I sat to watch this one because it came from the 1980s, and had (Sidney Poitier) in it. Although I know so well that this iconic actor made a lot of movies that didn't deserve his talent at all. But let us watch this thriller from 1988..
At first, some ridiculous questions were allowed to be asked such as: If the FBI knows the places of the Russian sleepers (temporarily retired Russian spies), why they didn't warn them at all about this maniac killer?! Or even arrest them in the first place?!!, and if (Poitier) already knew the truth of (River Phoenix)'s parents, what exactly he intended to do with their son by telling him the hidden reality?? Is it for using him to convince his father and mother not to obey (Richard Bradford) the Russian officer?? Maybe. But what's the need of those ones in particular to hand over the money to the killer? And why on earth that very Russian officer phoned the sleepers themselves, after the ballet, from (Poitier)'s apartment?? And if he didn't intent to kidnap their boy, who entered at the same time to the very place so easily!, by what he was going to threaten the previous agents? Especially with the fact of their parents being dead?? And let us look at that scene which has the Russian officer showering, and the killer is here suddenly (with a knife?!), menaces him quickly: "I Want My Money Fast" and runs away!!, to have that miserable fat officer standing under the shower just offended?? So you have to ask yourself why in the world he didn't run after him, after putting on a towel, or why he didn't hold his gun, if he had one!, to shoot the evil guy who had just a knife?? For a second, I thought that there was a secret relationship, or undercover partnership, between both of them. It would've been a good twist, but this movie didn't even think of it!
Anyway, I have some things extra to bother: All of (Poitier)'s work at his office is just looking at the pictures, more than 10 times!, reading names from his computer to discover the reality of the sleepers effortlessly, to the extent that I was saying while watching: "WAW!, the job of the FBI agents is very simple!". Then what's the necessity of his love affair with the school's employee (Poitier was 61 years old at the time)?, and when it comes to the end of the movie, I just wonder why the Russian officer kidnapped the boy to have this long chase?! I believe not to kill him for sure, but to negotiate with the Americans to get the killer in his custody, however the movie made him kill the killer with the American FBI agent in the same time! So long live the peace agreement, and goodbye to the old cold war! Remember that the movie is produced in 1988. Namely after Gorbachev, Perestroika, The Geneva Summit, then the INF Treaty. But anyhow, you have to ask yourself what the killer would have earned by throwing the boy out of the bridge?! And what a moment when all the money went to the two very poor emigrants by pure coincidence, just to till us how America is so generous and kind to anyone who would resort to it! By the way, there is a strange guy appears in that scene, out of the blue, to stand beside (Poitier) and talk with him about the continuance of life! So (Poitier) responds in his wise tone: "Yes, same all same all!!". Who is that guy? And from where did he emerge?!
Well, it was very ambitious movie with a catchy story and unpredictable thrilling lines: The FBI old agent who wants to fulfill his old revenge, the nice relationship between the mentor (Poitier) and Little Nikita (Phoenix), what would you do if you discovered that your parents weren't the ones you know??, and that serial killer for the old spies who was chased by the Americans and the Russians too. All of this was so bright, but unfortunately the main big mistake was in THE SCRIPT which was incapable of building solider plot without any holes.
So, the most enjoyable things in here are: The potential of the story, the magical charisma of the old (Sidney Poitier), and his chemistry with the young (River Phoenix), (Marvin Hamlisch)'s stylish music, and the good chase at the end. Save that, I think that a lot of people may forget about this movie. And if you don't believe me, just ask yourself, for the very last time, why there are no more than 9 reviews in here about this movie, after nearly 20 years of its production!
At first, some ridiculous questions were allowed to be asked such as: If the FBI knows the places of the Russian sleepers (temporarily retired Russian spies), why they didn't warn them at all about this maniac killer?! Or even arrest them in the first place?!!, and if (Poitier) already knew the truth of (River Phoenix)'s parents, what exactly he intended to do with their son by telling him the hidden reality?? Is it for using him to convince his father and mother not to obey (Richard Bradford) the Russian officer?? Maybe. But what's the need of those ones in particular to hand over the money to the killer? And why on earth that very Russian officer phoned the sleepers themselves, after the ballet, from (Poitier)'s apartment?? And if he didn't intent to kidnap their boy, who entered at the same time to the very place so easily!, by what he was going to threaten the previous agents? Especially with the fact of their parents being dead?? And let us look at that scene which has the Russian officer showering, and the killer is here suddenly (with a knife?!), menaces him quickly: "I Want My Money Fast" and runs away!!, to have that miserable fat officer standing under the shower just offended?? So you have to ask yourself why in the world he didn't run after him, after putting on a towel, or why he didn't hold his gun, if he had one!, to shoot the evil guy who had just a knife?? For a second, I thought that there was a secret relationship, or undercover partnership, between both of them. It would've been a good twist, but this movie didn't even think of it!
Anyway, I have some things extra to bother: All of (Poitier)'s work at his office is just looking at the pictures, more than 10 times!, reading names from his computer to discover the reality of the sleepers effortlessly, to the extent that I was saying while watching: "WAW!, the job of the FBI agents is very simple!". Then what's the necessity of his love affair with the school's employee (Poitier was 61 years old at the time)?, and when it comes to the end of the movie, I just wonder why the Russian officer kidnapped the boy to have this long chase?! I believe not to kill him for sure, but to negotiate with the Americans to get the killer in his custody, however the movie made him kill the killer with the American FBI agent in the same time! So long live the peace agreement, and goodbye to the old cold war! Remember that the movie is produced in 1988. Namely after Gorbachev, Perestroika, The Geneva Summit, then the INF Treaty. But anyhow, you have to ask yourself what the killer would have earned by throwing the boy out of the bridge?! And what a moment when all the money went to the two very poor emigrants by pure coincidence, just to till us how America is so generous and kind to anyone who would resort to it! By the way, there is a strange guy appears in that scene, out of the blue, to stand beside (Poitier) and talk with him about the continuance of life! So (Poitier) responds in his wise tone: "Yes, same all same all!!". Who is that guy? And from where did he emerge?!
Well, it was very ambitious movie with a catchy story and unpredictable thrilling lines: The FBI old agent who wants to fulfill his old revenge, the nice relationship between the mentor (Poitier) and Little Nikita (Phoenix), what would you do if you discovered that your parents weren't the ones you know??, and that serial killer for the old spies who was chased by the Americans and the Russians too. All of this was so bright, but unfortunately the main big mistake was in THE SCRIPT which was incapable of building solider plot without any holes.
So, the most enjoyable things in here are: The potential of the story, the magical charisma of the old (Sidney Poitier), and his chemistry with the young (River Phoenix), (Marvin Hamlisch)'s stylish music, and the good chase at the end. Save that, I think that a lot of people may forget about this movie. And if you don't believe me, just ask yourself, for the very last time, why there are no more than 9 reviews in here about this movie, after nearly 20 years of its production!