Customer Reviews

The Inspectors

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

 

 

This story about Postal Inspectors (one of the most elite and professional Federal Law Enforcement agencies, the United States Postal Inspection Service) chasing a mail bomber is based on a true incident. This story line was interesting, the lead actors were excellent, the direction and photography were top notch, and this movie makes you want to see and hear more about the Postal Inspectors. There was enough of the "personal" side of the the two lead Inspectors to make this better than the usual "cop" movie from that standpoint as well.

This is an interesting movie that covers a law enforcement agency that I knew very little about. Lou Gossett is excellent here as the seasoned veteran saddled with the still wet behind the ears Johnathan Silverman. It also touches on a very real danger of the times, with letter bombs and terrorism. Though well acted, it cannot help but become a little campy. In my mind that is not a detriment as it reminds me a lot of the better done cop tv shows. It also lets the film be watched on multiple levels much like Dragnet (the tv series not the movie). The sequel is even better, delving into the frightening realm of identity fraud.

First off, I'll admit that I bought this movie because my favorite actor plays the villain, but that's not why I keep watching it. Inspectors does an amazing job of pulling together all sorts of differing elements to make it so much more than just a mystery or an action flick. There is real depth and realism with the two leads being shown as actually having personal lives. There's also a bit of comedy to offset the crime scenes and despicable actions of the bad guys. The movie isn't very graphically violent. It hasn't been rated, but I would say that since the language isn't gratuitous and the movie doesn't have a front row seat to the effects of mail bombs on human anatomy, I'd let a 15 year old watch it with me. It's an outstanding movie with great re-viewing potential.

I am a Postal Inspector wannabe and was excited when this movie came out. To say the least, I was not disappointed. Both Silverman and Gossett do a great job. The USPIS doesn't get much publicity but they do here in a true-to-life story.

First I want to thank the reviewers here that plugged this movie. Being familiar with Gossett's and Silverman's other works I ordered this movie used as that was all that was available. Good acting, story, and production values I was not disappointed. The story revolves around a witness to a murder being sought by the killers from prison. There is many leads for the investigators to follow after the attempt on the witnesses life with a letter bomb. Gossett and Silverman work well together as Postal Inspectors, the Post Offices equivalent to the FBI. If you are a fan of series like NYPD, CSI, or NCIS, you should definitely at least rent this Showtime production. I am glad I bought it and I immediately ordered the sequal after viewing this movie. I suggest you check out the sequel too. Another movie you may enjoy is "Dead Silence" with James Garner and Marlee Matlin. The DVD quality is excellent with very good replayability.

This is a good movie that will teach you alot about the Postal Inspection Service - known as a "silent" agency to some because they get very little publicity. The Inspection Service is the oldest federal law enforcement agency in the country, and has the highest conviction rate. Their jurisdiction pertains to any crime involving the mail (narcotics, munitions, pornography, identity theft, scams, extortion, etc.).

This movie starts out with rookie Inspector Alex Urbina (Jonathan Silverman) staked out inside a stamp machine, examining all bills inserted in the machine to ensure they aren't counterfeit. The comedy transitions into a more serious, suspenseful mode when Urbina is called to work a bombing investigation.

I do have to say I was disappointed with the over-dramatic ending - a bratty kid that wouldn't let go of a box (which potentially contained a bomb) when his mother and a Postal Inspector told him to. He threw an "its mine and you can't have it fit" before finally letting it go and then was stupid enough to kick the box when he again became convinced it wasn't a bomb. (I haven't given away what happens, don't worry!) I just get tired of kids throwing tantrums and parents having no control! :-)

This movie was inspired by a true story, which can be seen on the Discovery Channel documentary "The Feds - U.S. Postal Inspectors." Though I really did enjoy this movie, I though the sequel was alot better and I hope to see more movies about Postal Inspectors in the future.

If interested in the Inspection Service, I'd also recommend the book "Moments In Time" by John Phinazee and Larry Weaver, two retired postal inspectors who share the stories of their careers. This is one agency that is hard to get much information about, but these are the resources I've found so far.

My husband had seen most of this film on tv and was interested in seeing the entire story, along with Inspectors 2. Every place we tried to purchase these no longer had them. We have actually been searching for over a year and finally found them. Interesting and well worth the price.