Movies-TV

Predictable and long-winded

The events of a good cop trying to prove his innocence are totally predictable and long-winded. In the end the good guys (Jackson and Spacey) obviously "win", but it doesn't get very clear what the whole fuzz was really about. The bad guys suddenly appear to be some "stormtroopers" who come out of nowhere and the genius behind it all is an old man, who potters around in the movie, having nothing useful to do.

An action/thriller picture with real drama

Danny Roman (SAMUEL L. JACKSON) is the best hostage negotiator on the Chicago police force and one day is framed for embezzlement and murder. Newly married and unjustly faced with prison, Roman turns hostage-taker to smoke out the guilty ones. Squaring off against him is respected, methodical negotiator Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey). Under siege and racing the clock, the two lock in a deadly battle of wits. As Beck and his team move into position around Danny's 20th floor barricade and the FBI arrives ready to take over the operation, Sabian races against time to diffuse the potentially explosive situation before Danny and his hostages are injured or possibly killed. The performances is spectacular I've always thoroughly enjoyed Samuel L. Jackson's performances ("Pulp Fiction," "Die Hard With A Vengeance") and while this isn't his best film to date, it's still quite good simply because of the actors behind it. Jackson always manages to easily portray bottled intensity that's ready to pop that look he can get in his eyes is a killer and such a characteristic perfectly fits this character. And than it´s Kevin Spacey ("The Usual Suspects," "L.A. Confidential") easily slips into his character and is completely believable in his role. Audiences always love characters who are completely in control, and Spacey makes the audience believe he's the only man for the job. With compelling performances, a mostly decent script and superb suspense inducing direction by F. Gary Gray make this a good movie to watch.

Do Cops Really Talk Like That?

I found this to be a trenchant, generally fast-moving policier, with two standout lead performances by Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey, ably supported by a large cast. For something this well-performed and cleverly written, I generally give full thumbs-up, but I have to say that I found the language to be too harsh. The distinction comes up because of the degree of professionalism Spacey's Chris brings to the proceedings when he first shows up, clearly delineating the need for clear, calm thinking. Now, it is true that many of the other characters have sincere motivation to make things as emotionally distraught and confusing as possible, but I'm not sure that having them repeatedly insert the F-word into their expostulations really needed to be the mechanism for this. Perhaps it substitutes in today's film culture for actual subplots, designed to divert the protagonists from achieving their ends? Not sure, but gotta say, I would have enjoyed this film far more if the use of profanity had been more judicious.

this is one of samuel l. jackson,and kevin spacey's best

samuel l. jackson is one of my favorite actors along with al pacino,robert deniro,bruce willis,antonio bandares etc.., and kevin spacey is also an excellent actor especially in l.a. confidential.anyway this was an excellent thriller.its an irresistable mix of action,suspense,and a slight bit of comedy.***

dtc#1

Buy It !

This movie is was a Thriller all the way, from the begining to the end. Samuel L Jackson's best rolle ever ! He's an negotiator, that's get framed for the murder on he's partner by other Cops from he's presinct ! He takes hostages, one of them is a "suspect" for the frame ! Then all hell breaks loose ! Picture & Sound is great !

BUY ! So simple.

Excellent Cast Pulls Movie Together

Spoilers Within.This highly enjoyable movie has two of the biggest names in Hollywood these days, Kevin Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson. Both deliver, and as a result, the movie is an entertaining, high suspense thrill ride.While the styles of Spacey and Jackson are noticeably different, this only serves to accentuate the difference between their roles in the movie and definately adds to the overall quality of the movie. The plot of the movie, while seeming shallow at first, actually has a fair amount of depth. There is the inner turmoil of Jackson's character, the inner turmoil of Spacey's character (whether or not to spare Jackson), and then there is the backstabbing of the FBI and the police to Spaceys character in his quest to resolve the situation peacefully.The other real highlight of the plot is the change of Kevin Spacey's character. In the beginning, he is just brought in by Jackson to be used to get a good deal out of the negotiations. However, as the movie progresses, the police turn on one of their own and Spacey joins Jackson in his quest against police corruption.The movie is filled to the brim with suspense and excitement, as the audience never knows what the mind of the unstable Jackson will do next in his quest. Fans of the genre should adore this movie, while many others can probably appreciate what it has to offer.Rating: 4 out of 5

All the worst characteristics of big-budget action thrillers

What a total waste of good talent. Both stars, Spacey and Jackson, are good actors, but oh, what a stinker of a story, overblown beyond any semblance of reality. Commit about 3 dozen felonies to prove your innocence of a false charge, and it all turns out OK (after blowing up a building) in the end.Yeah, right.Only the stereotypes and cliches are more abundant than the breaking glass, gunshots, fires, and explosions.

Superior mystery thriller

Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey are both excellent as two police negotiators in this tense, well acted, action thriller.The plot takes off quickly as does the action as Danny Roman (Jackson) is framed for a crime, and he suspects someone on the inside, a fellow officer, is responsible. He takes over an office and several hostages at gunpoint in an effort to get his story out, and demands negotiations with Chris Sabian (Spacey). Roman embarks on a risky poker game, utilizing his negotiator experience, knowing what moves his counterpart will be forced to make.The search for the truth Roman embarks on develops quickly, with plenty of chess game tactics with Sabian, while unknown mole(s) presumably are making moves on the sly as well. Paul Giametti, Siobhan Fallon and J.T. Walsh are the hostages hanging by a thread, caught in the middle between Roman and special unit forces being held at bay only by the negotiations. David Morse has a strong role as one of the cops who might blow Roman away at any moment.A few minor clichés and plot holes are evident, such as unrealistic police tactics. Also, one scene has Roman playing a bluff which is easy to recognize; Sabian not seeing through it is an unlikely scenario. However, the story is strong enough to allow the poetic license necessary. The mystery unravels at just the right pace to maintain the suspense and intrigue. The entire cast bring realism and urgency to their respective characters, many of whom have important back stories.A fine, well thought out movie, that moves quickly and involves you to the end.

The Negotiator

Someone is embezzling money from the police department, and when Danny Roman is accused of the deed, he ends up taking several hostages within the department when things escalate and get out of hand. Danny has lost confidence in everyone in his own department, so he requests hostage negotiator Chris Sabian to help negotiate, and help prove his innocence. As the situation gets to a critical level, pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place. This is a very intense emotional suspense movie. Samuel Jackson and Kevin Spacey turn in phenomenal performances. This thrill a minute film is a definite must see.

The Fugitive in a room

Good film with an excellent cast which, though not as intricately plotted as the superb L.A. Confidential, still manages to deliver enough surprises and whodunnit action to maintain interest. As it contains a fairly expansive cast of police, FBI etc you never really know who's doing what until the end. Several characters seem very much intwined in the conspiracy and framing of Jackson yet are innocent while others, neither obvious nor covertly involved, become prime suspects. The pacing is just about right as it's not a straight shoot-em-up and tension is maintained right through. All in all good to watch on TV, though I doubt I'd go to the cinema to see it.

A Great Movie

Man this was a great movie! Spine tingling action throughout the whole movie ! The film was NOT predictable as some others had said, and the acting and writing are superb. I highly recommend this film, which is much more clever than "The Rock".

Sapcey and Jackson at their best

This film is one of the most intelligent action movies that I have ever seen. The plot twists are intriuging, and not as shallow as the average film in the genre. The story is very origional, and the cast have characters that aren't the normal "skin deep/sterotypical" overblown, testosterone filled heroes. Each has definite flaws, which adds flavor and dynamics to the picture as a whole. This is a movie all involved can be proud of!

Great Film

Samuel Jackson and Kevin Spacey turn two distinct yet strong performances. Jackson is always great to watch for his intensity, and this role suits that to a tee. Spacey continues to impress with a solid and believable performance. This film and its settings/supporting cast are *slightly* dated by today's standards, but the two main actors and the good story more than make up for it. Highly worthwile.

Sweet Talk

Screened on late-night TV recently this one kept me watching til the small hours. The writers tip their glove by naming the protagonist Danny Roman and then SHOWING him to be the 'noblest Roman of them all' but I can live with that late at night. It adheres to classic formulae in that it begins by catching Roman at work - he's a highly skilled hostage negotiator - and showing us just how good and well respected he is and then taking it to the next level by having him framed not only for the murder of his partner but also of embezzling from the police pension fund. Unable to get anybody to agree with his contention that he is innocent he resorts to taking hostages of his own - something he is more than equipped to do via his specialized knowledge - and then demanding a second negotiator, the equally skilled Chris Sabien, be seconded to the Case. What we have is a mixture of Talk and Action, a Cat-and-Mouse game and a Mystery to be solved and actors of the calibre of Kevin Spacey and Samuel T Jackson who between them elevate a fairly pedestrian script to a higher level. Well worth watching.

Two Thumbs WAY Up!!!

This movie is a definite MUST SEE. Sam Jackson and Kevin Spacey gave excellent performances--as did Paul Giamatti. Not only was this movie full of action and suspense, but the plot and ending were both exceptional as well.

Rusty and not Spacys best

I think this movie is ok but there are a lot of thing in this movie that I would change over again. This movie is flat and would have passed it up.

Excellent actors, brilliant twist!

The acting was faultless. It was great to see that J.T. Walsh was still giving his finest up to the last. OK, so Kevin Spacey is my favourite actor, but I still think I'm objective enough to say that his timing was faultless. The comedic piece with his wife and daughter had me laughing out loud, as I could see my family there in a few years time! Samuel L Jackson is, as always, wonderful. The way he portrayed an honest man willing to go to any lengths to prove his innocence was great. these two should work together again! The other scene that will stay with me is the faces of the cops outside the house. But the best part for me, with all the tremendous acting aside, was the outstanding twist at the end. I never saw it coming. Kevin Spacey deserves the romantic lead he's looking for; if he can act action hero he can do anything!!

Fantastic Film

Anyone who says this film is not good must be crazy! The Negotiator has the complete package intelligence, love, anger,comedy,suspense and action. An absolute terrific film which as well as having all the characteristics to make a classic, it has the cast to match. Samuel L Jackson at his best playing the role as Danny Roman, a negotiator with nothing to lose but all to prove. Kevin Spacey shows a strong side of his acting ability and is terrific in the role of Chris Sabien, another negotiator who has the sole interest of getting the truth!. The film is full of so many twists and turns that makes it one of the best thrillers ever!!! GUARANTEE...THIS FILM WILL NOT DISAPPOINT!!!

Interesting and entertaining but flawed

This is a movie I thoroughly enjoy to watch. One of the reasons being the brilliant acting, I am of course talking about Samuel L. Jackson and the great Kevin Spacey in particular. One thing is also for certain, F. Gary Gray has improved more as a director than I thought possible after watching the extremely boring "Friday". Not that Gray had much material to work with on that movie (no offense to Ice Cube though). I don't know if he had much to work with in this movie either. The script isn't the most original script ever written, even if the idea of a negotiator negotiating with a negotiator is pretty brilliant. But as viewers we can pretty much see where the movie is going from the first frame. I think we can be grateful, though, that the original ending that Spacey talked about in an interview in Empire ("the evidence in a locker and 150 cops all pointing guns at each other") didn't happen.In spite of everything said above: I really like this movie because it is interesting, engrossing, exciting, and it has characters that I really cared about. Not to mention the acting and the great music...

Excellent Movie!

This is a movie that you will enjoy. The lead actors in this movie are outstanding. Kevin Spacey and Samuel Jackson are
outstanding in the respective roles. Jackson is falsely accused of pilfering police funds. He decides to take hostages at the police station. Spacey is brought in the negotiate the release of the hostages. From here on the movie never lets up. Jackson
escapes with the help of Spacey and proceeds to capture the real bad guys. This is an exciting movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Jackson and Spacey are both outstanding actors who literally make the movie. Buy this and watch it. You will not be dissapointed.