Missão Perigosa

I was pleasantly surprised when I eyed this Sly film! He is so good with comedy! He has a sarcastic wit about him & he can do things with those big brown puppy eyes that just make ya melt!! He's also in GREAT shape but I'm sorry, his hairpiece in this is just too noticeable. (Sorry, Sly! We still love ya tho!)

Story Line: Frankie (Sly) is bodyguard for Mr. Alegheri (the late great Anthony Quinn). He gets "hit" in a restaurant when Frankie leaves him unattended for a minute or two. All his life, he's been 'on the job' for Quinn, watching his daughter who doesn't even know she's his daughter (Stowe, with the HUGE brown eyes!!) Anyway, it's time for her to find out & to have Frankie watching her closer than ever now & they soon fall in love. Like he says, "I couldn't keep the distance anymore!") He almost loses her to another handsome Italian (the young guy who played opposite Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun) but that relationship went "dead"! (Pun intended!)

I don't know why this film was given an R rating. Granted, there were 2 times the "f" word was used but I've heard that in PG-13's!! Perhaps it would have gotten seen by more people if it were rated PG-13. I know I would have seen it sooner! This is clearly a woman's movie, a love story for Sly FINALLY!! (Unless you count The Specialist?) Too bad he didn't get them when he was younger. Ooooooooh - to heat up the screen!! YO!!

If nothing else, the film justifies its existence for the restaurant scene at the beginning, wherein Quinn utters the above line. Short as it may be, THAT scene was cinematic magic, especially if you study Quinn's face as he delivers the words. The briefest of pauses makes you wonder if the reality of that line had momentarily struck him, fatally ill as he was with throat cancer during shooting. He died before the film's release bringing to an end one of Hollywood's most illustrious screen careers - one that spanned six decades. Restricted as the role of Angelo was, it was ENOUGH to say "goodbye" with, and with such dignity too. Quinn "conveyed" more in his ten minutes on screen here than others have amassed in a lifetime. He would have been delighted to be working, up to his last breath, literally. Stallone even, if you really look closely, appears to extend a real reverence to his co-star in those opening minutes.

I think to have any hope of either understanding or even "liking" this film, you would need to be over 40 with a depth and awareness not everyone has. It is NOT a "surface" film. If that is all you can see, you're wasting your time. There is fun, chemistry, humor- subtle and less so....and a decent storyline. Whether you view it as parodying THE GODFATHER (which at times it appears to be doing) or telling a less than straightforward tale of revenge...mafioso style, this film has genuine moments of endearing drama. Many reviewers appear to feel short-changed expecting as they were, THE VALACHI PAPERS 2 or THE CURSE OF DON CORLEONE....nor was this wallowing in the putrid wake of OSCAR, Stallone's last "stab" as it were, at portraying the unfunny eccentricities of "la cosa nostra."

I won't bother rehashing the plotline....enough here have done that. I would simply say that it is a great shame it went straight to video - Quinn deserved way more respect than that, and SO did this film. I agree with the reviewer who offered a 6.6 as being reasonable. Like I said though, you have to be able to look past the plot holes, the uneven direction and the oddball characterizations. Stallone and Stowe handed in some good work here!

This is what is termed a Screwball Comedy, a Romantic Comedy. Remember, that's all this movie is so expect foolish silliness and just enjoy with laughter. If you don't like foolish silliness then don't bother watching this film. A couple of scenes are funny just because they are so ironic.

Sylvester Stallone plays straight man to Madeleine Stowe's zany character. Both are great in their roles. I found myself laughing at things I normally would not laugh at but the timing was perfect and completely caught me without warning. This is another example of how Stallone is moving away from the stereo typical characters he has helped create; not to say he won't do more of those but he continues to branch out.

This movie is dedicated to the memory of Anthony Quinn. This was his very last film appearance. His work on this film was long enough, considering his health and age. Watch the featurette for more on Anthony Quinn. It may bring tears to your eyes to remember this wonderful man and the many wonderful performances he has given us over six decades.

There's a little mystery thrown into the movie. Watch for clues here and there and see if you can solve the mystery.

This was Tony Quinn's last film. He was dying of cancer of the throat when the film was being made and it shows in his weakness in the film. Appropriately, he gets offed and indeed, he was dying and died before the film was released. A grand old man who gave us lots of moments in hundreds of films from bad guys to good guys, always in the character realm. This film with Maddy Stowe and Sly Stallone is a fun film that wanders between being a kind of Prizzi's Honor in the chick-flick mode to a rather slap-stick comedy. However, what the reviewers herein who are panning Stallone with their "he's over the hill" comments seem to miss is that old Sly can do more than Arnie Swartzenegger clenched teeth grimacing action films with usually lousy story lines. True, this film at times can't seem to make up its mind whether to be a black comedy or pratt-fall filled lampoon of the traditional gangster/mafioso genre. No matter. It's fun because Stowe and Stallone are a delight to watch. Although, it does make one sad to know this was old Tony's last film, we should appreciate he worked right up to the last gasp, as it were. Ciao, Tony and thanks for all the good times. You'll be missed.

I bought this movie for two reasons, first, I wanted to get something my wife and I could watch together and Wal-Mart was selling it for $5.50, and secondly, it was filmed partly in the city where I work, and I saw Stallone standing between two sound trucks, looking just like Sylvester Stallone as I was leaving my office one night. I had always thought I should have a look at the movie.

I expected a grim-mouthed actioner, but having seen some of Stallone's other work I should have known better. The movie is played with a lot of good humour, and fine interplay between Stallone and Stowe. There were a couple of places where I actually laughed out loud, and it's hard to make me laugh.

If you want a movie you can watch on a quiet night with your teen-aged kids and your wife, this'll do fine.