The Presidio (1988) - At an army base, the Presidio, an MP discovers a suspicious car parked outside a building on the base and signs of a break-in. While investigating the break-in she is shot dead by the intruders who then lead MPs and subsequently San Francisco police on a chase which results in two police officers being killed in a car crash. Police Inspector Jay Austin (Mark Harmon) is sent to the Presidio to investigate the crime. Austin used to be an MP at the Presidio and has a history with both the deceased and several of the officers on the base, including the provost marshal Lt. Colonel Caldwell (Sean Connery) who is also investigating the crime. Considering their past history, Austin and Caldwell do not get along well with each other, and Austin does not get along well with anybody at the base. Of course a growing relationship between Austin and Caldwell's daughter, Donna (Meg Ryan) does not help matters.
This is more of a mystery, or a police procedural, than a thriller. It is essentially two stories, a detective story and a romance, both of which are tepid at best. which is also my reaction to this movie. From a movie standpoint it hits its marks, so the story is there and it works. What is not there, to me, is tension. In many thrillers and mysteries there is a sense of danger, or essentially a threat to the investigator trying to solve the crime, but no such threat exists for our two frictional detectives (and I mean frictional) figuring out this case. Of course just as much time, or so it seems, is spent on the relationship developing, actually fully blown from the start, between Jay and Donna.
The Presidio lacks suspense and some elements of the story are head scratchers which most likely exist because they were on a list of things to include in a mystery movie regardless of whether they fit with the movie. The relationship between Jay and Donna is much the same as the mystery in that it springs to life suddenly. There really is no challenge or courage for the characters to face, and so it doesn't feel like much was accomplished in the end.
I give it 2 1/2 Daggers. It's a competent enough movie, but it is still lacking and I feel I wasted my time with it.
This is more of a mystery, or a police procedural, than a thriller. It is essentially two stories, a detective story and a romance, both of which are tepid at best. which is also my reaction to this movie. From a movie standpoint it hits its marks, so the story is there and it works. What is not there, to me, is tension. In many thrillers and mysteries there is a sense of danger, or essentially a threat to the investigator trying to solve the crime, but no such threat exists for our two frictional detectives (and I mean frictional) figuring out this case. Of course just as much time, or so it seems, is spent on the relationship developing, actually fully blown from the start, between Jay and Donna.
The Presidio lacks suspense and some elements of the story are head scratchers which most likely exist because they were on a list of things to include in a mystery movie regardless of whether they fit with the movie. The relationship between Jay and Donna is much the same as the mystery in that it springs to life suddenly. There really is no challenge or courage for the characters to face, and so it doesn't feel like much was accomplished in the end.
I give it 2 1/2 Daggers. It's a competent enough movie, but it is still lacking and I feel I wasted my time with it.
Availability
No comments:
Post a Comment