Metro *** (1997, Eddie Murphy, Michael Rapaport, Michael Wincott) – Classic Movie Review 1565

Director Thomas Carter’s 1997 acceptable genre thriller stars Eddie Murphy, who grabs the chance of a rare decent role as a police hostage negotiator Inspector Scott Roper, whose skills are tested to the limit after a heist gone wrong. Roper captures a psychopathic murderous bank robber (Michael Wincott), who escapes and promptly goes after the man who caught him, and then threatens to hold all of San Francisco to ransom.

Working uneasily with his new partner, inexperienced cop Kevin McCall (Michael Rapaport), the expert Roper doggedly pursues the killer around the city. The yarn climaxes with the duo having to try to rescue Roper’s kidnapped girlfriend ‘Ronnie’ Tate (Carmen Ejogo) from the clutches of the psycho.

It may effortlessly recall Dirty Harry and Murphy’s own 48HRS or Beverly Hills Cop, all of which it has some very distinct echoes. But, with its clichéd, predictable script, familiar situations and casting to type, it’s miles behind all of these classics in wit, edge-of-seat thrills and achievement. However, it’s still very watchable for the actors and its excitingly staged action thrills. It got two thumbs up from Siskel and Ebert.

Denis Arndt (as Captain Frank Solis), Art Evans, Donal Logue and Kim Miyori co-star.

Thomas Carter is the Director of Coach Carter and Save the Last Dance.

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1565

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 Eddie Murphy, with director Thomas Carter.