HOME |  CULT MOVIES | COMPETITIONS | ADVERTISE |  CONTACT US |  ABOUT US
 
 
 
Newest Reviews
American Fiction
Poor Things
Thunderclap
Zeiram
Legend of the Bat
Party Line
Night Fright
Pacha, Le
Kimi
Assemble Insert
Venus Tear Diamond, The
Promare
Beauty's Evil Roses, The
Free Guy
Huck and Tom's Mississippi Adventure
Rejuvenator, The
Who Fears the Devil?
Guignolo, Le
Batman, The
Land of Many Perfumes
Cat vs. Rat
Tom & Jerry: The Movie
Naked Violence
Joyeuses Pacques
Strangeness, The
How I Became a Superhero
Golden Nun
Incident at Phantom Hill
Winterhawk
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
Maigret Sets a Trap
B.N.A.
Hell's Wind Staff, The
Topo Gigio and the Missile War
Battant, Le
Penguin Highway
Cazadore de Demonios
Snatchers
Imperial Swordsman
Foxtrap
   
 
Newest Articles
3 From Arrow Player: Sweet Sugar, Girls Nite Out and Manhattan Baby
Little Cat Feat: Stephen King's Cat's Eye on 4K UHD
La Violence: Dobermann at 25
Serious Comedy: The Wrong Arm of the Law on Blu-ray
DC Showcase: Constantine - The House of Mystery and More on Blu-ray
Monster Fun: Three Monster Tales of Sci-Fi Terror on Blu-ray
State of the 70s: Play for Today Volume 3 on Blu-ray
The Movie Damned: Cursed Films II on Shudder
The Dead of Night: In Cold Blood on Blu-ray
Suave and Sophisticated: The Persuaders! Take 50 on Blu-ray
Your Rules are Really Beginning to Annoy Me: Escape from L.A. on 4K UHD
A Woman's Viewfinder: The Camera is Ours on DVD
Chaplin's Silent Pursuit: Modern Times on Blu-ray
The Ecstasy of Cosmic Boredom: Dark Star on Arrow
A Frosty Reception: South and The Great White Silence on Blu-ray
You'll Never Guess Which is Sammo: Skinny Tiger and Fatty Dragon on Blu-ray
Two Christopher Miles Shorts: The Six-Sided Triangle/Rhythm 'n' Greens on Blu-ray
Not So Permissive: The Lovers! on Blu-ray
Uncomfortable Truths: Three Shorts by Andrea Arnold on MUBI
The Call of Nostalgia: Ghostbusters Afterlife on Blu-ray
Moon Night - Space 1999: Super Space Theater on Blu-ray
Super Sammo: Warriors Two and The Prodigal Son on Blu-ray
Sex vs Violence: In the Realm of the Senses on Blu-ray
What's So Funny About Brit Horror? Vampira and Bloodbath at the House of Death on Arrow
Keeping the Beatles Alive: Get Back
   
 
  Midnight Run Escapology
Year: 1988
Director: Martin Brest
Stars: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano, Richard Foronjy, Robert Miranda, Jack Kehoe, Wendy Phillips, Danielle DuClos, Philip Baker Hall, Tom McCleister, Mary Gillis, Lois Smith, Tracey Walter
Genre: Comedy, Action, ThrillerBuy from Amazon
Rating:  8 (from 2 votes)
Review: Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) is a bounty hunter who is currently trying to break into a hotel room, or he is until part of the door above his head is blasted with a shotgun. Tentatively he peeks through the hole to catch sight of the gunman escaping through the window, and gives chase, ending up running down the fire escape after him. Just as it looks as if he has the felon cornered, the man is floored by a passing car and rival bounty hunter Marvin (John Ashton) steps in to make the capture. Jack is having none of this and knocks out Marvin, taking the prisoner to the nearest police station; he's damn good at his job, but he's about to meet his match in the unassuming guise of Mob embezzler Jonathan Mardukas (Charles Grodin).

When Midnight Run was initially released, it was well received but didn't make too many waves, widely seen as just another eighties buddy movie of which there were a plethora during that decade. However, as time went by and more people caught up with it, whether on video or late night television (the uncensored version, naturally), it gained a higher status than simply yet another disposable on the run thriller: it had won a bona fide cult following. This can be put down to the playing as the odd couple of De Niro and Grodin, while not the most obvious choice (Robin Williams was originally up for Grodin's role), worked like a dream.

Of course, that dream is something of a nightmare for the characters, but nevertheless there's a surprising amount of funny lines, many improvised, to greet the accomodating viewer. When Jack is told of Jonathan by his boss, Eddie (Joe Pantoliano) he thinks this job will be a cinch, and is delighted to be awarded such a lucrative assignment: if all goes well, he should finally be able to retire from the bounty hunting business and set up that restaurant he always wanted, living the quiet life. And for a while it seems as if he has the deal all sewn up as he expertly tracks Jonathan to the New York hideaway he shares with his wife.

On the other hand, once Jack finally has his charge on the plane, he hits the snag that Jonathan has a phobia about flying. Jack doesn't know it, but the fact that they have to leave the aircraft and take the train may have saved both their skins. Why? Because not only are the F.B.I. on their tail (wily Jack has stolen the badge of agent Alonzo Mosely (Yaphet Kotto) mainly because he pissed him off, though it comes in handy too), but the Mafia are as well, planning to kill Jonathan the second he steps off the plane. It doesn't end there, either, as Eddie has lost faith in Jack and sent the bullish Marvin after him for a lower reward, not that Marvin knows that. The stage is set for a road movie.

It's not until late on in the film that you cotton on to how future director George Gallo has fashioned his script with clockwork precision - it really does all tie up with satisfying ease. Placing Grodin into a Robert De Niro thriller is frankly bizarre, but the sparks he generates with the star make them both oddly endearing, whether it's with longsuffering Jack's profanity-laced dialogue ("I got two words for you: shut the fuck up"), or Jonathan's needling and straightlaced personality. Yet Jonathan still remains a curious enigma, even at the end, in that you're never sure of his motives; after all, he stole from the rich (Mafia boss Dennis Farina) to give to the poor, but he's not above lying to get his way. There are action sequences along the journey, but it's the two terrific stars who make the most favourable impression, even if that finale is a little too fairy tale to believe. Music by Danny Elfman.
Reviewer: Graeme Clark

 

This review has been viewed 6574 time(s).

As a member you could Rate this film

 
Review Comments (1)


Untitled 1

Login
  Username:
 
  Password:
 
   
 
Forgotten your details? Enter email address in Username box and click Reminder. Your details will be emailed to you.
   

Latest Poll
Which star probably has psychic powers?
Laurence Fishburne
Nicolas Cage
Anya Taylor-Joy
Patrick Stewart
Sissy Spacek
Michelle Yeoh
Aubrey Plaza
Tom Cruise
Beatrice Dalle
Michael Ironside
   
 
   

Recent Visitors
  Stuart Watmough
Paul Shrimpton
Darren Jones
Mary Sibley
Enoch Sneed
Mark Le Surf-hall
  Louise Hackett
Andrew Pragasam
   

 

Last Updated: