While I was channel surfing one uneventful Tuesday Evening, I came upon this Pierce Brosnan actioner. Since their was really nothing else on, I decided to give it a try. I was not disappionted. Brosnan plays Danny O'Neal, an easily aggrivated FBI Bomb Squad agent who is assigned to protect a sleazy Senator (Ron Silver). The Senator is being threatened by a group of revenge driven terrorists who have invented a liqued explosive that caused people to explode when ingested. I know, that sound kinda cheesy, but the movie pulls it off nicely. The character tension and the invigorating action sequences make this a cool film.
35 Reviews
Great movie, lots of action, unique twist on a tried and true formula!
Daryl179 November 2001
If you are a Pierce Brosnan fan, you must see this. This movie allows you to see Pierce Brosnan play a character that is not so James Bondian. The cast is great, and the story is the typical "hero saves the day" type. Unlike most terrorist type movies, the writers cleverly chose a weapon of destruction that is atypical and unique. I highly recommend this movie for action, good story, good characters, and entertainment in general. Not your run-of-the-mill action movie.
oddly enjoyable
Cross1830 July 1999
I came upon this film while channel surfing on an uneventful Tuesday evening. Being that I am both a fan of Pierce Brosnan and action movies, I gave it a chance. And let me tell you, I was not disappionted. Pierce portrays Danny O'Neil, a temperamental FBI bomb squad agent. O'Neil must protect a Senator from a group of terrorists who have invented a kind of liquid explosives that destroy the victims from the inside out. I know, the premise does sound kinda cheesy, but the film itself is quite entertaining. With plot twist (the Senator had an affair with O'Neil's wife) and invigorating action sequences, I would recommend this film to anybody.
The very definition of good-dumb fun
wellthatswhatithinkanyway20 January 2004
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs
Danny O'Neill (Pierce Brosnan) is a bomb disposal expert.He's your typical cynical,hard-bitten good guy type,chewing on a cigar and uttering hard-edged one liners.Not only that,he's got the typical good guy set up.His young daughter's been killed in a tragic swimming pool accident,he's getting stick from his superiors for his unorthodox approach to his job and his wife Terry (Lisa Eilbacher) has left him and has started seeing smarmy senator Frank Traveres (Ron Silver).His life is about to get a whole lot worse,though,when a nasty piece of work by the name of Mikhail Rashid (Ben Cross) and his sidekick Al-red (Tony Plana) start putting explosive devices in the drinking water of politicians and eventually get plans to start targeting the rest of society as well.
In an action role he was to take on a few years before his debut as Bond,Brosnan manages the tough,swaggering good guy role reasonably well,as effective and convincing as he needed to be.Cross can always be relied on to deliver the goods in terms of presence as a good guy or bad guy respectively,but here his part is very poorly written and not given much meat to chew on at all.It's with the action that the film comes alive though,with one or two rollicking good sequences that you will have to see to believe.It certainly ain't with said performances or even the story which,by the end,is stewing so deeply in it's own preposterousness you can practically hear it gurgling.
But,hey,if it wasn't so silly,maybe it wouldn't have been such fun.That,and a surprisingly and ultimately pleasantly compact running time make Live Wire a genuine piece of no-brainer entertainment to savour.
Sit back,switch your brain off and enjoy.****
Danny O'Neill (Pierce Brosnan) is a bomb disposal expert.He's your typical cynical,hard-bitten good guy type,chewing on a cigar and uttering hard-edged one liners.Not only that,he's got the typical good guy set up.His young daughter's been killed in a tragic swimming pool accident,he's getting stick from his superiors for his unorthodox approach to his job and his wife Terry (Lisa Eilbacher) has left him and has started seeing smarmy senator Frank Traveres (Ron Silver).His life is about to get a whole lot worse,though,when a nasty piece of work by the name of Mikhail Rashid (Ben Cross) and his sidekick Al-red (Tony Plana) start putting explosive devices in the drinking water of politicians and eventually get plans to start targeting the rest of society as well.
In an action role he was to take on a few years before his debut as Bond,Brosnan manages the tough,swaggering good guy role reasonably well,as effective and convincing as he needed to be.Cross can always be relied on to deliver the goods in terms of presence as a good guy or bad guy respectively,but here his part is very poorly written and not given much meat to chew on at all.It's with the action that the film comes alive though,with one or two rollicking good sequences that you will have to see to believe.It certainly ain't with said performances or even the story which,by the end,is stewing so deeply in it's own preposterousness you can practically hear it gurgling.
But,hey,if it wasn't so silly,maybe it wouldn't have been such fun.That,and a surprisingly and ultimately pleasantly compact running time make Live Wire a genuine piece of no-brainer entertainment to savour.
Sit back,switch your brain off and enjoy.****
Which color do you like -- the red or the green?
rmax30482327 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Action/thriller about Pierce Brosnan as a troubled but wisecracking FBI explosive expert. There's really nothing much new here, but what you see is pretty well done. It's just another professional genre piece.
There is the corrupt senator (Ron Silver) who's made a fortune from a crooked arms deal. There is the freelance explosive artist (Ben Cross) who has learned how to make an explosive substance out of something that looks, acts, and tastes like water until it is activated by stomach acid, when it throws the victim into fits and turns him into a monster bomb. (!) The senator has been making love to Brosnan's wife, which causes Brosnan to drink too much, but they get together at the end, and there is an African-American sidekick who manages to analyze the explosive water, and when Brosnan is cornered by the evildoers in the senator's kitchen he saves himself by making bombs out of ordinary household substances like Vaseline, acetone, alcohol, arugela, salt, pepper, and a touch of marjoram, and -- well, you can guess the rest. It's interesting to watch a human drink a glass of water, fall into an epileptiform seizure, burst his eyeballs with blood, and blow up, leaving only bits and pieces of flesh and shards of bone behind to mark his passing.
Pierce Brosnan is a lightweight actor but a likable one. If Ron Silver were more intense he'd be a black hole. Ben Cross is the kind of villain who -- well, here's a scene. Cross is hurrying through his laboratories and the man who invented the secret explosive is scuttling along beside him, reminding Cross that he hasn't been paid yet. Cross says something like, "Yes, you're right. I owe you." Then he borrows a pen to write a check and, instead, stabs the natterer to death right through the apricot. Near the end, another henchman is stupid enough to claim he's done his job and is leaving now. Right. Cross plugs him in the back. There's no reason for any of this, except to provide a few more colorful deaths, as if there weren't enough.
You might find it satisfying if you're in the mood, but I doubt you'll be surprised at much that happens.
There is the corrupt senator (Ron Silver) who's made a fortune from a crooked arms deal. There is the freelance explosive artist (Ben Cross) who has learned how to make an explosive substance out of something that looks, acts, and tastes like water until it is activated by stomach acid, when it throws the victim into fits and turns him into a monster bomb. (!) The senator has been making love to Brosnan's wife, which causes Brosnan to drink too much, but they get together at the end, and there is an African-American sidekick who manages to analyze the explosive water, and when Brosnan is cornered by the evildoers in the senator's kitchen he saves himself by making bombs out of ordinary household substances like Vaseline, acetone, alcohol, arugela, salt, pepper, and a touch of marjoram, and -- well, you can guess the rest. It's interesting to watch a human drink a glass of water, fall into an epileptiform seizure, burst his eyeballs with blood, and blow up, leaving only bits and pieces of flesh and shards of bone behind to mark his passing.
Pierce Brosnan is a lightweight actor but a likable one. If Ron Silver were more intense he'd be a black hole. Ben Cross is the kind of villain who -- well, here's a scene. Cross is hurrying through his laboratories and the man who invented the secret explosive is scuttling along beside him, reminding Cross that he hasn't been paid yet. Cross says something like, "Yes, you're right. I owe you." Then he borrows a pen to write a check and, instead, stabs the natterer to death right through the apricot. Near the end, another henchman is stupid enough to claim he's done his job and is leaving now. Right. Cross plugs him in the back. There's no reason for any of this, except to provide a few more colorful deaths, as if there weren't enough.
You might find it satisfying if you're in the mood, but I doubt you'll be surprised at much that happens.
Not too bad for a low-budget movie...
snowshoe56032 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This was one of Pierce Brosnan's earlier outings as Danny O'Neal, an explosives expert with the FBI. When two U.S. Senators are assassinated by a bomber, Brosnan and his partner are stumped: Where are the pieces of the bomb? Where is the trigger?
I saw this the first time on one of the pay channels not long after it was released, mostly because Lisa Eilbacher (whom I've had a crush on since forever) was in the cast. I liked this movie because I was intrigued by the plot. How were they making bombs out of PEOPLE, for God's sake?
Good performances by Ben Cross and Brosnan as the bad guy and the hero, respectively. Ron Silver is also slimy as ever as a crooked senator, and Lisa Eilbacher rounds out the cast as Brosnan and Silver's love interest (did I mention that I'm nuts about her?).
So, if you're looking for a way to kill 90 minutes or so without having to work too hard at following the plot rent this. I found this again in the cheap section at the local rental store. It was well worth the $1.00 rental price.
I saw this the first time on one of the pay channels not long after it was released, mostly because Lisa Eilbacher (whom I've had a crush on since forever) was in the cast. I liked this movie because I was intrigued by the plot. How were they making bombs out of PEOPLE, for God's sake?
Good performances by Ben Cross and Brosnan as the bad guy and the hero, respectively. Ron Silver is also slimy as ever as a crooked senator, and Lisa Eilbacher rounds out the cast as Brosnan and Silver's love interest (did I mention that I'm nuts about her?).
So, if you're looking for a way to kill 90 minutes or so without having to work too hard at following the plot rent this. I found this again in the cheap section at the local rental store. It was well worth the $1.00 rental price.
Who blew up a senator without leaving a trace? Can the emotionally damaged hero identify the killers and their secret before someone else dies?
NickMeron17 October 2005
Another film with several good elements that manages to fail, chiefly because of weaknesses in the story.
Good cast in Pierce Brosnan and Ben Cross -- they must have needed the money to take the job.
A key "science fiction" element is not really believable, but this is a Hollywood thriller, so if you accept it, you could enjoy the story.
There are many good one-liners, and the interactions between the protagonists and various minor characters are believable and entertaining. The pace is reasonable, and some degree of suspense is maintained, with some stock "thriller" elements.
Brosnan's character and his personal problems are well developed and make him sympathetic, and he plays his part well.
The film is also mercifully short.
BUT -- two major holes in the story killed it for me: 1. A political background (the reason the story is happening) is mentioned, but not really explained in terms of motives. Two minutes dialog could have filled in the holes and added a lot in terms of believability.
2. The villain's character is not developed at all. What motivates him (other than money?) Ben Cross does what he can with a lousy script (not much). And his name, Mikhail Rashid (I think never actually mentioned in the film - a Tatar father and Russian mother) seems intended to exploit negative racist stereotypes (Russian = corrupt mafiosi; Arabic name = terrorist). He seems like a cartoon, Bond-esquire villain without the glitz. With Ben Cross, they could have written a complex, nuanced, even sympathetic villain, and this would have improved the story immensely.
I gave this 5 out of 10 -- not painfully repulsive, but there are better ways to spend your time.
Good cast in Pierce Brosnan and Ben Cross -- they must have needed the money to take the job.
A key "science fiction" element is not really believable, but this is a Hollywood thriller, so if you accept it, you could enjoy the story.
There are many good one-liners, and the interactions between the protagonists and various minor characters are believable and entertaining. The pace is reasonable, and some degree of suspense is maintained, with some stock "thriller" elements.
Brosnan's character and his personal problems are well developed and make him sympathetic, and he plays his part well.
The film is also mercifully short.
BUT -- two major holes in the story killed it for me: 1. A political background (the reason the story is happening) is mentioned, but not really explained in terms of motives. Two minutes dialog could have filled in the holes and added a lot in terms of believability.
2. The villain's character is not developed at all. What motivates him (other than money?) Ben Cross does what he can with a lousy script (not much). And his name, Mikhail Rashid (I think never actually mentioned in the film - a Tatar father and Russian mother) seems intended to exploit negative racist stereotypes (Russian = corrupt mafiosi; Arabic name = terrorist). He seems like a cartoon, Bond-esquire villain without the glitz. With Ben Cross, they could have written a complex, nuanced, even sympathetic villain, and this would have improved the story immensely.
I gave this 5 out of 10 -- not painfully repulsive, but there are better ways to spend your time.
Brosnan and Cross playing fire with fire
Rodrigo_Amaro28 December 2012
This film can only be misjudged these days. "Live Wire" comes from a time when coming up with the most showy ideas and putting into a movie were something fun for our eyes to see and for audiences enjoy it as if it was the coolest thing ever created. And it has Pierce Brosnan a little before Bond, already showing up some skills when it comes to be a great action hero and a sexy ladies man.
He plays Danny O'Neill, a bomb disposal expert with lots of trouble to deal (which includes the alleged love affair his wife is having with a Senator) when a maniac (Ben Cross) decides to eliminate political targets by using a liquid explosive that is practically invisible to eyes. And one of the targets is...the Senator (played by Ron Silver). I haven't said much but I guess you already can form scenes, situations, establish connections and see how this is going to end. Ridiculously predictable to make you feel sick.
The biggest achievement of "Live Wire" is seeing the use of the invisible explosive that is easily ingested and later causes a lot of damages and deaths. It doesn't end without some shock, very similar to a heart-attack, then the eyes start to get read and boom! The courtroom scene is terrifying, just to give an example.
It's fun to watch. The cast is good, they are suitable and comfortable in their roles and they save the script of being a whole mess. Speaking of the script, this had one of the worst plot holes ever presented on screen that even a kid can easily detect: the fighting between Danny and Tony Plana's character in the fountain scene. How come such writer comes up in developing such a tense moment with these two fighting, alternately drowning each other in the explosive water but only one pays the price and blow up to pieces? How does one expect to get away with this?
With all those obstacles this manages to be thrilling, funny (specially the robot trained to find bombs who has a crush on Brosnan's character or the whole city knowing about the infidelities of his wife) and there's reasonable action sequences. Highpoint of the movie: the duel in the house where Pierce has the chance to demonstrate he knows everything about bombs, improvising explosive devices to kill the bad guys.
Goofy, relatively dumb but who cares, this is good. Don't take it too seriously and you'll see what's so good about it. 7/10
He plays Danny O'Neill, a bomb disposal expert with lots of trouble to deal (which includes the alleged love affair his wife is having with a Senator) when a maniac (Ben Cross) decides to eliminate political targets by using a liquid explosive that is practically invisible to eyes. And one of the targets is...the Senator (played by Ron Silver). I haven't said much but I guess you already can form scenes, situations, establish connections and see how this is going to end. Ridiculously predictable to make you feel sick.
The biggest achievement of "Live Wire" is seeing the use of the invisible explosive that is easily ingested and later causes a lot of damages and deaths. It doesn't end without some shock, very similar to a heart-attack, then the eyes start to get read and boom! The courtroom scene is terrifying, just to give an example.
It's fun to watch. The cast is good, they are suitable and comfortable in their roles and they save the script of being a whole mess. Speaking of the script, this had one of the worst plot holes ever presented on screen that even a kid can easily detect: the fighting between Danny and Tony Plana's character in the fountain scene. How come such writer comes up in developing such a tense moment with these two fighting, alternately drowning each other in the explosive water but only one pays the price and blow up to pieces? How does one expect to get away with this?
With all those obstacles this manages to be thrilling, funny (specially the robot trained to find bombs who has a crush on Brosnan's character or the whole city knowing about the infidelities of his wife) and there's reasonable action sequences. Highpoint of the movie: the duel in the house where Pierce has the chance to demonstrate he knows everything about bombs, improvising explosive devices to kill the bad guys.
Goofy, relatively dumb but who cares, this is good. Don't take it too seriously and you'll see what's so good about it. 7/10
As formulaic as they came back in 1992
gregsrants7 December 2003
There was a simple recipe in the late 1980's early 1990's for the common action film:
Take one part flawed hero (preferably divorced, a heavy smoker and drinker), Mix in their defiance for authority figures, Add one part tragic family history (the loss of a child works best), Add corrupt politicians, Stir with mix of gratuitous violence set to a heavy electric guitar musical score, And serve with plenty of one-liners preferably after a death or tense moment has passed.
1992's Live Wire follows this recipe to the exact measurements. Pierce Bronson plays Danny O'Neill, a member of the FBI bomb squad that stumbles on a plot consisting of corrupt Senators and a new form of explosive that is in the form of drinking water - when mixed with acidity of the human stomach, one becomes a walking time bomb that even the strongest Alka-Seltzer wouldn't cure.
Danny has had a rough year. His only daughter died in a swimming pool accident, his wife left him (for a Senator no less didn't see that coming!), and now he works his job uttering such unique catchphrases as Man, I love Mondays'. But when Danny is assigned to a job of investigating a rash of murdered politicians where no triggering device is evident in the debris, Danny soon fears for his wife's safety, and thus his extra incentive to bring the bad guys to justice. Yawn.
Live Wire is helmed by perennial television director Christian Duguay (Million Dollar Babies, Joan of Arc), and it is the advice of this reviewer that he stick to that forum. And its not that the premise of this movie is so awful, its actually the opposite. I was intrigued of the notion of bodies being used as bombers, but Duguay does not seem to know where to take the story or characters outside of the normal formulaic routine. He doesn't even try. Thrown into the mix are Ron Silver (Timecop, Blue Steel), and Ben Cross (Chariots of Fire) who just waste time and are less interesting than the robot they use to assess bomb threats.
It would have been interesting to see what the movie could have been in the hands of a more seasoned or focused director. As bad as Live Wire was, it was still better than other films released in the same decade like Tango & Cash or Raw Deal.
I would tell you how the film ends, but I would not want to ruin the surprise. I will leave you wondering if our hero will get back with his wife once he exposes the Senator, whether anyone will fall from a great height onto a sharp object or wait for it if the final bomb will be defused in the nick of time!
Finally, one postscript. At the beginning of the film, we read that last decade 3,600 lives were taken due to terrorist acts around the world, but due to American's stable political system, the U.S. has been safe until now. Somehow in this post 9/11 world, I bet Christian Duguay would want that one back for a re-write.
Take one part flawed hero (preferably divorced, a heavy smoker and drinker), Mix in their defiance for authority figures, Add one part tragic family history (the loss of a child works best), Add corrupt politicians, Stir with mix of gratuitous violence set to a heavy electric guitar musical score, And serve with plenty of one-liners preferably after a death or tense moment has passed.
1992's Live Wire follows this recipe to the exact measurements. Pierce Bronson plays Danny O'Neill, a member of the FBI bomb squad that stumbles on a plot consisting of corrupt Senators and a new form of explosive that is in the form of drinking water - when mixed with acidity of the human stomach, one becomes a walking time bomb that even the strongest Alka-Seltzer wouldn't cure.
Danny has had a rough year. His only daughter died in a swimming pool accident, his wife left him (for a Senator no less didn't see that coming!), and now he works his job uttering such unique catchphrases as Man, I love Mondays'. But when Danny is assigned to a job of investigating a rash of murdered politicians where no triggering device is evident in the debris, Danny soon fears for his wife's safety, and thus his extra incentive to bring the bad guys to justice. Yawn.
Live Wire is helmed by perennial television director Christian Duguay (Million Dollar Babies, Joan of Arc), and it is the advice of this reviewer that he stick to that forum. And its not that the premise of this movie is so awful, its actually the opposite. I was intrigued of the notion of bodies being used as bombers, but Duguay does not seem to know where to take the story or characters outside of the normal formulaic routine. He doesn't even try. Thrown into the mix are Ron Silver (Timecop, Blue Steel), and Ben Cross (Chariots of Fire) who just waste time and are less interesting than the robot they use to assess bomb threats.
It would have been interesting to see what the movie could have been in the hands of a more seasoned or focused director. As bad as Live Wire was, it was still better than other films released in the same decade like Tango & Cash or Raw Deal.
I would tell you how the film ends, but I would not want to ruin the surprise. I will leave you wondering if our hero will get back with his wife once he exposes the Senator, whether anyone will fall from a great height onto a sharp object or wait for it if the final bomb will be defused in the nick of time!
Finally, one postscript. At the beginning of the film, we read that last decade 3,600 lives were taken due to terrorist acts around the world, but due to American's stable political system, the U.S. has been safe until now. Somehow in this post 9/11 world, I bet Christian Duguay would want that one back for a re-write.
Ron Silver gets his due
lastliberal14 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I do not like Ron Silver. I don't like his politics and I don't like his characters. When he gets it, I am happy. This movie made me very happy for two reasons: he has the absolutely worst haircut in the world, so I get to laugh at him throughout, and he gets his just desserts.
He plays a sleazy Senator who is on the take and screwing with Danny O'Neill's (Pierce Brosnan) wife (Lisa Eilbacher). O'Neill is an FBI agent specializing in bombs. Not a great job by Brosnan, but the bomb in the film is one of the best parts as it is an original and gruesome device.
Did I mention that Silver gets what's coming to him? Yes!
He plays a sleazy Senator who is on the take and screwing with Danny O'Neill's (Pierce Brosnan) wife (Lisa Eilbacher). O'Neill is an FBI agent specializing in bombs. Not a great job by Brosnan, but the bomb in the film is one of the best parts as it is an original and gruesome device.
Did I mention that Silver gets what's coming to him? Yes!
vegetable lasagna
jasonaaronfort6 May 2018
Remember when Elaine on Seinfield called the bland guy vegetable lasagna? Well this is the vegetable lasagna of action movies. Not bad, not good. Bronson's character is an explosive expert, not James Bond. However, he can do anything and everything while crying about his feelings for his ex. Watch a Bond movie instead.
One of my favorite movies!
Speed_Demon21 August 2005
I don't want to give anything away of the content of the movie, so all I can say: I just love Pierce performance in it, the melody of the main theme, also the story of Pierce' character. Additionally, the movie is very suspenseful most of the time. I can understand why people find it's not such a good movie. Personally, 'though I know it's not the best movie ever made, I love it.
If you ask me: Give it a try! I don't think you will regret having watched it, and maybe you'll even like as much as I and some other people do.
Luckily, a DVD has been released some time ago. The DVD quality is quite good, and luckily both full and widescreen versions are included. For 4:3 TVs, I'd recommend to watch the fullscreen version as you can see more at the top and bottom.
If you ask me: Give it a try! I don't think you will regret having watched it, and maybe you'll even like as much as I and some other people do.
Luckily, a DVD has been released some time ago. The DVD quality is quite good, and luckily both full and widescreen versions are included. For 4:3 TVs, I'd recommend to watch the fullscreen version as you can see more at the top and bottom.
Intriguing and tense movie full of suspense from the beginning to the end
ma-cortes7 December 2022
Good and attractive film plenty of tension , action and entertainment . This well-paced picture is packed with twisted events , tension , hectic intrigue and the suspense is maintained throughout . Over the last decade more than 3.600 lives worldwide have been lost as a direct act of terrorism . Nearly every country on the globe , has its share of political kidnappings , hijackings , and firebombings , with one notable exception.. the Unites States of America. Due to a stable political system and the difficulty of smuggling easily detectable incendiary devices into the country . The USA has been relatively safe...until now. Lockerbie , Scotland Pan-Am Flight 103 , 270 killed . Beirut , Lebanon US Embassy 241 killed . Mediterranean Sea , Achille Lauro , 400 hostages. After a US senator is killed, a Bomb Disposal Expert called Danny O'Neill : Pierce Brosnan is brought in to investigate the deadly explosive and must uncover the terrorists plan. He is up against a terrorist psychopath : Ben Cross who has his greedy hands on a new type of explosive and his target results to be the U. S. Senators . Brosnan as specialist assigned to a case acts with the finesse of an expert bomb disposal and he is on the trail of a skilful arsonist . Your body is 93% water... no one is safe ! . A weapon more explosive than nitro... more deadly than napalm... and only one man can stop it ! . Water isn't always safe !.
Decent and workmanlike film based on a thrilling but flawed script . This is an exciting film packing thrills , chills , noisy action , and a twisted intrigue . Here the gimmick is a peculiar bomb developed by cruel terrorists , it is a liquid , undetectable , looks as innocent as a glass of water and is capable of blowing up Washington D. C. This "invisible" liquid explosive is really dangerous , being activated within the human body . It has some splendid incendiary special effects and blow up . But then there's that plot , B-movie hokum about a mysterious arsonist exploding and torching strategic congressmen and senators of the USA. There are some perfectly mounted set-ups for a somewhat efficient payoff . It's not some huge cinematic masterpiece , but it has suspense enough and great effects . Writer Bart Baker lumbers the plot with unnecessary complications and observations , as the ambitious senator who's having an affair with Danny's wife. The film's intrigue snowballs toward a surprising final . Straight-forward interpretations from most of the cast in spite of the weak storyline . Stands out Pierce Brosnan, giving a sympathetic performance, as usual . Being finely accompanied by a fine cast with plenty of familiar faces , such as : Lisa Eilbacher , Tony Plana , Al Waxman , Brent Jennings , Philip Baker Hall , Clement von Franckenstein, Norman Burton, Michael St. Gerard and special mention for Ben Cross who steals the show as an ominous villain who'll stop at nothing , at whatever cost , to get his purports.
The motion picture was compellingly directed by Christian Duguay, though it has some flaws , gaps and failures . Chistian's smoothly persuasive direction attracted reception by the public and was a success enough at the box office . Christian Duguay was born in 1957 in Outremont, Québec, Canada . Frequently casts Donald Sutherland and he is former husband of Liliana Komorowska . He is a director and assistant director, known for Scanners II and III , Human trafficking (2005), Art of war (2000) , Extreme Ops , Boot Camp , Rouge Brésil (2012) . Furthermore , he has directed various historical TV series , such as : The Medici , Joan of Arc , Pío XII , San Agustín , Anna Karenina , Coco Chanel , Guillermo Tell and Hitler: The Rise of Evil , among others . Rating : 6/10 . Well worth seeing for Pierce Brosnan fans .
Decent and workmanlike film based on a thrilling but flawed script . This is an exciting film packing thrills , chills , noisy action , and a twisted intrigue . Here the gimmick is a peculiar bomb developed by cruel terrorists , it is a liquid , undetectable , looks as innocent as a glass of water and is capable of blowing up Washington D. C. This "invisible" liquid explosive is really dangerous , being activated within the human body . It has some splendid incendiary special effects and blow up . But then there's that plot , B-movie hokum about a mysterious arsonist exploding and torching strategic congressmen and senators of the USA. There are some perfectly mounted set-ups for a somewhat efficient payoff . It's not some huge cinematic masterpiece , but it has suspense enough and great effects . Writer Bart Baker lumbers the plot with unnecessary complications and observations , as the ambitious senator who's having an affair with Danny's wife. The film's intrigue snowballs toward a surprising final . Straight-forward interpretations from most of the cast in spite of the weak storyline . Stands out Pierce Brosnan, giving a sympathetic performance, as usual . Being finely accompanied by a fine cast with plenty of familiar faces , such as : Lisa Eilbacher , Tony Plana , Al Waxman , Brent Jennings , Philip Baker Hall , Clement von Franckenstein, Norman Burton, Michael St. Gerard and special mention for Ben Cross who steals the show as an ominous villain who'll stop at nothing , at whatever cost , to get his purports.
The motion picture was compellingly directed by Christian Duguay, though it has some flaws , gaps and failures . Chistian's smoothly persuasive direction attracted reception by the public and was a success enough at the box office . Christian Duguay was born in 1957 in Outremont, Québec, Canada . Frequently casts Donald Sutherland and he is former husband of Liliana Komorowska . He is a director and assistant director, known for Scanners II and III , Human trafficking (2005), Art of war (2000) , Extreme Ops , Boot Camp , Rouge Brésil (2012) . Furthermore , he has directed various historical TV series , such as : The Medici , Joan of Arc , Pío XII , San Agustín , Anna Karenina , Coco Chanel , Guillermo Tell and Hitler: The Rise of Evil , among others . Rating : 6/10 . Well worth seeing for Pierce Brosnan fans .
Predictable filler thriller with some exotic deaths
Leofwine_draca17 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This silly thriller has a pre-Bond Pierce Brosnan having a battle of wits with a deranged terrorist who has devised an unlikely bomb, in water, which reacts with stomach acid and causes people to explode. This is a pretty bad film, coming across as a weak thriller with a few horror elements combined, but it may be worth watching just for the unusual premise and the fact that you get to see lots of explosions and people on fire - a somewhat morbid fascination for the producers of this film.
This is a film which never, not for one instant, engages the emotions. From start to finish we never get to care about any of the characters. Brosnan is a disappointment here, going through the thing on autopilot and uttering a few curses here and there when things go wrong. Ben Cross has to be one of the weakest bad guys I've seen in a film for a long time, and as for being threatening...you'd be better off watching one of the pros like Alan Rickman to see how it should be done. Ron Silver is wasted in a nothing role, and the only interesting thing about him is his death (he falls from a building and gets impaled on some railings - ouch!).
The best bits of this film are the various moments where people explode. Typically some poor fool is usually standing at the edge of the explosion when this happens and gets ignited, so it's pretty sadistic. The victims also have their skin split open and their eyeballs fill with blood, so the gross-out factor is played for all it's worth. Not bad at all...otherwise, this is strictly predictable fare.
This is a film which never, not for one instant, engages the emotions. From start to finish we never get to care about any of the characters. Brosnan is a disappointment here, going through the thing on autopilot and uttering a few curses here and there when things go wrong. Ben Cross has to be one of the weakest bad guys I've seen in a film for a long time, and as for being threatening...you'd be better off watching one of the pros like Alan Rickman to see how it should be done. Ron Silver is wasted in a nothing role, and the only interesting thing about him is his death (he falls from a building and gets impaled on some railings - ouch!).
The best bits of this film are the various moments where people explode. Typically some poor fool is usually standing at the edge of the explosion when this happens and gets ignited, so it's pretty sadistic. The victims also have their skin split open and their eyeballs fill with blood, so the gross-out factor is played for all it's worth. Not bad at all...otherwise, this is strictly predictable fare.
Brosnan at his best.
MODMAN1 September 1999
Long before his stint as James Bond, Pierce Brosnan did make some darn good movies. One of them is 'Live Wire'. Director Christian Duguay (The Hitchhiker series) has done a brilliant job in making Brosnan's entry into the world of action as smooth as possible. Brosnan plays Danny O' Neill, an Irish bomb defusion specialist working for the FBI's anti-terrorist division. The movie is a cat and mouse game between Brosnan's old adversary from the IRA and Brosnan himself. The IRA terrorist is out to make his millions from corrupt politicians and their wrongful ways. Ron Silver plays a Senator under threat and Brosnan is called in to protect him. The movie also intertwines Danny O' Neill's separation from his wife due to her alleged affair with the Senator (Ron Silver). All these make for very intriguing drama and fast paced yet "intelligent" action. Worth a rental definitely.
Nothing is without a trace!!!
elo-equipamentos21 March 2018
Starting according periodic table nothing in universe is without a trace, in the movie water explode without a trace, simply absurd to open a fictional plot to do this low profile production, but the worst came up along the picture, the next 007 has a frivolous and unfaithful wife who is dating a powerful senator, our hero cries for this kind of woman, became a joke for everyone in senate, until the security guards make their bad comments, it's so much disgrace to acept this kind of role, save me that!!!
Resume:
First watch: 1995 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 5
Resume:
First watch: 1995 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 5
People shore blow up REAL good in this one!
Hey_Sweden20 July 2021
Pierce Brosnan is fun as Danny O'Neill, a volatile bomb disposal expert with the FBI. His nemesis in the story is Mikhail Rashid (Ben Cross), a disgruntled terrorist still waiting for his pay from a bunch of crooked senators. One of them is Frank Traveres (Ron Silver), who just so happens to be making time with Danny's estranged wife Terry (Lisa Eilbacher). Rashids' ingenious method involves a liquid explosive that is meant to be mistaken for water and ingested. Once it reaches a persons' stomach, they blow sky high.
Written by Bart Baker, and directed by Christian Duguay, this amiably dumb action-thriller has a fair amount of fun with its far-fetched premise. The movie is fast-paced, and appreciably tongue-in-cheek. That said, it fares better when concentrating on the main plot. Overall, "Live Wire" tends towards the cheesy, but it's good that it never takes itself too seriously. The scenes with people blowing up are endlessly amusing, as they convulse and their eyes turn red. (Danny, of course, learns to recognize the warning signs.)
The cast is uniformly solid, with Brosnan making for a flawed and engaging protagonist. Cross is effectively cold as the villain. Silver gets to play his cliched role with at least some nuance. The lovely Eilbacher doesn't get to do much besides frequently look worried. Co-starring are reliable character actors such as Brent Jennings, Tony Plana, Al Waxman, Philip Baker Hall, Michael St. Gerard, and Norman Burton. The constant tension between Brosnan and Silver (who of course is constantly ordered to stay away from the wife) is quite entertaining.
Available in both an R-rated and an unrated version.
Six out of 10.
Written by Bart Baker, and directed by Christian Duguay, this amiably dumb action-thriller has a fair amount of fun with its far-fetched premise. The movie is fast-paced, and appreciably tongue-in-cheek. That said, it fares better when concentrating on the main plot. Overall, "Live Wire" tends towards the cheesy, but it's good that it never takes itself too seriously. The scenes with people blowing up are endlessly amusing, as they convulse and their eyes turn red. (Danny, of course, learns to recognize the warning signs.)
The cast is uniformly solid, with Brosnan making for a flawed and engaging protagonist. Cross is effectively cold as the villain. Silver gets to play his cliched role with at least some nuance. The lovely Eilbacher doesn't get to do much besides frequently look worried. Co-starring are reliable character actors such as Brent Jennings, Tony Plana, Al Waxman, Philip Baker Hall, Michael St. Gerard, and Norman Burton. The constant tension between Brosnan and Silver (who of course is constantly ordered to stay away from the wife) is quite entertaining.
Available in both an R-rated and an unrated version.
Six out of 10.
It Had An Oddly Forced Feel To It
lois-lane3326 September 2014
In this flick Pirece "Remington Steele" Brosnan plays a detective who think s he's James Bond and who suffers from sporadic bouts of potty mouth. He has a girl friends with a great pair o' gams who doesn't know much about anything but she looks good which always helps in a movie. I liked PB in RS-even though it was a bit 'conservative'-I thought it worked & I liked that he had a female "sidekick" who was smarter than he was-it showed he was intelligent himself. This film is 'exploitation cinema' as it tries to sell you the idea that it is about catching terrorists when it really isn't about anything. It suggests the idea a tasteless & colorless poison can be added to water to generate a super powerful explosion. Yeh and its called 'Dues ex Machina'-just like in old Roman plays when they ran out of ideas.Might work if you had a lousy date with someone and wanted to erase the memory of it. Combine with booze kind of thing-other than that its basically a dud that bare passes on the high number of camera movements it uses.
Another Movie Where Terrorists Blow Things Up
The-Sarkologist9 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Generally I have discovered that terrorist movies where terrorists place bombs everywhere are quite dull. They have been so dull that I can't even record their names. This movie promised to be such a movie and as such I was slow in wanting to watch it. In fact I was quite surprised. The bad guys were middle eastern terrorists and as such it promised to be even more dull. Then the main character was having problems with his wife and I was wondering when the clichés would end.
Well, the movie wasn't all that bad. Three senators were promising to supply weapons to some Middle Eastern nations, but there were three who rescinded on their promise and had the influence to block this. As such the terrorists wanted to pressure them to fall into line, and had devised an explosive which activates when mixed with acid. One expects bombs to be devices that are activated with timers, but this explosive is simply activated through a reaction with acid - especially stomach acid and as such is disguised as water and the subjects drink it, then explode.
The catch in this movie is that the FBI agent who is investigating these explosions has a problem with one of the senators - his wife was caught having an affair with him. Thus the agent is torn between his animosity towards the senator and his duty to protect him. There are a number of suspicions that the agent has towards him, but he is generally treated as being a decent chap. In the end though it is realised that he is corrupt and his death is very deserving.
This movie is okay. It isn't one to rave about, nor is it full of action packed explosions. It is something to simply watch and enjoy while waiting for a movie of a decent caliber to come along.
Well, the movie wasn't all that bad. Three senators were promising to supply weapons to some Middle Eastern nations, but there were three who rescinded on their promise and had the influence to block this. As such the terrorists wanted to pressure them to fall into line, and had devised an explosive which activates when mixed with acid. One expects bombs to be devices that are activated with timers, but this explosive is simply activated through a reaction with acid - especially stomach acid and as such is disguised as water and the subjects drink it, then explode.
The catch in this movie is that the FBI agent who is investigating these explosions has a problem with one of the senators - his wife was caught having an affair with him. Thus the agent is torn between his animosity towards the senator and his duty to protect him. There are a number of suspicions that the agent has towards him, but he is generally treated as being a decent chap. In the end though it is realised that he is corrupt and his death is very deserving.
This movie is okay. It isn't one to rave about, nor is it full of action packed explosions. It is something to simply watch and enjoy while waiting for a movie of a decent caliber to come along.
Pierce Brosnan in a bad role as tough guy
ovidemeertens7 May 2002
This film is really crap. Pierce Brosnan, who is a good actor, plays an American tough guy who has problems in his marriage. He works as a bomb expert who runs into the man (ron silver) who is cheating on him with his wife. This is the basic storyline and the fact that he is tracking a group of terrorists is completely in the shadow of this terrible script.
If you like Pierce Brosnan, but hate bad movies it is okay to skip this one
If you like Pierce Brosnan, but hate bad movies it is okay to skip this one
A bit cheap, but undeniably enjoyable as well.
imseeg31 August 2022
A formula action picture, but a solid one.
The bad: some of the supporting actors are a bit average and so is the bad guy. The story veers into silly territory, but which action movie hasnt got a silly story nowadays as well?
The good: Pierce Brosnan. He is a cool dude and for the fans of him this movie is a recommended fun watch.
Anything you would want: lots of suspense and action, with a cool action hero, a seductive (airheaded) femme fatale and a bad guy.
Special mention of the great photography and soundtrack. It really looks the part.
I hadnt seen this one or I cant remember, but it is just a solid, macho, fun action movie with a cool action hero.
The bad: some of the supporting actors are a bit average and so is the bad guy. The story veers into silly territory, but which action movie hasnt got a silly story nowadays as well?
The good: Pierce Brosnan. He is a cool dude and for the fans of him this movie is a recommended fun watch.
Anything you would want: lots of suspense and action, with a cool action hero, a seductive (airheaded) femme fatale and a bad guy.
Special mention of the great photography and soundtrack. It really looks the part.
I hadnt seen this one or I cant remember, but it is just a solid, macho, fun action movie with a cool action hero.
Just Cool!
Sissel20 September 1998
The only FBI agents who don't bother following any leads
arcticcarrot14 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Let me start off by saying there were several scenes that I enjoyed in this film. And I think Pierce Brosnan did a good job. What I had trouble with was the fact that in the courtroom scene, Brosnan notices the criminal make eye contact with a suspicious-looking man, who then gets up and leaves. Brosnan figures out that there is a bomb in the courtroom and gets everyone out (well, almost everyone) - and he's figured this out by the look exchanged by those two men. He got a very good look at the other guy. Yet, they never follow up on that lead. It's a courtroom in D.C. Surely there is surveillance footage they could be going through to identify this man. They never do that. They forget about him entirely. In fact, Brosnan never mentions this guy to anyone. Also, when they figure out that the terrorists will next target Ron Silver (because of a certain bill that he sponsored), Brosnan goes over to his house - but instead of questioning Silver about who might be against this bill, who might want him dead, he just yells at him to stay away from his wife. And then later when they figure out that what the bomb is, and how it's detonated, they also figure out a very easy way to defuse it. I won't give it away here. But suffice it to say that in later scenes with a bomb, they never bother to try this method of defusing it. It's sloppy writing. A bad script, with some good actors, some poor direction, and a terrible score.
great pre-bond brosnan
liammurphy112 April 2003
This is the best pre-bond Brosnan movie (ok so that's not saying much) but this is relly enjoyable if you leave your brain at the door and get used to brosnan's dodgy american accent.
a must see for all Brosnan & tounge in cheek action fans.
rating 8/10 for originality 9/10 for action 6/10 for script and direction (could have been better)
a must see for all Brosnan & tounge in cheek action fans.
rating 8/10 for originality 9/10 for action 6/10 for script and direction (could have been better)
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
