Product Details

• Actors: Ed Harris, Madeleine Stowe, Charles Dance, Patricia Healy, Benicio Del Toro
• Directors: John Bailey
• Writers: Roy Carlson
• Producers: Barrie M. Osborne, Carol Kim, Roy Carlson
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: March 7, 2000
• Run Time: 99 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305812101
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #327,275 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Ed Harris, Madeline Stowe, and Benicio Del Toro star in this tricky modern noir. Harris plays Kyle Bodine, a police detective with a keen eye for detail and seemingly all the answers. His axiom is that murderers "always screw it up sooner or later," and if you think those words won't come back to haunt him, you don't know your suspense movies. He soon runs into Rachel (Stowe), who is rich, beautiful, and married to an abusive husband. The plot rolls along nicely toward the murder we all know is coming, then gives a few good twists on the way out. Del Toro, not yet famous in this 1991 release, does a terrific more-than-meets-the-eye acting job as Kyle's partner Lamar. This is a fun thriller that hits all the suspense film marks but still manages to keep a few surprises up its sleeve. --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Mini Classic Detective/Woman Thriller, February 1, 2002

By 

Joseph L Burke - See all my reviews

This review is from: China Moon (DVD)

Ed Harris is always better than his material. Madeleine Stowe's sexy performance would get a rise out of a stone idol. This movie reminds me of "Casablanca" inasmuch as it was done as a low budget not-well-advertised film. But with this cast and excellent direction it crackles and cooks on-screen. Once in a while you find a movie that kind of "got lost" in distribution but turns out to be a surprisingly good experience. Harris goes for Stowe in a big way and I believe, so would any other man. Watching Stowe is easily the equal of a double-Viagra dose; trust me.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very solid 4 stars, September 14, 2002

By 

Vlad (russianwriter.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: China Moon (DVD)

Very good movie . I have to worn you - if you expecting regular , happy ending Hollywood cheapy , you are in wrong place .
Ed Harris playing a police homoside detective . His character is street smart , talanted , but very lonly . His partner is young and kind of laisy .One evening , Harris meet a beatifull woman ( Madelein Stowe ), and we fell in love with her character right away : smart , very attractive , intellegent and funny . So did the detective . She dissapears that evening , but Harris find her , of cause . The relationship developes and getting more and more interesting every scene . But everything goes not that easy for tham - she is married . Producers made an exellent selection of an actor for the role of her husband ( we dislike him right away ). He ownes a big Florida bank chain , cheating on his beatifull wife and pushing her around constantly . We know right away - something will happen , somebody going to get killed . And most likely , this someone will be her husband .
What I like in this movie , is the love story between Harris and Stowe . Both actors perform on such high level , that keeps your attention from begining all the way to the end . We want them to be together . And when Stowe get in big troubles , we want Harris to help her .
At same time we have to think ,That she is just seting him up , but we want to belive her . We WANT to belive that she loves Harris character . And at the last moments of the movie , insted of being sad about the ending , we feal relief - this was a true love .
Highly recomended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars CULT MOVIES 41, February 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: China Moon [VHS] (VHS Tape)

41. CHINA MOON (thriller, 1994) Homicide Detective Kyle Bodine (Ed Harris) is a veteran of the force who knows the ins and outs of every crime scene. His partner, Lamar (Benicio del Toro) is a young rookie who's under Kyle's tutelage and like everyone else, admires his good record. Kyle meets Rachel (Madeline Stowe); a beautiful woman who's sensual charms he falls under. They begin a steamy relationship and Kyle falls in love. But then he finds out she's married to a violent, wealthy man. His constant harassment leads Rachel to kill him in self-defense. Kyle now has to decide whether to bring her to justice or help the woman he loves.

Critique: Nifty little thriller borrows from the film-noir tradition. The solid screenplay by Roy Karlson introduces many elements of the genre. Theirs the honest cop whom falls in love with the 'femme fatale' and the violent husband as 'middle-man' who ends up dead. But just when you think things are headed into conventional plotting, there's a twist. Good direction by first-timer John Bailey elicits excellent acting all round. Ed Harris gives another powerhouse performance, Madeline Stowe plays victim-victimizer beautifully, and Benicio del Toro (a much underrated actor who reminds me of James Dean) lends an interesting menace. Great ending too.

QUOTE: Kyle: "You were just ******* me weren't you?! I was loving you and you were ******* me!"