Review of The Negotiator (1998) by David A — 18 Dec 2013

(from The Watermark, 08/20/98).

A decent action flick that amazingly enough turns out to be an Actor's Film. Jackson is Chicago's best hostage negotiator, but suddenly he finds he's being framed for embezzlement. With no other way out, he takes some hostages of his own, knowing he can beat his own men at their own game. Spacey is the leader called in to negotiate with Jackson, and Jackson must convince Spacey of his innocence. It's got good action, decent dialogue, and terrific cinematography, but it still seems as though if it didn't have the first-rate performances by Spacey and Jackson, it wouldn't have been as good. But as it is, there seems to be little room for improvement as far as good action movies go.