This movie started the ball rolling for all future rogue cop movies. Reviewers complaining that "it's all been done" need to shake their head - it's all been done AFTER Bullit was released.
What is surprising is the way it incorporates many small true-to-life touches throughout the movie that do not normally make it onto the screen. (NOT SPOILERS) The quiet way McQueen keeps eating his sandwich despite a withering glare from Vaughn, the way the son of the police captain interrupts his Dad and Vaughn to say that Mom wants to get into the church, the way Bisset suddenly snaps out in fear and anger just like many people in relationships do. None of these make or break the movie - nor are they meant to - but their cumulative impact is refreshing.
Another (almost) true-to-life touch is the car chase - no dramatic music, no overly suspenseful camera work, just a flat out race between two bellowing muscle cars. They even left in the mistakes of missed corners and unplanned impacts with parked vehicles. This wasn't your perfect Hollywood car chase scene, this really was a couple of dumb a**es (the cop and the bad guy) getting caught up in the adrenaline of the moment and thinking that driving too fast would somehow solve their situation.
Simply watch this movie, and you will see how good it is. If, instead, you watch it expecting the biggest most dramatic most earth-shattering breakthrough movie of all time, you immediately destroy the entire concept and only YOU will be responsible for the disappointment.
What is surprising is the way it incorporates many small true-to-life touches throughout the movie that do not normally make it onto the screen. (NOT SPOILERS) The quiet way McQueen keeps eating his sandwich despite a withering glare from Vaughn, the way the son of the police captain interrupts his Dad and Vaughn to say that Mom wants to get into the church, the way Bisset suddenly snaps out in fear and anger just like many people in relationships do. None of these make or break the movie - nor are they meant to - but their cumulative impact is refreshing.
Another (almost) true-to-life touch is the car chase - no dramatic music, no overly suspenseful camera work, just a flat out race between two bellowing muscle cars. They even left in the mistakes of missed corners and unplanned impacts with parked vehicles. This wasn't your perfect Hollywood car chase scene, this really was a couple of dumb a**es (the cop and the bad guy) getting caught up in the adrenaline of the moment and thinking that driving too fast would somehow solve their situation.
Simply watch this movie, and you will see how good it is. If, instead, you watch it expecting the biggest most dramatic most earth-shattering breakthrough movie of all time, you immediately destroy the entire concept and only YOU will be responsible for the disappointment.