Kim Basinger and Val Kilmer make an attractive couple in "Highlander" director Russell Mulcady's "The Real McCoy," but this miscast couple kindles little chemistry. "Johnny English" scenarists William Osborne and William Davies drew their inspiration for this lackluster Universal Pictures release from the Desmond Lowden novel "Bellman and True." The conflict is that the greedy, despicable villain kidnaps a professional criminal's son and forces her to rob a bank before they turn him loose. The haul is an $18 million plus payday, and a well-heeled Atlanta criminal bankrolls the endeavor. Meanwhile, our heroine—fresh out of prison after serving 6 years of a 10 year sentence—struggles to go straight, but she is swept back into the storm.
Karen McCoy (Kim Basinger of Never Say Never Again") was also married. After she leaves the Athens Correctional Facility, she learns that her worthless ex-husband, Radly (Alex Van) has told her son that she is dead. Radly informs Karen that he burned all the letters that she sent to her son Patrick. During a convenience store stick-up during a rainy night, Karen encounters a bumbling criminal, J.T. Barker (Val Kilmer of "Batman Forever"), whose pistol falls apart at the scene of the crime. Later, J.T. informs his distant (Terence Stamp) relative about her. J.T.'s relative is none other than Jack Schmidt; he is the same guy who used Karen on a previous job. Karen blew that hold-up at the Atlanta Union Bank and she received a 10 year sentence. Karen wins parole but has the ill luck to land a corrupt parole supervisor, Gary Buckner (Gailard Sartain), who takes her to see Schmidt.
This is another one of those impossible crime capers that Mulcady imbues will reasonable suspense and tension. The protagonists have to find a way to break in and escape despite the precautions that the bank has put in place to thwart criminals. What is different here is that our heroine remotely triggers the alarms repeatedly to wear out the security guards and the Atlanta police. Eventually, the authorities decide that nobody is trying to hold up the facility. Instead, they figure that a flaw in the system activates the alarm so they give it. This is a neat example of the man who cried 'wolf' scenario. At the same time, the filmmakers devise a way for the heroine to succeed without pulling off the robbery because she is supposed to be sympathetic. In other words, "The Real McCoy" succeeds as an incredible caper movie but the heroines don't make society suffer. The chief surprise occurs when our heroine turns the tables on her adversaries. Mulcady and his scribes make the villains look thoroughly reprehensible, particularly Gailard Sartain. The last minute scene on the airport runaway gets pretty tense. Terence Stamp makes a grim criminal. Basinger defends herself well enough, especially when she knees a thug in the groin and disarms him. Furthermore, Basinger isn't required to disrobe. Val Kilmer has his stupid act down pat. Mind you, Mulcady never lets thing dawdle. The scenes in the bank as the cops find themselves being summoned for one more time are amusing. The best thing about "The Real McCoy" is that the heroine and her son gets away. Meantime, she exacts revenge on Jack and his evil cronies.
"The Real McCoy" is formulaic material presented with a modicum of style. Basinger looks beautiful in every outfit that she dons.
Karen McCoy (Kim Basinger of Never Say Never Again") was also married. After she leaves the Athens Correctional Facility, she learns that her worthless ex-husband, Radly (Alex Van) has told her son that she is dead. Radly informs Karen that he burned all the letters that she sent to her son Patrick. During a convenience store stick-up during a rainy night, Karen encounters a bumbling criminal, J.T. Barker (Val Kilmer of "Batman Forever"), whose pistol falls apart at the scene of the crime. Later, J.T. informs his distant (Terence Stamp) relative about her. J.T.'s relative is none other than Jack Schmidt; he is the same guy who used Karen on a previous job. Karen blew that hold-up at the Atlanta Union Bank and she received a 10 year sentence. Karen wins parole but has the ill luck to land a corrupt parole supervisor, Gary Buckner (Gailard Sartain), who takes her to see Schmidt.
This is another one of those impossible crime capers that Mulcady imbues will reasonable suspense and tension. The protagonists have to find a way to break in and escape despite the precautions that the bank has put in place to thwart criminals. What is different here is that our heroine remotely triggers the alarms repeatedly to wear out the security guards and the Atlanta police. Eventually, the authorities decide that nobody is trying to hold up the facility. Instead, they figure that a flaw in the system activates the alarm so they give it. This is a neat example of the man who cried 'wolf' scenario. At the same time, the filmmakers devise a way for the heroine to succeed without pulling off the robbery because she is supposed to be sympathetic. In other words, "The Real McCoy" succeeds as an incredible caper movie but the heroines don't make society suffer. The chief surprise occurs when our heroine turns the tables on her adversaries. Mulcady and his scribes make the villains look thoroughly reprehensible, particularly Gailard Sartain. The last minute scene on the airport runaway gets pretty tense. Terence Stamp makes a grim criminal. Basinger defends herself well enough, especially when she knees a thug in the groin and disarms him. Furthermore, Basinger isn't required to disrobe. Val Kilmer has his stupid act down pat. Mind you, Mulcady never lets thing dawdle. The scenes in the bank as the cops find themselves being summoned for one more time are amusing. The best thing about "The Real McCoy" is that the heroine and her son gets away. Meantime, she exacts revenge on Jack and his evil cronies.
"The Real McCoy" is formulaic material presented with a modicum of style. Basinger looks beautiful in every outfit that she dons.