The Park Is Mine (1985 TV Movie)
Implausible, but fairly compelling
24 August 2011
The premise of this movie - a lone ex-soldier unraveling a plan to take over New York's Central Park singlehanded and managing to keep the police at bay over several days - does seem kind of hard to swallow. However, with the way the movie is executed, you'll almost believe it could happen. The movie does have a good amount of merit to it. While it's a mid-'80s Canadian movie, the production values are surprisingly good; this movie obviously had a budget. Tommy Lee Jones gives a fairly commanding performance at the Vietnam vet with a plan, and there are other good performances by Helen Shaver as the curious news reporter, and Yaphet Kotto as a chief police officer (though he's given little to do until near the ending.) Director Steven Hilliard Stern creates some good action sequences and keeps things moving at a rapid rate. Though maybe the movie is a little bit too swift; we hardly learn anything about Jones' character at the beginning, and before the twenty minute mark he's already taken over the park. Some people may be offended that Jones' Vietnam vet character is yet another cinematic Vietnam vet who is a "loser" (unemployed, estranged from his wife, etc.), despite surveys that show that most Vietnam vets in real life are adjusted and happy. But if you can look over this "loser" portrayal, chances are you'll find some enjoyment with this movie.
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