Review of Midnight Run (1988) by Zoran S — 11 Sep 2008

As the opening credits roll, and Danny Elfman's soundtrack score begins, you realize you're about to watch a very 80s movie. It seems as though the producers are going for a "Beverly Hills Cop" type film; they want a little comedy mixed in with the shoot em up action.

It's an odd role for DeNiro, it's sort of the bridge between his glory days of "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver" and his later comedy work of "Meet the Parents". Here, he plays "Jack Walsh", a bounty hunter (think Dogg the bounty hunter, minus the gay wrestler fashion) who's sent to hunt down a white collar criminal on the lam.

That criminal (Charles Grodin), is a former mob accountant who stole from the mob in order to help the less fortunate (and himself). He knows if he goes back to the law, or turns state's evidence, he's as good as dead.

After Walsh captures him, it turns into a pretty standard buddy "road" picture: people chase them, they get lost, they have to use different modes of transportation, and in the process become friends.

But it's not a good movie, not either actor's best, and I think the blame lies in the writing. Don't bother.