5/10
Very mediocre assassination/conspiracy thriller with a great but wasted cast
1 September 2022
Run-of-the-mill crime thriller resulting in a muddle , so-so flick in which lunkhead Gene Hackman is coerced in recruitment by a mysterious organization bent on politican assasin . Stars a Vietnam War veteran , named Tucker (Gene Hackman) , he is a doltish , chronic underachiever , and a real loser who's imprisoned for murder , along with his colleague Spiventa (Mickey Rooney) . The only thing Tucker to be aware of the Vietnam war was his skill with a rifle . But one day an elegant person (Richard Widmark) visits him in prison, a man he has never seen earlier , and informs him that he can walk out of prison as a free man if he will carry out a perilous assignment , no questions asked about this risked mission . As he is offered his freedom if he accepts to undertake a sinister , risked contract for a shady organization. Trust no one. No one.

An average , predictable thriller stars Gene Hackman as a tough convict sprung from the joint by a government organization to do some dirty work , working as a political assassination , including noisy action , double-crosses , romance and violence , but never have so many been wasted on so little . It is cloaked in mystery , though hardened thriller enthusiasts should have have little trouble in guessing pretty well what's going on. Even the always excellent Gene Hackman as a Viet vet can't do anything playing a confused convict busted out of prison with the intent to kill somebody . Along with Gene Hackman as an inmate Vietnam war appears the attractive Candice Bergen as a lower-middle-class housewife , but both of whom fail to convince on their respective roles . They are accompanied by a distinguished cast , these are following ones : Richard Widmark who contributes the best portrayal as a mysterious contractor , Edward Albert as a violent agent , Eli Wallach as a suspicious General and Michael Rooney offers his customarily pugnacious acting . And brief appearances from Neva Patterson , Majel Barrett, Ken Swofford, Joseph Perry and Jay Novello.

It contains an atmospheric and evocative cinematogaphy by two great cameramen : Fred J. Koenekamp and Ernest Laszlo . As well as thrilling and moving musical score by composer Billy Goldenberg . The motion picture was heavily-handed and regularly directed by Stanley Kramer and lack of intrigue and suspense make it less than it should be . Prestigious producer/director Stanley Kramer was consequently tagged as a "message film maker" and "Hollywood's Conscience" . Among his most popular films are : The pride and the Passion¨, ¨On the beach¨, ¨¨ Judgment at Nuremberg¨, ¨Ship of fools¨, ¨World is mad , mad ,mad¨ . And , of course , being ¨Guess Who's Coming to Dinner¨ his biggest hit ; however , ¨Oklahoma crude¨ and ¨The Domino Principle¨resulted to be flops at box office . The Domino Principle (1977)rating : 5/10 , very average and frustrating movie ; only for Gene Hackman's hardcore fans.
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