Review of Stick (1985) by Timothy S — 06 Jul 2014

Even though the end result isn't completely successful and it was quite the box office disappointment at the time, you have to give Burt Reynolds credit for making "Stick" at this particular juncture in his career. For much of the 1980's, the biggest star in the world would play it safe by making a lot of movies that were beneath him simply because they were all guaranteed to make a lot of money.

However, with this film, he tried to make a serious picture with integrity, and even though it's only moderately successful, I give him a lot of credit for trying. It's based on a novel by crime author Elmore Leonard, whose unique writing style made him a favorite for screenwriters to adapt, but frankly the story here is routine and the dialogue isn't up to Elmore's standards despite the fact that he wrote the script himself.

The film reeks of heavy studio interference. Another major problem is the casting. Reynolds is fine in the lead role, even if his stud routine seems silly and outdated now. It's the secondary actors, most notably a ridiculous Charles Durning, not at all convincing as an allegedly terrifying drug dealer. Even worse is Candice Bergin who adds nothing to the picture and seems clueless as to why she's even there. Perhaps the best performance belongs to stuntman Dar Robinson, a menacing assassin who needs very little dialogue to be effective. His death sequence is spectacular and reinforces his status as the best at what he did.

"Stick" is an honest effort that just doesn't quite pan out.