Target (1985) User Reviews

Interesting plot, average entertainment, with an excellent Hackman performance.

[PyrolyticCarbon · 5/10 · 8 November 2004]

I'm a huge Gene Hackman fan and I remembered seeing this film many years ago and thinking it was quite cool, and when I saw the title in the paper again, I thought I would find out how right I was.

Well Hackman is once again excellent. He has such a natural and believable way about him in his roles that I find it hard not to be drawn into his character. He's definitely one of those actors who always plays himself, but it doesn't matter as his ability and style just carry it off without a thought. A truly great actor in my mind.

Matt Dillon is also very good, although his younger trademark look of startled deer is ever present.

The plot itself is a good one, in that Hackman plays Dillons father, a boring and very dull man with an equally dull job, in his sons eyes anyway. What quickly transpires is that he is not the speed limit sticking man that his son first thought, he is actually a ex CIA agent.

This change is done very well, with a short set piece in an airport. With the smallest of physical changes, Hackman flips from average father to confident and action ready agent. You can see it in his manner, and it shows his excellent capability as an actor.

The rest of the movie reveals the story as father and son are pulled deeper and deeper into his life, revealing the true extent of his agent activities. His son quickly realises that this is not the father he knew, and quickly grows from off-handedness to total rejection and then to acceptance again.

It is an interesting movie, and the plot is quite good with some interesting action sequences. Where it fails are some of the other actors and the hectic pace of the movie, it seems as though either in filming or editing that crucial parts of the movie have been missed or removed.

Big shame, but it is still good to watch for a Sunday afternoon movie. I think this may kick off my <i>watch every Gene Hackman movie</i> campaign.

Deserves more credit

[engelst · 7/10 · 26 March 2009]

This movie is often dismissed as just an average Cold War spy flick. But in fact it is quite a bit more than that. It can well hold its own, thanks to the solid direction and first-rate performances by Hackman and Dillon.

These two never disappoint and seem to have had fun working together. They relaxedly fill in all the little character incongruities.

The story is interesting, but could have used much more exact local detail instead of this chain of insipid cutouts from travel brochures. The locals, but also the spies talk and behave like cardboard figures and tend to lessen the atmosphere a little. The same goes for a lot of the locations.

Recommended for fans of Dillon and Hackman, but also for those of you who like a solid spy movie.

Formula but still exciting

[jackreich · 7/10 · 8 December 2006]

OK; it IS a bit trite, but still an edge-of-the-seater nonetheless. Surprises galore to keep your imagination occupied, though thriller buffs will predict most of them. I found that part of the fun: keeping score of how many "surprises" i anticipated. Still, the denouement packs punch and satisfies. Great performances by most of the cast, esp. Hackman, who always has that knack of being 'perfect' for the part, doesn't he? and Damon, very apt in this early role. The art direction is superb, the location shooting very convincing. If you like thrillers/whoodunits you WILL be entertained. I gave it only a 7 because reading Sartre is probably a better use of two hours....

Dear old Dad? MY dear old Dad?!

[Oldsport57 · 16 July 2004]

The performances of Matt Dillon and Gene Hackman brought this film right over the top for me.

Dillon's character grows from being an obnoxious teenager, who sees Dad as an un-hip set of car keys with a hand attached to them, through the astonishing realization that Dad just may be "James Bond".

And Gene Hackman brings his blazing talent to the table, unfolding from a middle-aged, pokey, conservative, 35-mile-an-hour, aw-shucks businessman into a multilingual, multitalented super-spook.

The two interact perfectly! As they face dangers and intrigue together in a wild ride across the globe to save Mom, it is a delight to see them discover and appreciate the depths of each others' characters and become friends and partners.

"Saving Mom", was almost irrelevant!

average thriller

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 18 April 2013]

From 1985: "Target," directed by Arthur Penn, stars Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon as father and son.

"Target" concerns the abduction of Walter Lloyd's (Hackman) wife while she is in France with a tour group. Lloyd understands the implications immediately, but his son Chris (Matt Dillon) doesn't: Someone is after Lloyd, or information in his possession. Father and son leave immediately for Europe to find her. There, Chris learns information about his father that he never knew. And that's all I can say without giving the game away - which, if you've seen a lot of these films, is pretty apparent.

The problem with "Target" is in the beginning of the film, which has a TV-movie feel to it. Plus, despite locations in Paris and Germany later on, the beginning has a cheap feel to it due to the music and credits, not to mention some trite dialogue and the usual "try to get to know your son while I'm away" speech. It's a bad set-up.

Gene Hackman is terrific as Walter, and Matt Dillon is fine as his son. The standout performance, in my opinion, is by the great acting guru and Broadway star Herbert Berghof in a rare film appearance toward the end of the movie. There are some excellent European actors as well, including the Russian actress Viktoriya Fyodorova.

If not for the beginning, which threw me off, this would have been a better film.

Car chases car, boat, person, woolly mammoth, etc.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 21 November 2005]

The first time I saw this, about ten years ago, I thought it was pretty cool. Zippy car chases, nicely staged, up and down stairs in Hamburg, in and out of passageways, and so forth. Three -- count 'em -- three gorgeous women. Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon, a couple of engaging actors. And it had an interesting premise, too. Young man doesn't get along well with his dad, discovers dad was a CIA spy, develops new respect for him.

But I just saw it again, less distracted by the puzzling plot, and it was something of a disappointment. The women are just as gorgeous, Gene Hackman is as good as he almost always is, and the shenanigans with the cars are as exciting, but the rest seems pedestrian, almost amateurishly done -- from the script to the direction.

I'll give you an example of what I mean. Hackman and Dillon are driving on a crowded road outside of Paris. Hackman is driving slowly and Dillon impatiently urges him to speed it up. Hackman, his eyes on the rear-view mirror, says, "We've got company." Then he shifts into a lower gear and the Peugot leaps ahead. "What are you doin'?" Dillon exclaims. "Seeing how good he is," replies Hackman with a slight smile. There follows a high speed chase with cars twirling around on wet sandy roads, through some kind of quarry, and it ends with Hackman confronting the other driver and telling him to quit following him. The chase is fine. But it's pointless. Why is the car chase in the movie anyway? "Seeing how GOOD he is?" That's the reason these lives are put in danger for five hectic minutes? Not to mention the Peugots? That would be a great motive for a car chase in a kiddy cartoon.

The rest of the plot is almost as weak. Matt Dillon's character is a complete irritation for the first third of the movie. He seems to have nothing but contempt for his father, although Hackman doesn't seem to be guilty of much more than losing the kid's jitterbug bass lure. Dillon is always noodging him, the way Captain Ahab was always noodging Moby Dick. The kid is a dumb, self-indulgent slob and Hackman can never do anything right. Well -- that's okay as a proposition, but it's very poorly delivered, and Dillon's character is turned into a strident stereotype. Furthermore, Dillon himself gives an artless and unconvincing performance in a role that maybe nobody could convincingly enact. When Dillon finds out his father, whom he'd thought to be an ineffective stick-in-the-mud, was a spy, he almost begins to weep as he goes through his lines -- "You've been lying to me all this time." Dillon ought to be elated at discovering his Dad's secret identity.

Another curious incident, among so many curious incidents: the evil guys (and man, do they LOOK evil with their black leather coats and their rimless spectacles as thick as Coke bottle bottoms) have kidnapped Hackman's succulent wife, Gale Hunnicutt, because he has information they want him to spill. So the first thing they do when he steps off the plane is try to massacre him in a drive-by shooting? Did I miss something? Why kill someone you need to wring information from?

I won't go on, I guess. It's still an engaging movie if you're seeing it for the first time because you don't know where it's going to turn next. And the location shooting is interesting too, reminding us that in the middle of a chill wintry drizzle even Paris doesn't look so hot, never mind Hamburg. It has other exciting moments that I haven't mentioned. Identities twist themselves inside out unexpectedly. I don't want to get into that and possibly debase the film's chief virtue.

Intelligent spy thriller with obvious ending

[gcd70 · 6/10 · 4 July 2008]

"Target", from writers Howard Berk and Don Petersen, is an intelligent spy thriller that conjures up memories of the best war time efforts, yet never quite gets into enthralling or gripping gears, suffering as it does from a rather obvious conclusion.

Gene Hackman is one of my favourite screen personas, and even though he is not at his best here, he is still good. Matt Dillon's turn is one of his best, Josef Sommer reprises a familiar role while a promising Gayle Hunnicut doesn't get to do enough.

Director Arthur Penn is unable to maximise the potential of this clever premise. Though in some scenes he does well, at times surprising and even thrilling us, "Target" simply lacks a touch of class. Perhaps in other hands (Lumet or Pollack) this could have been something.

Wednesday, October 22, 1997 - Video

Not bad

[m-farrell369 · 7/10 · 12 January 2021]

Seems to have been a big influence on Taken (Liam's movie). Enjoyed it. Certainly worth a watch.

Action packed and funny

[buttons-3 · 5/10 · 18 October 1998]

When Gene Hackman is unmasked by his son, played by Matt Dillon, that he is a former CIA agent he suddenly has a different view of his father. Hackman has to trace down his kidnapped wife and Dillon comes along for the ride. Hackman and Dillon make a good and sometimes funny team as father and son. This movie doesn't seem to be known very well, but it deserves a fair shake just like any other movie. It isn't the best movie in the world, but it isn't the worst movie either. If any one actually gets on this page and reads this comment I suggest they go find this movie to rent and see what I'm talking about.

Dad was a spy?

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 20 September 2019]

For reasons not really explained Gayle Hunnicutt decides to go to Europe on her own, leaving husband and son somewhat at sea. But when Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon get a call from the French Consulate that Hunnicutt has gone missing from her tour group.

Hackman is a middle class conservative person who is rather staid and boring. Among those who see him that way is his son. But Dillon gets the shock of his young life when he finds out that Hackman was in the CIA and that he has been living like he was in witness protection program.

And Hackman hasn't slowed up a bit. He still has the moves and the instincts. But the puzzle is that they're seem to be two groups, one who has the wife and one who wants to kill him. A puzzlement.

Hackman, Hunnicutt, and Dillon cast as a good family unit. They are given good support by the rest of the cast. I think you will figure out early on who is the bad guy.

Nice location cinematography in France and Germany. Pace of the film is also good. You will like it.

Much To Do About Nothing

[whpratt1 · 5/10 · 19 January 2007]

Missed seeing this film over the years as I am a big fan of Gene Hackman, (Walter Llyod/Duke Potter),"Absolute Power", who plays the role as the average husband and wife with a son who is not very close to his father at all. Matt Dillon,(Chris Llyod/Derek Potter),"Loverboy", plays the son and Gayle Hunnicutt(Donna Llyod) "Dream Lover", is the wife who tries her very best to get her Walter to become closer to their son Chris. Donna disappears while she is on a tour in a foreign country and then the story gets quite complicated with lots of guns going off and plenty of car chases and great photograph in Germany and France. This film builds you up as you start getting interested and sort of goes down hill real fast. I like Gene Hackman and that is the only reason I decided to finish seeing this film.

One of my all-time faves

[rbsjrx · 10/10 · 8 December 2006]

I can't add too much that hasn't already been said. A 1985 film, the plot should be familiar to anyone with or without basic cable by now. Where this film shines is in the relationships between the characters and the quality of the acting. Mind you, the plot and action aren't shabby, either, despite some comments here to the contrary.

Perhaps this is merely middle-age fantasy - how many middle aged dads (or moms) haven't had the fantasy of showing their sullen kids how cool they once were and could be again if necessary? I was fortunate not to have any sullen kids (or grandkids), but I've been in this guy's place and I recognized the looks on both faces. (OK, I was never a spy or anything so overtly cool, but I did have my moments.) The point is that there come inevitable times in the relationships between kids and parents when the kids suddenly realize that the old folks may have actually been cool before the kids even knew what cool was all about, and that's the heart of this film.

Contrary to some comments, the plot is quite coherent with only a few holes which I won't elaborate. Some of the carping about plot points I've read here must have come from people lacking in either imagination or comprehension. The action is credible both in its pacing and execution. Not Arthur Penn's best film, but this is as much of an actor's film as a director's film.

The acting is uniformly good, but Hackman holds the center of the film. If he weren't completely believable, the whole effort would fall apart. Matt Dillon gives a very good performance as Hackman's son/foil, but isn't in the same league. The usually reliable Josef Sommer gives a surprisingly weak performance - OK, but not up to his usual work. The late Herbert Berghof (husband of Uta Hagen and co-founder with her of the eponymously named HB acting studio) gives a master class in his portrayal of a truly sympathetic, tortured soul - not much screen time, but a real gem. Another standout is Viktoriya Fyodorova, who offers some of the films most poignant scenes as Hackman's love-who-might-have-been, who devotes herself to helping him and his son find his kidnapped wife.

Highly recommended, but it won't really resonate with the kids...

A so-so action thriller.

[Hey_Sweden · 6/10 · 2 November 2020]

A husband / father (Gene Hackman) and his estranged son (Matt Dillon) team up during an eventful trip to Europe. The wife / mom (Gayle Hunnicutt) has disappeared during a solo vacation, and they're determined to find out what has happened and why. They must dodge attempts on their lives as they work to solve this mystery.

A large part of the problem is a not-so-hot script, with its fair share of bad lines. "Don't get funny, get good." But it improves as it progresses, with a stronger second half, and some decent action sequences. (The third and final teaming of Hackman and filmmaker Arthur Penn, after "Bonnie & Clyde" and "Night Moves", certainly promised something more special than this.) Particularly effective are scenes with Hackman and the antagonist once they are revealed. It turns out, they don't have an unsympathetic motivation. Still, the twists here are plenty predictable, which works against whatever fun factor that Penn is able to generate.

Making the difference are the international settings (Germany, France) and the location usage, as well as a typically fine performance by Hackman. The star once again demonstrates his ability to be consistently engaging, whether playing a hero or villain. He and Dillon may not be the most believable father-son duo ever assembled for the movies, but they work together well enough. The supporting cast is just fine, although it must be said that Hunnicutt, as the victim who sets the plot in motion, is by nature of her role largely wasted. Providing able support are character actors Josef Sommer ("Witness"), Guy Boyd ("Body Double"), Herbert Berghof ("Cleopatra"), in his final film role, and Richard Munch ("Patton"), as well as an enchanting Viktoriya Fyodorova as Hackmans' old comrade; she and he do have good moments together.

One can do better than this if they're looking for an intrigue-thriller, but it's certainly not a total waste of time, either.

Six out of 10.

Mommy is a booby-trap - Weird cross-genre effort

[manuel-pestalozzi · 5/10 · 25 May 2007]

This movie is a family drama and a spy thriller at the same time. It is also a comedy that makes some fun of both genres, although I am not sure if that is intentional.

The acting and the direction are quite good, the screenplay and maybe the editing less so. I suppose the main error is the decision to tell the story from the father's and the son's perspective alternatively. I think it would have been much better and thrilling to tell it from the son's entirely (but in that case maybe it would have been impossible to use a big star in the father's role). The viewers become aware of the father's double-identity much earlier than the son in an incident at the airport that is unexpected, weird, outlandish and laughable. I really did not understand what was going on. The effect of surprise was thus given away pretty cheaply. I also think that the whole plot did not really make much sense – including the long dewiring of the human bomb mother at the end. Too much remains unexplained.

But on the whole this is nevertheless a quite atmospheric movie with beautiful locations in Paris, France and Germany. The highlight is a chase sequence through the town of Hamburg which involves a small red Fiat car, a Mercedes taxicab and a small, spluttering three-wheel vehicle. Hackman jumps into a canal and Dillon drives the Fiat up some pretty steep flights of stairs. So I do not think I wasted my time entirely.

To any viewer interested in Hackman playing a dad, I can highly recommend the movie Class Action in which a brilliant Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio plays his daughter.

A favorite for many years. Gem. Spoilers.

[prunky · 21 October 2002]

What I like about Target, is its lack of contrivances. I thought it might be a credible portrayal of real characters. Yes, if I were a CIA agent wanting to forget my past life, I'd create one 180 degrees opposite. If I had a dad as boring as that, I'd also find it hard to relate. There aren't a lot of conventional thrill/action situations here, its emotional and psychological, and most of it works very well. I personally like the fact the violence is minimal in this film, but there is enough to keep you chilled. The cocky kid who 'knows' better than dad, resolves his feelings and relationship in the end while growing up, may not be fully developed, but I got the idea.

The script was penned with 3 writers, no wonder some of the storyline may stray. But I liked the clear relationships between Hackman and Dillon and found them likeable and believable, never mind the mother gets lost somewhere.

To compare this to a film in a similar genre, I'd go with Harrison Ford in Frantic, not the Eiger Sanction?!. I also want to complement Penn (or whoever is responsible) for using native speaking French and Russian actors, I get very irritated when productions in foreign countries use American actors with SO fake accents. Native tongue productions always convey a verite/credible feel.

Target

[Scarecrow-88 · 6/10 · 24 November 2007]

Ex-CIA agent, now operating a hardware business in Dallas, Texas, Walter Lloyd(Gene Hackman) finds that his wife Donna(Gayle Hunnicutt)has been kidnapped during her trip in Paris and must find her. Estranged son Chris(Matt Dillon)insists on joining him as they help keep each other stay alive in the midst of gunmen, working for mysterious sources,trying to kill them. His former partner Taber(Josef Sommer), now the head CIA man in Paris seems only too willing to help an old pal out. Clay(Guy Boyd)is Taber's right hand man trying to find out who would wish to kidnap Donna. The film follows Walter and Chris on their Euro journey often escaping certain peril in some rousing action sequences and near-death escapes. The one responsible for kidnapping Donna might be seeking revenge towards Walter for a CIA operation titled "Operation:Clean Sweep" which led to a family being slaughtered of one Cold War target that got away.

Popcorn espionage thriller following Hackman and Dillon I thought was entertaining even if I didn't believe what the plot was selling for a minute. Syrupy bonding sequences between Hackman and Dillon just don't seem to work. Hackman, always the versatile actor, plays the role of hero with ease. The climax when it's revealed who was really behind the slaughter of a family..the one Hackman's Walter is being held accountable for..doesn't hold up well. I do not think the one responsible for such an act, carried out the way it was, would make himself look so guilty at such an inopportune time. Crackerjack bomb-diffusing sequence at the end is quite suspenseful, though.

Target misses the bull's-eye

[LCShackley · 6/10 · 8 December 2007]

I'm a sucker for espionage movies filmed on location in Europe, so I was positively inclined toward this film, which I had never heard of before it cropped up on cable this week. I'm not sure how I missed it back in 1985, because I'm a Hackman fan and usually like movies of this type.

This is an OK film, but not a great one. The locations are superb, and there are enough car chases to keep guys like me happy. The basic idea of the film (family of man with secret past must pay for his actions) is all right, too, but it plays out in a rather clunky way. (The story, by the way, was written by Leonard Stern, the executive producer of the GET SMART TV show, and the co-inventor of "Mad Libs".)

Hackman is the best part of the picture. Josef Sommer is also good, but is basically playing the same role he played in WITNESS (also in 1985). He could phone in a part like this. What drags this movie down is the thoroughly annoying Matt Dillon subplot. I'm not sure if it's just Dillon the actor that bothers me, or his character. The screenwriters try to turn this film into a family drama, where the father is reconciled to his son while they search for the kidnapped mother. But the son is SO stupid and annoying, that if I were Gene Hackman, I'd let the KGB put Dillon in a cement overcoat and toss him in the Baltic. IMHO, this would have been a better film with Hackman searching by himself (along with his former lover, perhaps, who is a more interesting character than Dillon).

The closing climactic scene drags on WAY too long. The tension is gone long before it's over, and the fade-out shot of the cuddly family is trite. (If you think about it, they're still in a LOT of trouble at that point, probably more than an hour before!) A much better film with a similar plot (and good locations) is the Harrison Ford vehicle FRANTIC. For spy fans, TARGET is worth watching once, but won't bear repeating.

Gene Hackman's acting was phenomenal

[jordondave-28085 · 7/10 · 11 May 2023]

(1985) Target ACTION MYSTERY THRILLER

Directed by Arthur Penn who doesn't really know how to direct an action nor a suspense thriller. Anyone thinking that "Taken" was the first movie to have the idea about "oh, I didn't know that you used to work for the CIA" should check this movie as well, since I think this was the first to have to done that except that "Taken" was much more enjoyable. Luc Besson may have seen this movie and inspired him to make his own without making it complicated. The set up has both father and son played by Matt Dillon and Gene Hackman seeing their mom/ wife off for a business trip somewhere in Paris. They then get a phone call saying that she has just been kidnapped. They both then decide to find the mother together. What Dillon didn't know was that the Gene Hackman character used to work for the CIA, and at first didn't really believe him. Although, this is more of a directors movie, it's similar to his other film called "Little Big Man" saying that this direction is much effective in a critically acclaimed Arthur Penn movie such as "Bonnie And Clyde" but not to a kidnapping film which demands 'suspense' because as viewers are watching this it's like drama then a little suspense and then more drama and then thriller and then more drama etc... The acting chops particularly the Gene Hackman character is what keeps this movie afloat, and interesting to watch despite the twists. Overall, it can still be a forgettable watch.

missing that something keeping it from being a goodmovie

[goya-4 · 4/10 · 21 September 2000]

Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon star in this suspense thriller about a dad (former CIA and son who hunt for their kidnapped wife/mother..only problem is that this movie is neither suspenseful or thrilling... it just doesn't hold your interest..on a scale of one to ten..4

Uneven Spy thriller with passable action scenes and poorly written

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 27 October 2019]

The Lloyd are the ordinary middle class American family beset by normality and dullness. Young son Chris' feelings that his daddy is a materialist, staid cop-out. But a great surprise waits for young Chris, Matt Dillon, as his mother, Gayle Hunnicutt - who married David Hemmins-, is abducted in Paris, as, nowadays, someone is out to settle an old score against Hackman, seeking vengeance . It results to be that years ago his father, Gene Hackman, was a CIA agent. They travel to Paris and later Berlin where both of them are welcomed with a lot of distresses and dangers. As father and son dodge bullets, take on glamorous enemies and double-agents in their hunt for the kidnapped mother. As several international organisations out to destroy them as they are welcomed by hails of bullets, routine chases, explosions and all kind of mysteries.

A regular foray into the world international espionage dealing with father-son relationship and paced in fits and starts. This is a spy thriller with noisy action, crossfire, pursuits, and emotion that sets in similar style to any run-of-the-mill Spy movies of the Sixties when this genre was in its splendor. Poor and routine plot, and middlingly scripted by Howard Berk, as well as too long. Even here, though, it does not dig deep enough. An average thriller, to be sure, but far less intelligent and ambitious than most Arthur Penn's films. Gene Hackman gives a good acting, as usual, as ordinary dad and husband who slips into a figurative phone booth and emerges as a former Cia agent when his better half is missing. Being well accompanied by a very young newcomer Matt Dillon and a decent support cast as Gayle Hunnicutt, Guy Boyd and Joseph Sommer.

It packs an anticlimatic and lousy musical score by Michael Small. And atmospheric cinematography by the prestigious French cameraman Jean Tournier, but a perfect remastering being really necessary. The motion picture was regularly directed by Arthur Penn. Disappointing to find a filmmaker of Penn's standing and category associated with a movie that arranges its monotonous pursuits, shots and blowing ups well enough, but is otherwise strictly for buffs of the two main actors. Arthur was a good Hollywood director who got a lot of hits. His first film was The left-handed gun, a Billy the Kid biography starred by Paul Newman. He directed all kinds of genres as drama, Thriller, Western, and mystery, such as : The chase with Marlon Brando , Mickey one, Miracle of Anna Sullivan, Little big man, Missouri, Alice restaurant, Giorgia, Night moves and Death of Winter . His greatest film was Bonnie and Clyde.He also directed for TV , as he made Flesh and Blood and episodes of TV Playhouse and TV playwright. Rating 5. 5/10. Mediocre. The movie will appeal to Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon fans.

Totally enjoyed

[grubbyjeans-1 · 8/10 · 27 December 2006]

I've read the comments about this movie and agree with many; however, I don't watch movies as a critic. I watch movies for enjoyment. Many reviewers commented on weaknesses in plot, or acting, or directing and while I share some of them, I'll offer what I tell my wife frequently when she observes a "hole" in a movie: "It's a movie". It isn't real life; the plot doesn't HAVE to be perfect. The movie DOES have to be enjoyable and I have thoroughly enjoyed this movie every time I've viewed it. I like the plot, I like the acting, and I'm a huge fan of Gene Hackman. His character offers probably my favorite line of all time: "If I see you again, I won't see you again".

Just enjoy the movie and don't get so bent up over the small stuff.

competent thriller but Chris annoys me

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 24 February 2015]

Walter Lloyd (Gene Hackman) runs a Dallas lumber company. His son Chris (Matt Dillon) repairs stock cars and doesn't get along with him. His wife Donna travels to Paris but she goes missing. Father and son go off to look for her. Soon the stodgy businessman Walter turns into a man of action without Chris' knowledge. Walter is approached by two gun men with Donna's jewelry but he turns the table on them. He used to work for the CIA and reconnects with an old college Barney Taber (Josef Sommer). Chris saves his father from another gun attack and he finally comes clean to his son.

Matt Dillon is overplaying the bratty know-it-all rebellious teenager role. He overplays everything by a little like when he is first told. Hackman is more of the lead and he's very solid. It's a worthwhile watch for Hackman fans. It goes to lesser seen location like Germany. It's a competent spy action thriller but Matt Dillon's character keeps annoying me with his arrogant ignorance. He's being shot at, his father is a secret spy, his mother is kidnapped and he's still chasing tail.

Misses the bullseye

[Geofbob · 24 August 2001]

The concentration on character and family values in Arthur Penn's spy thriller ought to make it a better, more intelligent movie, but somehow it doesn't work. Gene Hackman is an ex-CIA spy who's been "in from the cold" for 15 years. But now his wife has been kidnapped in Paris, and he has to get back into top gear in order to retrieve her. He also has to tell the truth about his past to his 18 year old son (Matt Dillon), who hitherto has thought his dad as much a man of action as Mr Magoo. There are all the contrivances we expect in this genre of film - repeated attempts on Hackman's life; car chases; femmes fatales; CIA agents who might be working for the other side; etc, etc. But little tension is developed, and first the recriminations and then the bonding between Hackman and Dillon simply slow the action down. I found the climax a tad ludicrous, but by that time didn't care much.

Slooooowwww

[clintonwest-40523 · 3/10 · 26 February 2022]

Despite lots of running around and car chases nothing much happens here. Hackman and Arthur Penn's talents are wasted. Dillon never had much to begin with.

Too boring to work as a thriller

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 5 November 2016]

This thriller sees former spy Gene Hackman running around Paris, meeting various contacts and battling a rather nasty enemy in the form of a man with glasses who doesn't think twice about bumping off those who stand in his way. This has some fairly tense and exciting moments but it's let down by a plodding running time and, towards the end of the film, in the last half an hour, nothing really happens. The plot falls apart and the sense of pacing which filled the first half of the film evaporates, instead boredom sets in.

Hackman is as good as he ever was, a real tough guy and charismatic too. Matt Dillon is well cast as his unlikely son who finds himself caught up in all sorts of espionage and intrigue. The rest of the people are minor characters who are quite forgettable, especially the villains who get far too little screen time and aren't really that threatening anyway. There are a couple of good car chases, explosions and some nice action bits but overall this film is a missed opportunity - for a good Paris-based thriller try either THE FRENCH CONNECTION II or RONIN, which do tend to make better use of scenery and help to emphasise Paris' claustrophobic architecture.