Wolff rating: NOT BAD
Plot summary: Real-time movie about a man who is forced by kidnappers holding his daughter to commit murder.
Biased, pithy comments: Badham's other films are some real dogs (``Drop Zone'' being probably the worst, although he did get a hit in ``Stakeout''), so the fact that this movie isn't horrendous is really a sign he's on his way back out of his funk. Unfortunately, the movie has a glossy sheen of unreality all the way through, and the gimmick (filming it in real time, where a minute of screen time equals a minute of time within the film) requires a brutal reality to make it work. What's unrealistic? The motivations of the criminals, mostly, and Walken's creepy way of popping out of nowhere to stop Depp from saving the world. Depp is such a great actor that he disappears completely into the part, and his quiet portrayal does cause one to think about how sick the entire situation is, and how completely amoral---it truly is Sophie's choice.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Johnny Depp, Courtney Chase, Charles Dutton, Christopher Walken, Roma Maffia, Marsha Mason.
Directed by: John Badham