Wilder - Indagine pericolosa

The movie clearly cashes in on Pam Grier's success with Jackie Brown. Again the main characters are two "old timers" who have their wild days of youth behind them. Instead of Robert Forster we have action veteran Rutger Hauer who seems to enjoy the part of a romantically inclined womanizing gynaecologist. Pam Grier as energetic police officer Wilder is great as always. This time she does not have a brother or a sister to protect but her two kids. Contrary to other comments I think the Grier character's troubles with her neighbours fit in well and help the story along. Grier and Hauer make a good, harmonious and quite likeable couple.

Wilder is no masterpiece, it does not show any of Tarantino's sophistication. The story - Grier investigates the murders of young women, Hauer is at first the prime suspect - becomes somehow too drab and serious for this kind of movie which is more a comedy than a drama. However, there are some good scenes and good acting performances, especially Richard Robitaille as an ambitious, overexcited salesman for a pharmaceutical company. All in all I should say this is good, solid entertainment for people over age 35.

What bothers me in films like this is not the things that don't work in it. It's the thing that could have been done. It's not so much the visual lack of power and effectiveness of it, but the total mental poverty that surrounds it.

They picked up two mildly interesting actors, with credits on their hands and assigned them to this total mess, relying that the fact that they're in makes the whole think work on the financial side.

This is a total mess, a weak story, about some honest people fighting pharmaceutical interests, against all odds, the 'Fugitive' type. Pam Grier is assigned the extra role of being her past roles, associated with racial concerns and feminism. Both she and Hauer are cashing their checks. They could be doing better things.

Trying to get away with such a film is as much a deceit as it is the radioactive tests in the film.

My opinion: 1/5

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As soon as I picked this one of off the shelf warnings were going off in my head ("Bad movie alert! Danger! Danger!). Call me ridiculously optimistic, or just plain dumb, but I still rented it just the same. Seventies blaxploitation icon Pam Grier ('Coffy', 'The Big Doll House', 'Jackie Brown',etc.) is a favourite of mine, as is Rutger Hauer ('Blade Runner', 'Flesh & Blood', 'Salute Of The Jugger'), and the prospect of seeing them act together was just too much for me to ignore. The packaging made this look like another tired serial killer "thriller", the kind that should star Michael Madsen or Eric Roberts or James Russo or Chris Penn and go straight to video. But it is in fact even less interesting than that. The movie quickly degenerates into a lame conspiracy mystery, and smells very much like a failed TV pilot. Grier plays a one dimensional sassy cop, Hauer a very dull Doctor who is initially her leading suspect. The chemistry between the two is zilch, and my goodwill towards both performers is still not enough to forgive this absolutely awful waste of time. I'm straining myself trying to think of anything it all about it to recommend viewing it, but coming up with a big fat zero. Avoid this one at all costs.

I recently watched Wilder (2000) on Tubi. The story follows a string of murders that lead Detective Wilder to a doctor who becomes her prime suspect. She arrests and interrogates him, but instead of answering directly, he drops hints that suggest her investigation is only scratching the surface-and that a much larger conspiracy may be at play. Now, Wilder must determine whether the doctor is revealing the truth or just cleverly covering his tracks.

Directed by Rodney Gibbons (Silent Night), the film stars Pam Grier (Coffy), Rutger Hauer (Hobo with a Shotgun), Romano Orzari (Kin), and John Dunn-Hill (300).

This is one of those films you watch for the cast-and quickly regret it. The production quality and writing feel like a made-for-TV movie, with a plot that unfolds too conveniently. The dialogue is stiff, the performances lack authenticity, and Pam Grier's typically commanding presence feels forced. The romantic subplot falls flat, and the ending doesn't land with the charm or impact it seems to aim for.

In conclusion, Wilder is a lackluster crime drama with few redeeming qualities. I'd give it a 3/10 and recommend skipping it.

Do you see that DVD cover on the IMDb page for "Wilder"? You know, the one with a police car being blown up, Rutger Hauer carrying a gun and Pam Grier carrying TWO guns? Well, it's pretty misleading: there are no car chases or explosions in this movie, Pam fires only one shot, and Hauer none at all. This is much more of a conspiracy thriller than an action picture, which may be a source of disappointment for some. But even if you can live with that, the story is pretty muddled, the direction lacks style, and the supporting cast (with the exception of Eugene Clark) is mediocre. Rutger Hauer is OK, but it's really Pam Grier who provides the main reason to see this movie. She's still beautiful at 51, and the fleeting glimpses of her past ass-kicking glory are great. Too bad they're just that: fleeting. (**)