Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Panic In The City; here's the breakdown of my ratings:
Story: 1.25 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.00 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.25
TOTAL: 5.75 out of 10.00
Okay, people, set those tongues firmly in your cheeks and enjoy this slice of Boys-Own Adventure. It's Mother Russia versus Uncle Sam, and I don't mean Boys Vs Girls - we're back in the time of the cold war.
What struck me as unusual was how in-depth the writers went with their fictitious plans. I'm not saying that Eddie Davis (who also directs) and Charles Savage get the theory of atomic fusion correct - I'm not a rocket scientist, so I wouldn't know. But what they do give the viewer is a logical and credible story. For example, in the opening scenes, we watch a man staggering down streets while another follows close behind: When the man collapses in the street, his tail rifles through his pockets. The next thing we witness is a police car pulling over, and the man's rushed to the hospital. Most writers wouldn't think to have the tailer lift the injured man's identity. It's a small thing, but the pleasure is in the details. And the writers keep those tiny specifics coming. It places the story above your average cold-war thriller, making it more enjoyable. One downside is the characterisations - The men are strong and capable - The women need the men. It's a pity as one of the leads is a female doctor. However, the writers fail to imbue her personality with the traits a woman required in the 1960s to claw and climb her way up to the head of her chosen field. She should be strong, confident, resilient, and driven. Sadly, Dr Paula Stevens is none of these. As such, she becomes a slight non-entity, a piece of eye candy to fall for the dashing hero, Dave Pomeroy. Another letdown was the panic. Apart from a select few, nobody else knows they should be trying to get the hell out of dodge. It probably came down to budgetary issues, but there is a distinct lack of people losing their heads. And that is sad because it would have added a greater emotive power to the narrative and extra interest for the audience.
For the most part, the direction is your standard point and shoot, though Davis slips in a few nice pans and camera angles. These stop the film from becoming too uninteresting. The average cinematography allows the cast's talents to shine through, and it's them and the story that held my attention best.
The cast is excellent, especially Howard Duff and Nehemiah Persoff, who play the juxtaposed agents, pitted against one another. Duff is the perfect hero - strong-jawed and rugged. Persoff is the ideal combatant - driven, ominous, ambitious, and galvanized. As I said before, it's a shame the female characters weren't a tad stronger: I would have loved to see Linda Cristal in a robust role. Dr Stevens is similar to Victoria Cannon, whom she portrayed in The High Chapperal - the woman of the piece.
I would happily recommend Panic In The City for a Sunday Morning or Afternoon viewing. It's one of those entertaining flicks you don't need to think about much - Not because it's silly but rather because it's pretty complete and enjoyable. So if you prefer your cold-war thrillers in a 60s Boys-Own Adventure style, or you're a chauvinist, then Panic is a film for you. At least for one watch.
So before the big bad bomb goes boom, please visit my Killer Thriller Chillers, The Game Is Afoot, and The Final Frontier lists to see where I ranked Panic In The City.
Take Care & Stay Well.
Story: 1.25 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.00 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.25
TOTAL: 5.75 out of 10.00
Okay, people, set those tongues firmly in your cheeks and enjoy this slice of Boys-Own Adventure. It's Mother Russia versus Uncle Sam, and I don't mean Boys Vs Girls - we're back in the time of the cold war.
What struck me as unusual was how in-depth the writers went with their fictitious plans. I'm not saying that Eddie Davis (who also directs) and Charles Savage get the theory of atomic fusion correct - I'm not a rocket scientist, so I wouldn't know. But what they do give the viewer is a logical and credible story. For example, in the opening scenes, we watch a man staggering down streets while another follows close behind: When the man collapses in the street, his tail rifles through his pockets. The next thing we witness is a police car pulling over, and the man's rushed to the hospital. Most writers wouldn't think to have the tailer lift the injured man's identity. It's a small thing, but the pleasure is in the details. And the writers keep those tiny specifics coming. It places the story above your average cold-war thriller, making it more enjoyable. One downside is the characterisations - The men are strong and capable - The women need the men. It's a pity as one of the leads is a female doctor. However, the writers fail to imbue her personality with the traits a woman required in the 1960s to claw and climb her way up to the head of her chosen field. She should be strong, confident, resilient, and driven. Sadly, Dr Paula Stevens is none of these. As such, she becomes a slight non-entity, a piece of eye candy to fall for the dashing hero, Dave Pomeroy. Another letdown was the panic. Apart from a select few, nobody else knows they should be trying to get the hell out of dodge. It probably came down to budgetary issues, but there is a distinct lack of people losing their heads. And that is sad because it would have added a greater emotive power to the narrative and extra interest for the audience.
For the most part, the direction is your standard point and shoot, though Davis slips in a few nice pans and camera angles. These stop the film from becoming too uninteresting. The average cinematography allows the cast's talents to shine through, and it's them and the story that held my attention best.
The cast is excellent, especially Howard Duff and Nehemiah Persoff, who play the juxtaposed agents, pitted against one another. Duff is the perfect hero - strong-jawed and rugged. Persoff is the ideal combatant - driven, ominous, ambitious, and galvanized. As I said before, it's a shame the female characters weren't a tad stronger: I would have loved to see Linda Cristal in a robust role. Dr Stevens is similar to Victoria Cannon, whom she portrayed in The High Chapperal - the woman of the piece.
I would happily recommend Panic In The City for a Sunday Morning or Afternoon viewing. It's one of those entertaining flicks you don't need to think about much - Not because it's silly but rather because it's pretty complete and enjoyable. So if you prefer your cold-war thrillers in a 60s Boys-Own Adventure style, or you're a chauvinist, then Panic is a film for you. At least for one watch.
So before the big bad bomb goes boom, please visit my Killer Thriller Chillers, The Game Is Afoot, and The Final Frontier lists to see where I ranked Panic In The City.
Take Care & Stay Well.