Customer Reviews

Dead Heat [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's unfortunate to see film maker Mark Malone who's previously shown real talent (Bulletproof Heart) descend to this level. There are more than a few problems plaguing this film, not the least of which are overly formulaic situations and characters.

There's the mob boss played by Daniel Benzali, a fine actor who is here wasted on a script that gives him very little to do other than spew out the tired cliches that all mob bosses do in films like this. There's the ex wife, played by Radha Mitchell, who comes back to her husband, who is, when all is said and done, in love with him after all. Not exactly what could be called original. There's the beleaguered hero, Pally, an ex-cop, played by Kiefer Sutherland, who, at 35, suffers from heart trouble but smokes and drinks anyway. Why? Because he's beleaguered, of course. That seems to be the only reason.

And there's the faithful sidekick, Pally's step-brother, played by Anthony LaPaglia, who offers the only fresh voice in the entire film because he's given the best lines--occasionally--some of which are very funny. But there's nowhere near enough of those funny lines to compensate for a very tired film. Dead tired.

The title refers to a horse racing scheme that LaPaglia's character has dreamed up to net them some cash, but it could just as easily mean the lack of warmth, excitement, and interest that this film generates. There's also a jockey, Tony LaRoche, who has an accent that is completely unfathomable. French? Italian? Eastern European? No one knows. Does it matter? Not really.

Pally gets kicked off the force because he can't handle the pressures of a cop's life thanks to his bum ticker. He holds a gun to his head. But we know he's not gonna pull the trigger. The only reason we know that is because up to that point he's the only character who's been presented, so how could there be a movie without him in it?

Enter his step-brother with the racing scheme. Enter the ex-wife with their, you know, confused relationship. Like, maybe they're still in love and maybe they're not. Does it matter? Nope.

A good film to avoid.

Kiefer Sutherland stars in `Dead Heat' a crime drama in which the star of hit TV series `24' can show more tender side of the character than he is often associated with. He plays Pally, 35-year-old Boston cop who is forced to retire because of the heart problem, and his acting is very good. Overall, however, there is not much that I can recommend in `Dead Heat' except some nice touch in showing the characters. The film tries to include as many things as possible, but few of them really materialize.

The story looks rather like a familiar one. Because of his early retirement, Pally starts to drink, and even thinks of committing suicide. His relationship with his estranged wife Charlotte (Rhada Mitchell) is not going well and he is not happy to know that she is now going out with someone else.

But Charlotte is also nice and caring, so she persuades Pally's brother Ray (Anthony LaPaglia) to visit him. Ray, who is accused of not being a law-abiding citizen by his too earnest brother, has a good plan to make money easily, and offers it to Pally. It is about buying a racehorse cheap, he says, and it is an easy job because he happens to know that the horse, which has not win any races recently, is actually misdiagnosed, only suffering from a polyp a small operation can remove.

When everything is going well, things get suddenly complicated because of a gambling-addicted jockey Tony (Lothaire Bluteau). From here, the story snowballs into blackmail, caper and even murder, but the film's overall tone is always light, not taking itself very seriously.

Unfortunately, for all their effective acting from Sutherland, LaPaglia, Mitchell, and Bluteau, the weak and unsure direction totally fails to give momentum to the otherwise unremarkable film. It is not funny when it tries to make us funny, and it is not romantic when it tries to be romantic. Feeble direction simply misses several good opportunities to make good use of the jockey's sullen little daughter Sam (Kay Panabaker, her feature debut), who could have been a little surprise (or gem) in this unconvincing plot.

It is true that Kiefer Sutherland shows in `Dead Heat' another side of acting talent, which is less eccentric and intense than most of the roles he had played, or he would play. That is good news, and the only good news here.

I don't think people are being fair to this movie. No it is not the most exciting movie ever but there is a real charm to it. The main character a cop named Pally is depressed because he was forced to retired due to his bum ticker. He spends some time being depressed and wanting to kill himself until his step brother introduces him to an idea to buy a horse, a shady one, but potentially lucrative. At first every one is on fire with happiness and expectations but then things start going down hill do to the jockey's gambling addiction. They have to do some quick thinking to stay on top but it forces Pally into situations that he wasn't prepared to handle and Kiefer does an excellent job portraying a guy thats just in over his head. Anthony LaPaglia is great as the mischievious but good natured thug step brother. All in all I was very pleased with this movie and enjoyed the drama and the comedy that this movie had to offer.

I have not laughed so much in years as when I watched this film. Kiefer Sutherland is excellent at comedy. His timing and expressions are perfect and he has a great partner in Anthony Lapaglia. If you are expecting an edge of your seat thriller as it mistakenly says on the DVD of I Fought the Law ( the alternative name of the film) then you will be disappointed. If you just want to sit back, relax and have a good laugh then this is certainly for you. It is lovely to see a different side to Kiefer Sutherland and such a relief if you are a 24 fan and worry about Jack's depressing life rubbing off on him. I have never regretted buying it, it has taken its place as one of my favourite films.

This is a feel-good, light-hearted movie. Don't read more into it than that. A hapless hero (Kiefer Sutherland) who hits roadblocks at every turn and triumphs anyway.
An amusing cast of characters in a movie for when you just want to sit back and be entertained - which it definitely does - and not have to think so hard.

Very rarely does Kiefer Sutherland show his comedic talent, which he has in abundance, and this is one of the finest examples of it that I've encountered. The scene of him slowly beating his forehead against the table and moaning in frustration as his step-brother blows away all his objections is worth its weight in gold. Yeah, it's a hokey and cheaply made film, but it's warm and funny, and it keeps your interest going. And better yet, he's a good guy, a regular joe.

Great to see Kiefer as a regular guy instead of a bad guy or tough guy. Loved the interaction between Kiefer's character Pally and Anthony LaPaglia's Ray as step brothers from opposite sides of the law who end up buying a race horse together. Nothing bothers Ray while Pally gets more and more stress as they get deeper into trouble. Very entertaining.

As a big Fan of Kiefer I have seen this movie several times in german and now bought it in english. Sure, the story is not as exciting as his new series "24", but it's amusing to see Kiefer getting more nervous with each step Pally and Ray do. It shows the funny side of Kiefer's acting and he is excellent.

Thanks to network TV,Anthony LaPaglia and Kiefer Sutherland are well-known for their leading roles in "Without a Trace" and "24." However, this movie wasn't a smashing success for the both of them...due to its plotlessness.

Sutherland stars as a former Boston cop who doesn't get to do much other than drink&cry a lot. LaPaglia stars as his scheming,not too bright half-brother,complete with a soul patch&bleached hair.They're convincing as brothers,but the script hobbles them. There's a plot involving horses and the Mafia,as well as a jockey's annoying,creepy daughter,who seems to be one of the Children of the Corn,or Damien's lil' sis.

Radha Mitchell stars as Sutherland's perpetually confused ex,and reason for a gratutious,un-erotic love scene (but the violinists do get to play passionately.The orchestra swells in anticipation for...an anti-climax)

"Dead Heat" is a dead movie,despite two strong leading actors,the Mafia,and horses.

The swindle begins by the cover art. It shows the two main characters (Pally and his brother and Charlotte), dressed in tie and very elegant. There's simply none of it in the movie!

The story is absurd, the charcters have no charm, it's just another turkey.