I think this movie was really great. The cast was awesome and made the movie an enjoyable feast for action lovers.
Eric Roberts was great as a wise talking, gangster wannabe type Carlo, whose opinion of himself was much higher than everyone else's opinion of him.
William Forsythe's part of the doggedly determined agent Max Fenton, hell bent on bringing Giani Ponti (played expertly by Dennis Hopper)in was the stuff that legends are made of. He is an extremely talented actor who shines in every part he undertakes. His veteran status in Hollywood has earned him the respect he deserves for his part in this movie and every other he stars in.
Dennis Hopper's portrayal as the savvy, hip and utterly criminal Giani Ponti is only more proof that while other actors his age are looking for work, he is not. This perfomance was only more ammunition in the belief that he is STILL a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.
Michael Madsen shined as only he can in the part of Zippo, an S & M freak who loves the ladies. His part was believeable and he added his own flair and unique style to a well executed role.
Wendy Benson as the hard working but not as naive as she seems, Rebecca Johnson was classic. She made the role of the daughter of a two timing, thieving accountant (played to unbelievable realism by the wonderful veteran actor Frank Gorshin)come to life. If this role is any indication of her talents, I look forward to seeing many more movies with her in the future.
When one thinks of "bad", you can't help but think of Ice-T. He played Macneilly a small time hood with big aspirations and the muscle to back up those aspirations. Ice-T is multi talented and this role was just further proof that whether good guy, bad guy or somewhere in between, he is a major player in Hollywood.
I was surprised and delighted by a small but pivotal role in this movie. The hit man played by the talented and veteran actor Patrick Kilpatrick. He could be the role model for hit men everywhere. Charming, handsome and utterly cool he would be any "target's" worst nightmare.
One downside to this movie and something I found very disappointing was the role played by Sasha Mitchell as the bumbling, dumber than dirt, driver, Buddy. He is referred to as "bone head" in the movie by Carlo because of his dimwittedness. I was disheartened to see such a talented and multi faceted actor as Sasha Mitchell thrust into such a demeaning and humiliating role. I would have thought that after the astoundingly high class way he handled the problems with the false spousal abuse allegations lobbed at him by his ex-wife, that Hollywood would drop their "stupid surfer dude" image of him. I think after what he has been through in the past few years (all but having his career ruined) he would be a shining star in Hollywood's crown. What a pity that they can't see true talent.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants fast action and hot stars. I own this movie and am proud to have it amongst my collection of favorites.
