Review of Bird on a Wire (1990) by Allan C — 16 Feb 2014
Okay, what freaked me out most about this film is realizing that Goldie Hawn is now almost 70s years old. That's just wrong. Anyhow, Mel Gibson plays a witty mullet-headed rogue in this amiable if lightweight action/comedy.
He's in the FBI witness protection program when all on the same day runs into an old girlfriend, Goldie Hawn, from before he went into hiding and also the mobster he helped put away gets out of jail and is seeing revenge.
Lots of chases, romantic tension and up skirt shots of Ms. Hawn ensue. The film was directed by John Badham, who I always felt was somewhat underrated for his nice balance of action and comedy in his films (i.
E. this film, "The Hard Way," "Stakeout" or "Wargames"). It's kind of sad to see him mostly relegated to directing episodic TV at this point in his career. There's a solid supporting cast that includes David Carradine as the criminal seeking revenge, Bill Duke as a henchmen, Stephen Tobolowsky as a corrupt FBI agent, Joan Severance as a veterinarian and Jeff Corey as a crusty old man.
Overall, this is a pretty lightweight popcorn film, but the stars make it enjoyable and worth watching.
This review of Bird on a Wire (1990) was written by Allan C on 16 Feb 2014.
Bird on a Wire has generally received mixed reviews.
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