release year: 1997
genre: action/drama
viewing setting: theater, 1/20/97
what I expected: another mediocre effort from Eddie Murphy
what I got: your basic entertaining cop drama
synopsis: Sharp, wisecracking negotiator-cop must deal with vengeful criminal mastermind both before he's caught and after he escapes.
impressions: This was fairly well-paced, with a good mix of action, drama, and suspense. The plot was solid, as was the acting.
acting: Eddie's comeback continues, a little more slowly with this one than with The Nutty Professor. The bad guy was pretty scary - I thought for a while that this movie might have an ending like Seven.
final word: It's no Beverly Hills Cop, but it's well-made and moves along.
rating: C