The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

2.5 out of 4

Starring: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Craig Bierko, David Morse, Yvonne Zima, Brian Cox, Patrick Malahide

Director: Renny Harlin

Time: 120 mins

Writer Shane Black forged his reputation on the first two Lethal Weapon films. With their popular formula of mismatched buddies, humour, and plenty of blazing shootouts, car chases, and explosions, Black became known as the white-hot action movie writer. He would go on to script (and earn a reputed $1.75 million in the process) the Bruce Willis actioner The Last Boy Scout (1991), which again paired a couple of mismatched protagonists with lots of explosions and associated mayhem. He then hit a speedhump with the well-chronicled flop The Last Action Hero (1993), a film that also damaged the reputations of director John McTiernan (Die Hard) and star Arnold Schwarzenegger. The 1996 film, The Long Kiss Goodnight, was a comeback of sorts, not only for Black, but also star Geena Davis and director Renny Harlin, who had a well-chronicled flop of their own with the poorly conceived pirate flick Cutthroat Island. The Long Kiss Goodnight contains the usual Shane Black ingredients: mismatched heroes; slick, humorous lines; and frequent wild action. It's also fairly uneven for a film that's described as action-packed - there is lots of action, but these bits come in sporadic clumps. Indeed, there's hardly any action at all during the first half hour. The finale is rousing, but ultimately the film is not the thrill-a-minute ride that classics like Die Hard and Speed are.

The first time I saw The Long Kiss Goodnight I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. The story plodded along relatively slowly, punctuated with the occasional gunfight and explosion. Viewing it a second time was definitely a more enjoyable experience. This is because I knew the story already and didn't have to "wait" for the action to start. Obviously not all films have to rush from start to finish with all guns firing, but the trailer had promised an exciting, explosive film. With the second viewing I was able to appreciate the gunfights and explosions, as well as the characters and settings (Harlin seems to relish filming in snowy locations - look no further than his work in Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger). The action scenes won't have you gripping your seats, but there is a visceral element to them that is reminiscent of Paul Verhoeven's in-your-face style. It's not surprising that both directors honed their craft in Europe.

The plot is based on an intriguing premise. Schoolteacher Samantha Caine (Davis) lives a relatively peaceful existence in a small town with her daughter Caitlin (Yvonne Zima). There's only one problem: Sam doesn't really know who she is, having suffered amnesia eight years ago. She hires private eye Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson) to dig up her history. When an assassin comes calling, Sam and Mitch realise they must dig deeper, even as they dodge the bullets from a bunch of terrorists headed by Timothy (Craig Bierko) and Luke (David Morse). When they find out what the terrorists have in store for a town near the US-Canada border, the real Sam surfaces, and all hell breaks loose.

The climactic action sequence is definitely the most impressive for pyrotechnics. Indeed, what happens on the bridge can only be described as "massive". The characters are more problematic, however. Sam Caine is almost superhuman at times, and after a while it undermines any suspense there may have been in the action scenes. This is Geena Davis' second attempt at an action heroine (following Cutthroat Island), and while she's physically tough and adept, her character sometimes changes mood too rapidly. One moment she resents her daughter; the next she's rescuing her. Mitch Henessey is more likable, though it's a character that Jackson can probably do in his sleep. He also gets the chance to utter several lines that only Samuel, in his own unique and humorous way, can. Bierko snarls and is convincingly evil, but versatile Morse (Contact, The Negotiator) is underused.

The Long Kiss Goodnight could have been a great action picture. The story is interesting, and the action, once it gets going, fairly kinetic. Only some uneven pacing and a lack of true excitement let it down. It's undemanding entertainment, to be sure, but in the end, if that's what you're after, you could do a lot worse.

(c) Joe Wong (12 December 2000)