METRO
A film review by Chuck Dowling
Copyright 1997 Chuck Dowling
Metro (1997) NO STARS out of ***** - C:Eddie Murphy, Michael Rapaport.
There are some people who think that Eddie Murphy is having a comeback. Then there are people like me, who believe Eddie Murphy hasn't made a good movie since 1988's "Coming To America". For those of you who believe he's having a comeback, the comeback is over.
Even though 1997 has barely begun, I seriously doubt there will be a movie as atrociously bad this year as "Metro". In all my years of movie-going, this was the very first time I had ever decided "enough is enough" and promptly walked out of the theater after one hour. And I'm surprised that I even lasted that long.
In "Metro", Eddie Murphy plays a hostage negotiator for the San Francisco police department. The plot (which really must have developed during the second hour because there's nothing going on in the first) involves something about an overacting villain who is involved in stolen jewelry. Oooo, a jewel thief, call the hostage negotiator! Early on, Murphy's buddy on the force is killed by the overacting villain (ooo, I've never seen that plot twist before) and Murphy gets to train a new partner (Rapaport plays the partner, in a plot twist I've never seen before). Also, Murphy keeps trying (pathetically) to woo back his ex-girlfriend. Will he catch the bad guy? Will he get his girl back? I could care less, but I guarantee you that he does.
There's also a car chase through the mountainous streets of San Francisco (say, I've never seen that before) which seems to contradict the whole movie. Well the first hour anyway. Murphy's character, who's such a dreary loser, somehow manages to convince us early on that his primary concern in a hostage situation is to save innocent lives. However, when he gives chase to the overacting villain, at least 100 people must get killed, maimed, or severely injured.
That calls attention to the tone of this movie. Do not attend this film if you are looking for a good time time at the movies. "Metro" is loud, unpleasant, dreary, and most of all, completely humorless. Funnyman Eddie Murphy decided not to be funny this time. There is one joke in the first hour, and its the Redd Foxx joke that's in every preview. His character is so drab and unlikable, I just can't figure why he would want to follow-up the success he had with "The Nutty Professor" with such an unoriginal, lifeless, brainless, disaster of a movie. It's not like the man is untalented, he just keeps picking one bad project after another. I will sincerely be shocked if "Metro" becomes a hit.
-- Chuck Dowling Visit Chuck's Movie Reviews at http://users.southeast.net/~chuckd21/ Over 1,600 movies rated and/or reviewed! Movie news, box office reports, film related links, and reader's polls and reviews.
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