The Lloyd are the ordinary middle class American family beset by normality and dullness. Young son Chris' feelings that his daddy is a materialist, staid cop-out. But a great surprise waits for young Chris, Matt Dillon, as his mother, Gayle Hunnicutt - who married David Hemmins-, is abducted in Paris, as, nowadays, someone is out to settle an old score against Hackman, seeking vengeance . It results to be that years ago his father, Gene Hackman, was a CIA agent. They travel to Paris and later Berlin where both of them are welcomed with a lot of distresses and dangers. As father and son dodge bullets, take on glamorous enemies and double-agents in their hunt for the kidnapped mother. As several international organisations out to destroy them as they are welcomed by hails of bullets, routine chases, explosions and all kind of mysteries.
A regular foray into the world international espionage dealing with father-son relationship and paced in fits and starts. This is a spy thriller with noisy action, crossfire, pursuits, and emotion that sets in similar style to any run-of-the-mill Spy movies of the Sixties when this genre was in its splendor. Poor and routine plot, and middlingly scripted by Howard Berk, as well as too long. Even here, though, it does not dig deep enough. An average thriller, to be sure, but far less intelligent and ambitious than most Arthur Penn's films. Gene Hackman gives a good acting, as usual, as ordinary dad and husband who slips into a figurative phone booth and emerges as a former Cia agent when his better half is missing. Being well accompanied by a very young newcomer Matt Dillon and a decent support cast as Gayle Hunnicutt, Guy Boyd and Joseph Sommer.
It packs an anticlimatic and lousy musical score by Michael Small. And atmospheric cinematography by the prestigious French cameraman Jean Tournier, but a perfect remastering being really necessary. The motion picture was regularly directed by Arthur Penn. Disappointing to find a filmmaker of Penn's standing and category associated with a movie that arranges its monotonous pursuits, shots and blowing ups well enough, but is otherwise strictly for buffs of the two main actors. Arthur was a good Hollywood director who got a lot of hits. His first film was The left-handed gun, a Billy the Kid biography starred by Paul Newman. He directed all kinds of genres as drama, Thriller, Western, and mystery, such as : The chase with Marlon Brando , Mickey one, Miracle of Anna Sullivan, Little big man, Missouri, Alice restaurant, Giorgia, Night moves and Death of Winter . His greatest film was Bonnie and Clyde.He also directed for TV , as he made Flesh and Blood and episodes of TV Playhouse and TV playwright. Rating 5. 5/10. Mediocre. The movie will appeal to Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon fans.
A regular foray into the world international espionage dealing with father-son relationship and paced in fits and starts. This is a spy thriller with noisy action, crossfire, pursuits, and emotion that sets in similar style to any run-of-the-mill Spy movies of the Sixties when this genre was in its splendor. Poor and routine plot, and middlingly scripted by Howard Berk, as well as too long. Even here, though, it does not dig deep enough. An average thriller, to be sure, but far less intelligent and ambitious than most Arthur Penn's films. Gene Hackman gives a good acting, as usual, as ordinary dad and husband who slips into a figurative phone booth and emerges as a former Cia agent when his better half is missing. Being well accompanied by a very young newcomer Matt Dillon and a decent support cast as Gayle Hunnicutt, Guy Boyd and Joseph Sommer.
It packs an anticlimatic and lousy musical score by Michael Small. And atmospheric cinematography by the prestigious French cameraman Jean Tournier, but a perfect remastering being really necessary. The motion picture was regularly directed by Arthur Penn. Disappointing to find a filmmaker of Penn's standing and category associated with a movie that arranges its monotonous pursuits, shots and blowing ups well enough, but is otherwise strictly for buffs of the two main actors. Arthur was a good Hollywood director who got a lot of hits. His first film was The left-handed gun, a Billy the Kid biography starred by Paul Newman. He directed all kinds of genres as drama, Thriller, Western, and mystery, such as : The chase with Marlon Brando , Mickey one, Miracle of Anna Sullivan, Little big man, Missouri, Alice restaurant, Giorgia, Night moves and Death of Winter . His greatest film was Bonnie and Clyde.He also directed for TV , as he made Flesh and Blood and episodes of TV Playhouse and TV playwright. Rating 5. 5/10. Mediocre. The movie will appeal to Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon fans.