Assassins [Blu-ray]

Director: Richard Donner Richard Donner

Overview

Lethal Weapon director Richard Donner helms this action-adventure yarn in which Robert Rath (Sylvester Stallone), a veteran, burned-out hit man for hire who's looking to leave his profession, meets a younger, crazier, more ambitious competitor, Miguel Bain (Antonio Banderas), who is out to best Rath and make him a target in the process. Rath signs on for one last hit, but complications ensue when he falls in love with the mark, a beautiful, mysterious woman named Electra (Julianne Moore). Bain sets out to murder Electra as well, and the chase leads the two assassins into a deadly game of wits that takes them from Seattle to Puerto Rico. Critics and audiences both turned away from this thriller, which was co-scripted by Bound writer/directors Larry and Andy Wachowski and L.A. Confidential screenwriter Brian Helgeland.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/16/2011
UPC:	0883929184835
Original Release:	1995
Rating:	R
Source:	Warner Home Video
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:13:00
Sales rank:	13,128

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Sylvester Stallone	Robert Rath
Antonio Banderas	Miguel Bain
Julianne Moore	Electra
Muse Watson	Ketcham
Steve Kahan	Alan Branch(as Stephen Kahan)
Kelly Rowan	Jennifer, Electra's Neighbor
Reed Diamond	Bob
Kai Wulff	Remy
Kerry Skalsky	Buyer with Remy
James Douglas Haskins	Buyer with Remy
John Harms	Cop
Edward J. Rosen	Cemetery Caretaker
Christina Orchid	Dowager,Cabbie
Sue Carolyn Wise	Obnoxious Woman in Elevator
Ron Ben Jarrett	Maintenance Man at Marriott Hotel
Marian Collier	Eugene & Danny's Pet Supply Lady

Technical Credits

Richard Donner	Director,Producer
Dino De Laurentiis	Executive Producer
Lauren Shuler-Donner	Executive Producer
Bruce A. Evans	Producer
Raynold Gideon	Producer,Producer
Joel Silver	Producer
Jim Van Wyck	Producer
Norval D. Crutcher Jr.	Sound Editor
Petur Hliddal	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Assassins has a pretty low profile for a movie featuring so much talent. Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas may not strike a viewer as A-level properties, but consider that Julianne Moore is their co-star, Richard Donner is their director, Joel Silver is their producer and Andy and Larry Wachowski are their screenwriters, in the Wachowskis' first produced screenwriting/story credit. The movie delivers surprisingly well, given its apparent status as a throwaway actioner from the mid-90s. Assassins is one of those extended games of cat and mouse, where it's a joy just seeing smart people do clever things to get the upper hand and/or survive. To their credit, Stallone and Banderas successfully sell the idea that they're smart enough to do these smart things. This is key, because it grounds an otherwise sensational plot. A surprising amount of Assassins is cerebral, with lengthy breaks between action set pieces, and plenty of time devoted to letting strategic maneuvers play themselves out. That said, the action scenes are also pretty compelling. Banderas and Stallone repeatedly come in close proximity without actually being able to eliminate the other person, as in one tete-a-tete carried out from opposite sides of the bulletproof glass inside a taxi cab. Moore holds her own as the wild card in their epic reciprocal manhunt; she's the expert on a disk of encrypted data that serves as the requisite MacGuffin. Perhaps the most surprising element of Assassins is that it runs two hours and 12 minutes, yet doesn't feel indulgent. That's simply the amount of time needed to build the story to where it's going: a tension-filled climax whose denouement is only slightly disappointing. Given how Assassins was overlooked by critics and audiences, it's amazing there isn't more there to disappoint us.

All Movie Guide