Review of The Negotiator (1998) by Ben F — 30 Nov 2010

When I turned on "The Negotiator" I didn't think that I would like it as much as I did. This movie really did surprise me. It was an extremely well developed, fast pace adrenaline pumping movie. I really was entertained from start to finish.

So we've seen a bunch of movies that involve hostage situations right? But I don't think that there are too many movies out there where the one who is holding people hostage is a police officer who negotiates with hostage takers for a living. It's an interesting concept, and the atmosphere of the film, as well as the performances of the actors allowed the film to work.

What really made the movie in my opinion was the chemistry between Jackson and Spacey. These guys both did a great job, and they kept the movie alive for the entire 2 hours and 20 minutes. The lines that they spoke to each other just flowed, and there were no signs of weakness or carelessness in the performances. Another actor in the film that I really liked was David Morse, who I really think is an underrated actor. I think he always does a really good job and no one really gives him enough credit.

"The Negotiator" is filmed pretty professionally, and it's clearly visible in some of the intensity sequences. When S.W.A.T. team guys are surrounding the area, and there's nowhere to go, the cinematography didn't fail to impress me, so the film was good emotionally and aesthetically.

"The Negotiator" was a top notch thriller. I didn't hear about this movie until just recently, so I had to give it a look, and it was truly worth it. Definitely worth the view.