Customer Reviews

The Kill Point

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Kill Point" was an eight-part television series that has the distinction of being the first drama to air on the Spike network. The story is about a group of U.S. Marines back from Iraq who try to pull off a bank robbery in Pittsburgh. They almost get away with it, but then the robbery turns into a hostage situation. John Leguizamo plays Jake Mendez, the sergeant in charge of the operation and who calls himself "Mr. Wolf" in negotiations with the police Captain Horst Cali (Donnie Wahlberg), the police negotiator. In terms of recent television series as points of reference, "The Kill Point" strikes me as a cross between "Kidnapped" and "The Nine," which is not a bad thing.

"The Kill Point" has its fair share of hostage taking commonplaces (except for the television series "Standoff," why are FBI hostage negotiators such idiots?), but having Leguizamo and Wahlberg playing off each other is a major plus. Overall, you will get caught up in the various games being played and wondering when the SWAT team sniper (Michael K. Williams), who is usually seen in most episodes waxing philosophically about his skills or whatever, is finally going to take a damn shot at somebody. Of course the big problem is that you want both guys to win, but the situation becomes more and more one in which that sort of outcome is going to be very difficult to achieve. Because this is a mini-series, it has the ability to come up with some decent variations on the genre. Plus, as a mini-series, it actually has a beginning and an end without leaving out the part in the middle.

Because these are ex-U.S. soldiers there are obviously concerns about what this story says about the war in Iraq. Mr. Wolf's rant against the war, clearly modeled on Al Pacino's "Attica!" scene in "Dog Day Afternoon," is mitigated by the revelation that he is not telling the truth. Exactly what the truth is about what happened over there is never really clear, but ultimately it is a secondary consideration at best because what matters most is not their motives for robbing the bank but rather the fact that they are a well-trained combat unit. One of my favorite parts in the series was when the authorities decide to try and make the hostage takers uncomfortable by turning on the air conditioning and bad music full blast and Cali points out that they are trying these tactics against guys are back from a war whose hellish conditions make these ploys look like a walk in the park. These guys are professionals and they have friendlies on the outside who have their back, and these things combine to make "The Kill Point" something rather different in this particular genre (not quite "Inside Man," but certainly way closer to that than to "Dog Day Afternoon"). Consequently, if you keep watching past the rant, I think you will pretty much find your views on the war supported whatever they might be.

One of the reasons I want to recommend "The Kill Point" is because I think it reinforces the idea that the mini-series deserves to be revived as a major television art form. With each new television season I am becoming increasingly loath to start watching these series that get cancelled way before we get to the end. "Kidnapped" at least was given the opportunity by NBC to finish off the story, although you had to watch the episodes on line, as part of NBC's all-night Sunday line-up, or on the DVD when it came out. In the U.K. they are perfectly content to have series consist of less than a dozen episodes, and maybe on this side of the pond networks should get more interested in that idea as well. When episodic shows ruled the day, it was one thing, but in a "Lost" world where gigantic story arcs are the template du jour every show that is quickly cancelled decreases the propensity of viewers to fall for the same trick another dozen times.

Take the elements of Inside Job and Dog Day Afternoon and mesh it together and you have this TV mini series.

Donnie Wahlberg is the cop. John Leguizamo is the robber. They mesh in this piece in such a way. Pacino and Durring did in Dog Day. Leguizamo is an amazing character actor, who comes into his own in this production. Wahlberg proves that his acting in Saw and the TV series Boontown was no fluke.

The story is of a so called botched robbery, but is it really botched? There are a few red herring in this taut drame.

With this production, Spike TV proved that it can do original television and will keep a viewer riveted.

Get this drama and watch a thrill happen

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

This is a miniseries that aired on Spike TV starring John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg as a cop and criminal in a major standoff. As the six episodes progress things become more complicated as we draw closer to final conclusion. It's sort of like a miniature puzzle watching this series, not as great as other shows or movies but very entertaining and different from what we're used to. Spike TV should do more shows like this to go along with their UFC Fights/Specials and many Cop reality shows and help balance out their selection even further.

The six 'episodes' are:

1: Who's Afraid of Mr. Wolf - A group of ex-soldiers rob a bank but the heist goes wrong and they end up in the bank taking hostages.
The situation in the bank takes a turn for the worse when police turn off the electricity and Wolf threatens to kill a hostage.

2: No Meringue - The new FBI negotiator has no intention of giving into more demands, Wolf is trying to get a birthday cake for one of the hostages. There are negotiations with the rich father of one of the hostages.

3: Pro Patria - Horst isn't sure he can trust Mr. Wolf after certain events. Alan Beck contacts Mr. Wolf as the getaway driver comes up with a change in plans.

4: Visiting Hours - Horst and Mr. Wolf have some unexpected guests. As Horst interrogates one of Wolf's former partners, the hostages are up to something.

5: The Great Ape Escape - Horst investigates one of Wolf's former friends, and makes a surprising discovery; an extraction plan is conceived of.

6: The Devil's Zoo - Mr. Rabbit takes over the role of leader as Wolf struggles with his emotions. Mr. Rabbit's leadership scares everyone including Capt. Horst who starts to think of new ways to get everyone out safely.

I thought this series was entertaining and recommend those who like bank robbery movies or good cop/criminal drama pick it up or find a way to watch it. It's fairly cheap but only has the six episodes, in the end it comes down to how appealing it sounds to you. Personally I loved it.

I love both of these actors so this was very eye catching. I felt like I didnt want to look away for anything.

This series was memorable enough for me to decide it's worth owning. I had never seen Donnie Wahlberg in his band, nor did I think about wars past or present. I went along for the ride and enjoyed every minute. It's fair to say if you can't immerse yourself in something you're probably not going to fully enjoy it. However, it would be nice if people didn't give one star "reviews" due to faulty product or shipment problems.

When I saw the few 2 and 3 star ratings I knew I needed to give my opinion on this set. Although it is cheaply priced, it is worth every penny. Without going into major detail about the story, the plot is simple, a bank robbery started by several discharged US Soldiers from the second gulf war goes bad. The only thing that almost turned me off from this series was Donnie Wahlberg (more famous for New Kids on the Block than as an actor) plays a police negotiator. But somehow the strange tale and Donnie's performance works. However, what really makes the story work is they ended it nicely. You are never left wondering what happened to any character in this show. For that alone I give the producers 5 stars. At least it is lot better than some of the television shows that leave you hanging on a cliff (like the last episode of My Name Is Earl).

I don't even know exactly where to begin. I just finished watching the finale on Spike and all I can really say about it is wow. Well, I suppose that isn't ALL I can say about it. The interplay between John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg is magnificent. Every actor performed excellently and made the story real. There were twists throughout the whole thing as well. Some of them were a bit predictable but there were others that will keep you guessing. It is definitely one of those series that made you root for the "bad" guys. I say bad in quotes here because while Leguizamo and his crew are the robbers/hostage takers, there is a sense of desperation behind their motives, as if there were an injustice done to these men and perhaps if certain events went down different they would be regarded as heroes. It relies heavily on the murky distinction between right and wrong. It is well worth watching and I would definitely buy it if it were to come out on DVD. Odds are that I'll buy it unboxed until it comes out on DVD.

Great action and good drama. Like a short dose of 24. Lot's of fun.

I can watch this over and over. DDub is outstanding as usual and soooo hot to look at. Great script/story line. love it!

This is a great series. John Leguizamo may be a comedian originally but he shows here that he has the ability to be serious and does well at it. Then there's Donnie Wahlberg......NKOTB...what can I say? He's a cop again and why not, he's good at it. I'm just sad because I thought the days of singing in the boy band was behind him. I guess now that all his fans are over 18 there is a lot more than can be done..........giggitty