Ten years before this film was released, Samuel L Jackson was running round New York after being forced to help Bruce Willis in the third Die Hard film following him being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now he's the renegade cop (ATF agent) out to bring justice after the death of his partner, while being suspected of being part of what happened.
However, while in 1995 he was the angry accomplice to an equally angry badge holder, here he's forced to work with Eugene Levy - probably best known as Jims dad in the American Pie films - and he basically plays the same role; a family man living in middle America, this time working as a dental salesman, who's more used to fitting in with the rules than acting against them. He's almost too nice for a guy caught up in something were people have died.
Samuel L is his usual cool self, especially how he deals with other officers, and his car isn't the standard issue Crown Victoria. As usual, he's extremely watchable. It's just how the polite Levy gets caught up in the middle of it and he behaves in the midst of all this action that gets a little grating. I mean, fart jokes? Samuel L Jackson may have bad things to the inside of Meat Loaf in the 51st State, but who wants to see Jules Winnfield gagging if Vincent Vega ate a Royale (without cheese)?
Luke Goss makes a decent adversary for what is a buddy film between Jackson and Levy learning how to act more like the other; he's basically a business man with a gun. Miguel Ferrer, as IA Agent Peters, makes for more of an interesting "bad guy", with his single minded mission.
It's a good film. A bit washy in places and formulaic to get cheap laughs, but it gets the job done.
It's a good film. A bit washy in places and formulaic to get cheap laughs, but it gets the job done.