IMDb RATING
6.1/10
5.8K
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A rookie cop goes undercover and infiltrates a car thief ring.A rookie cop goes undercover and infiltrates a car thief ring.A rookie cop goes undercover and infiltrates a car thief ring.
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Randy Quaid in a rare dramatic role, and M. Emmett Walsh in a really minor role are of interest. Charlie Sheen is the bad guy for a change. The movie itself is very lethargic, with occasional car action waking things up. There is no nudity and a low body count. I can't see this as much more than a television movie of the week. The love interest is simply like an add on. The Porches are fine and everything, but as fast as the cars are, the plot seems to crawl, especially in the beginning. None of the characters are likable, and some are severely underdeveloped. Honestly, you want car chases, there are better choices. The best way I can describe "No Man's Land" would be underwhelming. It's watchable, but just barely. .................................. MERK
I will preface this by saying I am an '88 Porsche 930 Turbo owner here. That's the silver car in the chase scene with the Camaro. Biased opinion I'll admit. I think this movie pretty much holds it's own as far as the story line goes. I love it, being a Porsche fanatic.
D.B. Sweeney is perfect in this role. Outside of Platoon, I think this is the best Charlie Sheen.
But, let's face it. The star of this movie is the drop dead sexy Porsche 911!
"The Fast And The Furious" completely stole from this movie. They substituted hopped up Hondas and Mazdas for the Porsches.
If you are looking for my opinion, watch this movie. If you want a good story line, great driving scenes, this is your movie.
If you are a Porsche fan, you probably have already watched this 100 times like me!
D.B. Sweeney is perfect in this role. Outside of Platoon, I think this is the best Charlie Sheen.
But, let's face it. The star of this movie is the drop dead sexy Porsche 911!
"The Fast And The Furious" completely stole from this movie. They substituted hopped up Hondas and Mazdas for the Porsches.
If you are looking for my opinion, watch this movie. If you want a good story line, great driving scenes, this is your movie.
If you are a Porsche fan, you probably have already watched this 100 times like me!
D. B. Sweeney plays a rookie cop and hobby mechanic who is persuaded by his boss (Randy Quaid) to go undercover in order to infiltrate and take down a luxury car theft operation ostensibly led by the flashy Ted Varrick (Charlie Sheen). Although not garnering the ravest reviews back when it was released, this film written by Dick Wolf has more aspirations for itself than it has been given credit for. As a look at the subculture of mechanics and garages, it is worthy and knowledgeable. And despite being far more predictable as a procedural, arguably lacking in suspense and nerve, you do ultimately care a little bit for Sweeney's character - and perhaps even Sheen's. The former brings the right level of blue-eyedness to his part, and the latter demonstrates that his talent was arguably underrated. The love interest is played by model Lara Harris. Also with R. D. Call as Sheen's rival.
Yes its from the 80s, half of the movies were just as bad during the decade, especially cheesy teen flicks and horror but this movie's not so bad to look at. If the plot happens to be a bomb then I guess the hot Porsches make up for it, they are definitely not to be missed. Some of the chase scenes are downright silly, I mean be real, an old 70's American iron (unless a muscle car) would not keep up with a Porsche, no sir! Anyways, pretty okay 80s flick, slow at times but got to love them Porsches. 6 out 10.
This film is nearly 20 years old, but still rates as one of the best movies I've ever seen.
Following the title sequence which sets the violent scene of car crime which forms the backdrop for this film, Peter Werner opens the film with a fairly protracted scene featuring the central character (22-year-old rookie cop, Benjy) in his home environment. This marks the start of some brilliant characterisation which underpins the whole film, causing the viewer not to perceive that there is a "villain of the piece". As an enviable friendship between Bengy and the police target, suspected ringleader and businessman, Ted Varrick (Charlie Sheen) develops, the viewer yearns to be in ether's shoes, as Ted welcomes Bengy to his world of the "rich and aimless". This envy is part based on the complex hedonistic and idealistic relationships between all the characters that evolves, but ultimately everything relies for its roots on Bengy and Teds crime sprees, something that ultimately must end.
The deterioration is palpable, and when ultimately the reckoning comes, it does so in series of twists that drive the two friends together (something very much cunningly engineered by Ted himself). The end represents a self fulfilling prophesy that left me craving for more, yet knowing there could be no sequel.
The contrast between the pair is very much a focal point, the only commonality being their devotion to their own goals - goals which for Bengy at least become very blurred, as Ted gives him the Porsche and the lifestyle that form the focus of his own existence. The domestic opening scene is a stark contrast for the remote, empty but undeniabley plush and palacial house that Ted "visits" rather than truly lives in, with its stunning view from the hills over the city.
The film is bolstered by some spectacular car chase sequences that are plausible in a way that modern sequences rarely are. They all involve Porsche 911's and if there is ever any incredulity it comes from these sequences only. Could an Oldsmobile ever keep pace with a works Porsche? How could an Iroc Z ever hope to keep up, and if it did, and crashed into the lightweight Porsche, how on earth does it fail to leave a scratch?
Romantic interest is enticingly present as Ted encourages the relationship between Bengy and his own sister Anne (Lara Harris) but it never manages to rival, nor is intended to rival the strength of the bond between Ted and Bengy.
Utterly brilliant for the most part, I've now watched this film 8 times.
Thoroughly recommended.
Following the title sequence which sets the violent scene of car crime which forms the backdrop for this film, Peter Werner opens the film with a fairly protracted scene featuring the central character (22-year-old rookie cop, Benjy) in his home environment. This marks the start of some brilliant characterisation which underpins the whole film, causing the viewer not to perceive that there is a "villain of the piece". As an enviable friendship between Bengy and the police target, suspected ringleader and businessman, Ted Varrick (Charlie Sheen) develops, the viewer yearns to be in ether's shoes, as Ted welcomes Bengy to his world of the "rich and aimless". This envy is part based on the complex hedonistic and idealistic relationships between all the characters that evolves, but ultimately everything relies for its roots on Bengy and Teds crime sprees, something that ultimately must end.
The deterioration is palpable, and when ultimately the reckoning comes, it does so in series of twists that drive the two friends together (something very much cunningly engineered by Ted himself). The end represents a self fulfilling prophesy that left me craving for more, yet knowing there could be no sequel.
The contrast between the pair is very much a focal point, the only commonality being their devotion to their own goals - goals which for Bengy at least become very blurred, as Ted gives him the Porsche and the lifestyle that form the focus of his own existence. The domestic opening scene is a stark contrast for the remote, empty but undeniabley plush and palacial house that Ted "visits" rather than truly lives in, with its stunning view from the hills over the city.
The film is bolstered by some spectacular car chase sequences that are plausible in a way that modern sequences rarely are. They all involve Porsche 911's and if there is ever any incredulity it comes from these sequences only. Could an Oldsmobile ever keep pace with a works Porsche? How could an Iroc Z ever hope to keep up, and if it did, and crashed into the lightweight Porsche, how on earth does it fail to leave a scratch?
Romantic interest is enticingly present as Ted encourages the relationship between Bengy and his own sister Anne (Lara Harris) but it never manages to rival, nor is intended to rival the strength of the bond between Ted and Bengy.
Utterly brilliant for the most part, I've now watched this film 8 times.
Thoroughly recommended.
Did you know
- TriviaBrad Pitt, as a fancy party waiter with a mullet hairdo, can be seen very clearly the second after Charlie Sheen says, "Welcome to the lifestyles of the rich and aimless." He's in the middle of the room and then walks off-screen to the left.
- GoofsAfter the chase between the Porsche and the Camaro, when the Porsche gets banged up pretty bad on the right side and a window is blown out by a shotgun, the Porsche is driven into the chop shop and it doesn't have a scratch on it. In the next scene the right front end of the car is shown and it's a slightly lighter/paler color and appears to have scratches, although it looks more like mud splashes or painted-on damage than scratches.
- Quotes
[the car phone in the Porsche rings]
Benjy Taylor: Hello? No, Rick is not here. Who am I? The guy stealing Rick's car...
- Alternate versionsUK cinema and video versions were cut by 1m 5 secs by the BBFC to remove shots of a car being broken into and hot-wired. The cuts were waived in the 2005 MGM DVD.
- SoundtracksLeave My Heart Alone
Performed by James House
Written by James House, Todd Sharp and Jack Conrad
Published by Ah Rollins/Texascity Music, Ensign Corporation, Cement Chicken Music
Produced by Jack Conrad & James House
- How long is No Man's Land?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $8,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,877,571
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $1,088,273
- Oct 25, 1987
- Gross worldwide
- $2,877,571
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