The Rocketeer (Touchstone Pictures, 1991)
Timothy Dalton as Neville Sinclair
I like this period love letter to the pulps of the 30's and 40's; I wish I loved it. Perhaps another viewing on Blu-Ray will turn the trick - we'll see. But regardless, it's a beautifully mounted cinematic version of Dave Stevens's graphic novel, with an impeccable cast - including Timothy Dalton as the Errol Flynn-like Neville Sinclair - a swashbuckling Hollywood hero with a dark secret...
The Fourth Protocol (Lorimar, 1987)
Pierce Brosnan as Valeri Petrovsky
After losing the 007 role to Timothy Dalton due to his commitments to go back to Remington Steele for NBC, Pierce Brosnan jumped into some movie roles meant to show his tougher side. One of the best examples to show his Bondworthiness was The Fourth Protocol, which cast him as Russian agent Petrovsky, a coldblooded killer in England, matching wits with another world weary middle aged spy played by the man who cornered the market on them in the 80's, Michael Caine. It's a pretty good movie too!
Road to Perdition (Dreamworks, 2002)
Daniel Craig as Connor Rooney
I didn't see this one for a while; I couldn't quite picture Tom Hanks as a merciless killer. After Daniel Craig appeared in Casino Royale I went back and watched it. I liked it - I've always enjoyed Max Allan Collins's gangster pastiches - but I never did really buy Hanks as a merciless killer. But Daniel Craig did a fine job as Paul Newman's weasel son.
And there you go! It's kind of nice to know that everyone who has played my favorite movie hero has had a chance to see how the other half lives at least once!
Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!
I would disagree mightily, my friend. Hanks' Sullivan was absolutely merciless, relentless and righteous. I bought into him hook, line and sinker. This was perhaps Hanks' finest performance ever in a film and certainly my all time favorite of his characters.
ReplyDeleteCraig's character, on the other hand, was a total puke as my dad would say. I wanted him to die while slowly being dismeboweled, I hated him so much in this movie. God, he made my skin crawl with his cowardice. I wanted Michael's son to have a chance to gut him like the pig he was. Then I wanted a shot at him, too. LOL And boy was he ever Newman's bitch.
Road to Perdition was shot near my neighborhood at the Florence Hotel in Pullman. What a treat!
My love for 30s to 50s pulp fiction was done right in Rocketeer (along with other period pulp hero films out there; ala The Shadow and The Phantom), I just don't get why a lot of people hated it.
ReplyDeleteMB - Don't get me wrong - I really enjoyed the movie, but I had trouble with Hanks in that role. This is one where a second viewing would probably change my mind. But you, me and your dad agree - Daniel Craig's character was a TOTAL PUKE and you just wanted him to die horribly right in front of your eyes. That's terrific that it shot so close to you - did you get to see any of it filmed?
ReplyDeleteK - Yeah, really, those are three pretty good pulp movies. Too bad they didn't get Doc Savage in there - I always thought Dolph Lundgren would have been perfect if they'd made the movie in the 1990s!
I did. I watched them film at night in Pullman. It was very exciting because I love that old hotel. I think Hanks was great because it was the antithesis of all the good guy roles he had. His performance took my total surprise.
ReplyDeleteFist bumps on the Daniel Craig character! We are in absolute accord on him. And I think it shocked me to see him playing such weak character and pulling it off. Road ws definitely a movie where Hanks and Craig gave their all against type. I think I've watched it like a dozen times. It's one of my favorite gangster pics.
um... I admit, I haven't seen any of them...
ReplyDeleteRocketeer was great as a period piece, but you're right. I'd never buy it. Too bad.
ReplyDelete