Product Details

• Actors: Denzel Washington, Robert Townsend, James Fox, Mimi Rogers, M. Emmet Walsh
• Directors: Carl Schenkel
• Writers: A.H.Z. Carr, Hampton Fancher
• Producers: Dale Pollock, Ed Elbert, Jeffrey Bydalek, Sanford Lieberson
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: February 6, 1996
• Run Time: 98 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302897335
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,660 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

A highly enjoyable sleeper. The plot of The Mighty Quinn is a variation on one of those '30s studio pictures about two boyhood friends who grow up on different sides of the law--but it's 1989, and things are a bit different. Denzel Washington, smooth as Jamaican rum, plays the police chief of a Caribbean island, a place where crime isn't exactly a pressing concern. Thus the chief is put out when the clues in a murder case point to his old buddy, a dreadlocked ne'er-do-well played by a mischievous Robert Townsend. Director Carl Schenkel is much more interested in friendships and great island atmosphere than in the actual unlocking of the case, and that's just fine. Add in a bouncy soundtrack of reggae music, and The Mighty Quinn becomes one of those hard-to-resist vacation movies. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How do I look? Like a ripe mango:), March 16, 2001

By 

Godwin Olivier "Netizen" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mighty Quinn [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This movie instantly became one of my top three favorite movies of all time. I went on Amazon.com the day after I saw it and ordered myself a copy, I simply had to have it. I could tell right away I was going to watch it over and over and over..

First of all, and of supreme importance, the writing is excellent. The first few times I watched it I kept on finding more and more wonderful nuances. There is even a story within a story. There is so much more to this movie when you keep your ears pricked and your expectations high.

The camera is magical, and seems to capture the very essence of each scene. The cast is brilliant -- practically everyone can act, and act well (except for the Lizard-Fish). The soundtrack rocks with sweet old school reggae (this is a 1987 movie, after all).

Denzel Washington plays an overworked, righteous and heroic chief of police, endowed with a highly accurate intuition and overflowing with charm. Ladies, he is hot. His best friend, Maubee, is the prime suspect in a murder that makes no sense. Add to that suspicion and conspiracy and a ten thousand dollar bill, and you have a mystery sleeper that keeps you guessing and entertains consistently. Great for any audience.

The dialogue is rhythmic, musical -- the Jamaican accents are rich in variety, pleasing to the ear, comprehensible, and believable. Even Denzel's accent leaves nothing wanting.

I've lost count of how many times I've watched The Mighty Quinn solve this mystery while juggling his personal obligations. You will not regret getting this movie.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laid-Back Island Fun, December 28, 2003

By 

C. T. Mikesell (near Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mighty Quinn (DVD)

There's very little I dislike about this movie. Okay, the swearing's a bit much, but everything else - the characters, the mystery, the music, the scenery - is incredibly enjoyable.

Denzel Washington portrays Police Chief Xavier Quinn, a cop who struggles for respect from a lower-class that sees him as a betrayer and an upper-class that has no use for him beyond that of lap dog. His character's development is an unsuspected surprise in what could have been just another run-of-the-mill tropical thriller.

Supporting characters played by Robert Townsend, Mimi Rogers, Esther Rolle, and M. Emmett Walsh are also surprisingly nuanced, as is the murder investigation itself. The only main character I didn't quite get is Sheryl Lee Ralph as Quinn's wife; her expectations for her husband seem ill-defined in the story - in keeping with the island custom, however, I didn't let it get to me; I just went with it.

This is a budget release, so except for the trailer there are no extra features. There isn't even an insert card showing chapter listing. Subtitles come only in French and Spanish, but the film is closed-captioned if you want the equivalent of English subtitling. I would've liked more features, but I'm not going to let that get to me, either.

Get this DVD. Then get some popcorn and pour some rum in your Coke - or at least drop in a tiny paper umbrella - and enjoy the show.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is REALLY cool!!!, July 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mighty Quinn [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Action/mystery with Denzel Washington as a Carribean cop investigating a murder which may implicate his childhood friend (Robert Townsend). Good plot, excellent supporting cast (Mimi Rogers, James Fox, Esther Rolle, Sheryl Lee Ralph), good locations, and an awsome reggae soundtrack add up to a solid picture. It has everything you need in a good video to rent or buy. If you are a Denzel fan, you're in for a speacial treat (I like his work, but am not a major fan and I loved this!!!).