RICOCHET
A film review by Ken Johnson
Copyright 1991 Ken Johnson
95 min, R, Action, 1991 Director: Russell Mulcahy Cast: Denzel Washington, John Lithgow, Ice-T, Kevin Pollak, Lindsay Wagner
Criminal Lithgow is planning to get into big time crime with a killing at a carnival. Rookie cop Washington is there and stops him, and subsequently becomes famous because of it. Lithgow is sent to prison where he follows Washington's career with intent to ruin Washington's career, like he ruined his.
RICOCHET is rated R for graphic violence, explicit language, and female nudity. I give RICOCHET a four (on a zero to five scale). I highly recommend this film for anyone who likes action films, but a word of caution for people with weak stomachs; the violence in the film gets quite gory at some points. I do suggest that you go to see the film in the theater for, like most films, RICOCHET will lose some of it's impact on video it is well worth the $6.75 admission price (or whatever it is where you are).
RICOCHET is a very good action film (but not in the league of TANGO & CASH, which happens to be my favorite action film). After the very beginning the first half is sort of like a prison drama then it goes back to an action film.
The basic thing that I didn't like about the film is the lack of time that Ice-T got in the film. This is rapper Ice-T's second film, the first being NEW JACK CITY. He shows up only briefly in the beginning and he shows up again near the end of the film. Although the critics seem not to like Ice- T's acting I feel that he has good acting ability and he has the ability to put humor into a role. I was upset also that he only did one song for the movie, for the end credits.
The other complaint about the film is that I think that they could have picked someone a little more sinister for John Lithgow's role. For instance I think that John Glover (from 52 PICK-UP) would have been a much better bad guy. At some points in the film John Lithgow didn't seem to really be as cruel and as heartless as his character was supposed to be. In addition Lithgow's partner (I didn't catch who played him) didn't fit his role at all.
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