mjohncoady
Joined Jul 2004
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mjohncoady's rating
The general plot is outlined in another comment so we can forgo that here. Let's just say that it is not Tom Hank's best effort but that is probably not his fault.
The premise stretches the limits of credulity. While this is not uncommon in this genre, I found myself unable to "suspend disbelief" for more than 4 or 5 minutes in a stretch. Hank's character teaches himself English from a book shoplifted from Borders (in a single evening, it would appear). The Homeland Security supervisor is unable to interest any agency in holding him and apparently his own department has no such facilities either. The airport in which Hanks finds himself stranded is JFK but all the people are surprisingly friendly, cordial, and respectful of others (remember the taxicab dispatcher in Sleepless in Seattle? "Why don't you get a little farther from the curb, mack?". Now that's New York). And so on.
My biggest complaint, though, is the length. With a running time of over two hours, it became tedious. The director could have made it both better and shorter by eliminating the pointless romance that went nowhere and benefited neither party.
The premise stretches the limits of credulity. While this is not uncommon in this genre, I found myself unable to "suspend disbelief" for more than 4 or 5 minutes in a stretch. Hank's character teaches himself English from a book shoplifted from Borders (in a single evening, it would appear). The Homeland Security supervisor is unable to interest any agency in holding him and apparently his own department has no such facilities either. The airport in which Hanks finds himself stranded is JFK but all the people are surprisingly friendly, cordial, and respectful of others (remember the taxicab dispatcher in Sleepless in Seattle? "Why don't you get a little farther from the curb, mack?". Now that's New York). And so on.
My biggest complaint, though, is the length. With a running time of over two hours, it became tedious. The director could have made it both better and shorter by eliminating the pointless romance that went nowhere and benefited neither party.
A nice departure from the mainstream, "good guys wear white hats", product typical of the genre. First released in the 1970's, the movie followed in the experimental trend of the day begun with the "Spaghetti Westerns" starring Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, etc.
Both the protagonist and antagonist are throwbacks to an earlier time. Charlton Heston is somewhat dismayed and bewildered by the technological changes thrust upon him while James Coburn's character simply disregards them. The two men become locked in an ego battle that disregards all those around them except to the extent others are useful in pursuing their own personal goals. Both characters are incredible "hard men", physically, mentally, and emotionally and this aspect of their personalities plays out in single-minded, intense violence and cruelty.
The plot is nothing new, however. Coburn plays an escaped convict bent on avenging himself against Heston, the lawman who captured him. Coburn manipulates a gang of mostly dimwitted but dangerous criminals who kidnap Heston's daughter. Heston then chases them across hill and dale in an attempt to save her.
Both the protagonist and antagonist are throwbacks to an earlier time. Charlton Heston is somewhat dismayed and bewildered by the technological changes thrust upon him while James Coburn's character simply disregards them. The two men become locked in an ego battle that disregards all those around them except to the extent others are useful in pursuing their own personal goals. Both characters are incredible "hard men", physically, mentally, and emotionally and this aspect of their personalities plays out in single-minded, intense violence and cruelty.
The plot is nothing new, however. Coburn plays an escaped convict bent on avenging himself against Heston, the lawman who captured him. Coburn manipulates a gang of mostly dimwitted but dangerous criminals who kidnap Heston's daughter. Heston then chases them across hill and dale in an attempt to save her.