how good it looked on a large widescreen TV - I was only a kid when this was released so never saw it at the cinema. Good cinematography of the rushing river and the bridge. Definitely worth checking out.

"Who's the best cop now Jimmy??"

More than any film I can remember in a long time, I have never understood why this film hasn't gotten higher ratings than it has. The plot, while not ingenious (and even somewhat predictable) is still exciting and will keep you engrossed.

The film's creators get a lot of points in my book for locale creativity. Instead of setting the film in some predictable location such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami or San Francisco they set it in Pittsburgh, PA, definitely not your ordinary movie location. It's one that adds a wonderful freshness to the movie however.

The location shooting is outstanding. The scenery is different and excellent, the photography is great, even spectacular in places and the action is on a par with some of the best action films ever, including Bullitt. Who would normally think to expect extensive boating and water action in a state as synonymous with mountains as Pennsylvania is? That alone is worth taking a look at this movie.

I do not usually care much for Bruce Willis. I thought he was very well cast in this movie however and Sara Jessica Parker added extra special chemistry. The cast is much better than average overall and includes such outstanding actors as Andre Braugher, of the outstanding tv series "Homicide". I thought that the casting in general, as well as the photography, location and action very adequately made up for any possible deficiencies in the plot itself.

I would warn that there is extensive foul language in this film, more than is necessary even for a film of this genre in my opinion and probably it's biggest drawback. I would still say that the film is well worth watching when your in the mood for some escapist fun and action fare. As I said earlier, I think the film deserves higher ratings than it's gotten so far. I've watched it twice now (it was just as good the second time, in fact even better) and that definitely won't be the last time I watch it.

I believe 'Striking Distance' deserved better credit than that given by critics. Once again, this is a movie where I disagree with critics.

Firstly, the action sequences are fantastic! Even if the film were to fail on other levels, you have to give it credit for the action sequences. However, I enjoyed every aspect of the film. Just like in 'Die Hard', I thought Bruce Willis delivered and made a credible protagonist, whom I rooted for every step of the way.

'Striking Distance' is an action-packed thrill-a-minute roller coaster ride I thoroughly enjoyed. Yes, there is a romance interest that got in the way of the action at times, but in general this was exciting and entertaining, regardless of what critics might think.

Sit back, relax, don't take it too seriously and I guarantee you'll have a good time with 'Striking Distance', as I did. This is a good film with an interesting reveal.

Would I watch it again? Yes.