"The Negotiator" is yet another generic "Die Hard" clone crossed with "Speed" mixed with "The Fugitive" and, for fun, a dose of "Dog Day Afternoon," action thriller. The difference is in the ebullient casting.
Samuel L. Jackson is Danny Roman, an admired hostage negotiator who is framed for a murder he didn't commit. Really? In a stunning reversal of roles, Danny decides to hold some hostages in an office building, including the late, great J.T. Walsh as a seemingly corrupt Internal Affairs chief, and the hilariously nervous chatter of Paul Giamatti (best known as Pig Vomit in "Private Parts"), as a credit-card fraud artist. Has Danny gone too far off the violent end, or will a smooth-talking negotiator, Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey), defuse him and his actions?
To see the dynamic Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey together is a real treat, and some of the dialogue between them and the hostages tingles with excitement and true fervor. But director F. Gary Gray ("Friday") can't resist throwing in a few action scenes and broken glass to distract from the power of the dramatic confrontations, and the movie ends with a pat, stupid conclusion that looks more like last-minute revising and intervention by a committee than a screenwriter's block. Not half-bad, and worth it for Spacey and Jackson's performances, but still - as ordinary as thrillers get.
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E-mail me with any questions, comments or general complaints at jerry@movieluver.com or at Faust667@aol.com
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