Great plot and human interest. Believable action.
I read one guys commentary that totally shot this movie down. He said that it wasn't only one of Caines worst movies, it was one of the worst movies ever made. I absolutely disagree.This movie shows great human interest in many ways. It's far more human than most recent movies I've seen.
There's the arch villain that protects the bad guys out of a strangely noble love for the lost and dying breed that they represent. There's the tension between the main character and his estranged wife. Her selfishness actually affects the plot greatly even though she's only involved in the first 10 minutes of the movie. They show the frail loyalty of the heroes' son overpowered by his desperate will to survive and also his innately human ability to assume a totally new identity to survive. A fathers undying love is tested against the murderous disloyalty of his son. We see a grieving widows rage screaming "would him, would him!!" against her husbands killer (Caine). After facing pirate law, her rage turns to pragmatism.
Throughout the movie a desperate stealth and cunning make short work of privilege and modern firepower.
Yes, there are some stupid scenes that should have been done better, but overall the movie is good. Very dramatic. As much realism as could be expected from an action movie.
I class this flick beside Beside the James Bond series, the Star Wars series, Lord of the rings, and AI. I class it beside them because although they are more detailed, when I consider the budget constraints and special effects of the era, the plot and acting combine to create a believable, exciting movie that unlike most movies doesn't insult my intelligence too badly. Watch it.
score 8/10
bizzy-9 10 December 2006
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1541751/35619
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