Popcorn is the word that most describes this action-comedy movie from Joseph Reuben, the man who directed other standard fare like SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, TRUE BELIEVER, THE STEPFATHER, DREAMSCAPE, and most recently, a notorious bomb called THE FORGOTTEN.
So let's see how I can dive into this pool without hitting a hard surface. This is a "buddy-movie" in which two uber-American guys of very different temperaments and backgrounds share a bond that goes beyond anything they might go through. One of the two is by default a loose cannon and drives the plot with his antics. There may be some tension when a corrupt high official threatens the loose cannon. Add a sexy new co-worker into the mix (which becomes the focus of their intense, male attraction) and basically you have a story that has been of late the norm in the Hollywood popcorn machine.
Now, trying to cash in (I believe, I could be wrong) on their previous outing WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP, Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes play not buddies from the 'hood but foster 'brothas' (if we can believe this baby) who are closer than a cuticle is to a finger even though Snipes has to act as older brother to a rebellious and unpredictable Harrelson: and on that note, neither is miscast. Snipes does convey steel while Harrelson gives off his just-under-the-surface danger, especially when he grins at smarmy boss Robert Blake in one subway scene.
Pitching in for the Latina female is Jennifer Lopez who, without being as angry and nasal and in-your-face as Rosie Perez, actually manages to be engaging though this is early in her career, before she decided to punch out and play her (bland) self once she became the trademark known as J. Lo. She all but steals her own pat scenes, especially in one tense exchange she has with Chris Cooper playing a not-so-nice fellow who pushes people onto subway platforms, a reality among New York strap-hangers.
But trying to over-analyze this film in terms of shots and composition and visual technicality would be like trying to compare one grain of popcorn to the next: there would be no difference, no relevance in taste, texture, and all that is left to do is munch down. That the action scenes on the subway platforms (for anyone who is actually acquainted with riding the subways in New York City) are as implausible as ever and only convey the type of hyper-masculinized action that makes superheroes of its actors, but who really cares? It's fluff, entertaining, mindless, inane, and that's just what people going to see this type of film expect.
So let's see how I can dive into this pool without hitting a hard surface. This is a "buddy-movie" in which two uber-American guys of very different temperaments and backgrounds share a bond that goes beyond anything they might go through. One of the two is by default a loose cannon and drives the plot with his antics. There may be some tension when a corrupt high official threatens the loose cannon. Add a sexy new co-worker into the mix (which becomes the focus of their intense, male attraction) and basically you have a story that has been of late the norm in the Hollywood popcorn machine.
Now, trying to cash in (I believe, I could be wrong) on their previous outing WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP, Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes play not buddies from the 'hood but foster 'brothas' (if we can believe this baby) who are closer than a cuticle is to a finger even though Snipes has to act as older brother to a rebellious and unpredictable Harrelson: and on that note, neither is miscast. Snipes does convey steel while Harrelson gives off his just-under-the-surface danger, especially when he grins at smarmy boss Robert Blake in one subway scene.
Pitching in for the Latina female is Jennifer Lopez who, without being as angry and nasal and in-your-face as Rosie Perez, actually manages to be engaging though this is early in her career, before she decided to punch out and play her (bland) self once she became the trademark known as J. Lo. She all but steals her own pat scenes, especially in one tense exchange she has with Chris Cooper playing a not-so-nice fellow who pushes people onto subway platforms, a reality among New York strap-hangers.
But trying to over-analyze this film in terms of shots and composition and visual technicality would be like trying to compare one grain of popcorn to the next: there would be no difference, no relevance in taste, texture, and all that is left to do is munch down. That the action scenes on the subway platforms (for anyone who is actually acquainted with riding the subways in New York City) are as implausible as ever and only convey the type of hyper-masculinized action that makes superheroes of its actors, but who really cares? It's fluff, entertaining, mindless, inane, and that's just what people going to see this type of film expect.