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Michael_Elliott 2012-05-22 01:12:11

Great Fun

Midnight Run (1988) **** (out of 4)Bounty hunter Jack Walsh (Robert DeNiro) tracks down a crookedaccountant (Charles Grodin) and soon the two are being chased by theFBI as well as a Mafia boss (Dennis Farina) and his hit men. There havebeen countless road/buddy movies since the dawn of cinema and it seemslike the 80's gave us all sorts of these and this one here is certainlyamong the best as it delivers a great number of laughs as well as somegreat action. The screenplay offers up a lot of wonderful dialogue andsituations even though the film does go on a tad bit too long. Whatreally keeps the film working so well are the incredibly performancesnot only by the two leads but also by the wonderful supporting cast.DeNiro gives one of the best performances of his career and it remainsproof that he could deliver plenty of laughs. His stern, smartasscharacter is one he perfectly nails and there's never a false moment toanything he does. DeNiro is wonderfully plays the laughs at the rightnote and really knows how to mix his style with that of Grodin's.Speaking of Grodin, to me this is the best thing he's ever done in hiscareer and it's that laid back nature of his that really sells hisrelationship with DeNiro. Taphet Kotto is marvelous as the FBI agent asis John Ashton as DeNiro's rival bounty hunter. Kotto, Ashton, Farinaand Joe Pantoliano really mix it up well with DeNiro and this hereleads to countless laughs. I think a lot of credit needs to go to thescreenplay for allowing us to get to know the characters. A lot ofthese buddy movies just featured single note characters but that'scertainly not the case here because by the end of the film you seem toreally know and understand DeNiro and Grodin's characters. The movieeven has some nice tension at the end when the bounty hunter and themob are meeting up to exchange things in a Las Vegas airport. This hereis certainly a busy genre but they don't get much better than this.With the caliber of acting and the tight direction this is certainly ahighly recommended film.

KingCool 2012-05-21 21:24:46

A cinematic masterpiece

Midnight Run is certainly in the running for the greatest film of alltime,along with Citizen Kane and Stick (starring Burt Reynolds). The fact thatthis cinematic masterpiece was overlooked for Best Picture angers me everytime I watch this film. The movie has a solid and proven director (MartyBrest, of Beverly Hills Cop fame) the greatest actor from 1970 on (RobertDeNiro) and a brilliant character actor (Charles Grodin). These elementswould be nothing without a breathtaking script, which focuses on the zanyadventure of Jack Walsh (De Niro), a grizzled bounty hunter out for onelastscore, and Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas, the accountant who embezzled 15million from the mob. Walsh will get $100,000 if he can get "The Duke"fromNew York to L.A. in a week (a midnight run). What ensues is a serious ofbrilliantly acted scenes (including stellar performances from JoePantoliano, Yaphet Kotto and Dennis Farina), incredible action sequences,and overall hilarity. I cannot say anything else about this film, exceptfor the fact that Robert De Niro gives his greatest comedic performance(forget the horrible Analyze This) and that the Academy ignored thisreallywonderful film

2012-05-20 03:27:33

A classic.

Rarely am I a fan of a movie enough to write a review on it, but this is my favorite. I don't remember how or when I first came to see this movie, but it's been a favorite for years. Grodin and De Niro are just great together, and that's what makes this a classic. From seeing some of Grodin's other movies, you might not think he is that funny, but this movie will make you long for more movies that can exploit his dry wit. I too have worn out my VHS tape of this movie, and am replacing it on DVD.

kevdoggy 2012-05-19 18:16:37

Hi-freaking-larious

Charles Grodin and Robert DeNiro together means great acting. Excellentscript. This thing is a hoot. Rent it, you will not regretit.Don't see it on TV because the swearing is integral.(Walsh got the f'ing Duke!)

Boba_Fett1138 2012-05-10 09:08:07

A fun movie.

This movie is excellent quality entertainment. It's cleverly written,with lots of side-plots and characters that all add to the fun andcomedy of the movie.It's definitely true that the movie side-plots and character do tend tomake the movie its plot unnecessary difficult to follow at times butall is forgiven really, since it are mostly that same side-plots andits characters in it that makes this movie perfectly good entertainmentto watch.The movie is very well written and has a fun story, in which bountyhunter Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) has to get a former mafia accountant(Charles Grodin) to L.A., to the bail bonder (Joe Pantoliano), theaccountant jumped bail from. During that travel, Jack and theaccountant are being chased themselves as well, by the Mafia, theF.B.I., another bounty hunter and a couple of other characters thatcross their path. Sounds complicated? Don't worry! This movie alsoworks well and entertaining with your brain switched off. This isthanks to the fun characters and actors that portray them, the goodcomical sequences and excellent written dialog.In essence "Midnight Run" is another mismatched buddy movie, like somany were made of, back in the '80's. This movie is better anddefinitely more entertaining than most of those movies due to the factthat the comedy feels non-forced and the story itself seems more cleverand well written.The power of this movie is also in its casting. Robert De Niro andCharles Grodin are great together, mainly due to the fact that they areso different and really don't match. It makes the humor andinteraction, also the more serious one, work out very well. YaphetKotto is also great in his role. He plays his character in a non-comedyway but his character, through it's seriousness, becomes veryhilarious. I mean just the subtle thing, like the way he slams the doorwhen he enters a room, is brilliant. Dennis Farina yet again plays atypical gangster role, like he can do best. Joe Pantoliano is alsoentertaining in an early role.The movie is well directed. Lots is happening in this movie, also withmany different side-plots but the movie never strays away from its mainplot. It makes the movie coherent and constant to watch, with a goodquick pace. Too bad that with "Gigli" director Martin Brest threw awaymost of his credit as director.The movie is actually quite simple made. It doesn't feature an awfullot of action or complicated sequences. It makes "Midnight Run" a fun'little movie' that offers some great entertainment. With all sequencesshot on location, standard camera-work and a simple musical score.Fun, well made movie.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

2012-05-09 15:30:23

De Niro's funniest movie, funnier than Analyze This and Meet the Parents

This Movie is exellent from start to finish. Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin are so funny together. De Niro is fed-up bounty hunter Jack Walsh. He is working for backstabbing Los Angeles Bail Bondsman Eddie Moscone played by Joe Pantoliano. Moscone agrees to pay big bucks to Walsh for bringing back mob accountant and bail jumper Jonathan (The Duke) Mardukas played by Charles Grodin. The Duke was in jail for stealing 15 million dollars from his employer, mobster Jimmy Cerano played by Dennis Farina, then giving the money to charity, then hiding from the angry mobster in NY after skipping bail. Walsh finds the Duke with the intent to bring him back to LA. The plot unfolds as Cerano wants to kill the Duke and meanwhile the FBI, lead by agent Alanzo Mosley played by Yaphet Kotto, also wants to find Mardukas to testify against Cerano. So, to get his money from the bail bondsman, Walsh must fight off Cerano, the FBI and an intrusive ignorant rival bounty hunter named Marvin Dorfler, played by John Ashton. As a result, the trip accross the country for Walsh and the Duke is a crazy, hilarious and exhausting trip. It is a trip to be remembered for sure. Grodin and DeNiro will be friends in the next life. The question is, how will the trip accross the country end in this life? Finding that out will make you laugh and keep you on the edge of your seat. Enjoy

2012-05-05 03:10:37

One of the best movies I have EVER seen

I'm not going to recap the movie because Amazon has already done that for you. All I can say is that this movie is outstanding! It is both a great action movie and a fantastic comedy movie. The blend is perfect. De Niro is hysterical and Grodin is the hilarious straight man. EVERY ONE of the characters is memorable. You will watch this movie over and over and over and find yourself quoting lines and/or scenes on a regular basis. One caution: there is no violence or sex but it definitely has pretty salty language.

gcameron 2012-05-04 18:56:23

Approaches perfection within its genre

Okay, a few things about "Midnight Run" have dated. It's got the inevitable'80s car chase, with five million cop cars pursuing De Niro and Grodin whilethey scream in anger at each other. It's also amazing how many felonies DeNiro commits in the course of the movie without ending up spending his lifein jail. But these plot points are part of the genre, and as long as we arewilling to suspend disbelief a bit, it's not a problem.On to the good things. The De Niro/Grodin chemistry is obviously very good-- this is probably De Niro's most successful comic performance, although hemostly plays the straight man. An absolutely first-rate supporting cast --including a hilarious Joe Pantoliano as well as Dennis Farina as a mob bossand the sublime Yaphet Kotto as an ever-more-put-upon FBI agent -- gives"Midnight Run" a richness of texture that puts it head and shoulders aboveother movies. I love the way these characters live out their roles withstyle and grace -- note De Niro's "inside joke" for Yaphet Kotto afterstealing an FBI car.Structurally, the script is excellent as well. The plot is very intricate-- it juggles 3 separate groups of people pursuing De Niro and Grodin (themob, the FBI, and a rival bounty hunter) while continuing to develop therelationship between the two leads in distinct stages. Things do lag a bitin late Act II -- I could have done without the scene where Grodin and DeNiro pose as FBI agents looking for counterfeit money -- but it's a minorquibble. Two superb dramatic scenes (the one where De Niro talks to hisex-wife, and the last scene in which he says goodbye to Grodin) round thingsout.Budding screenwriters take note: if you want to study a film that's afirst-rate example of the 3-act Hollywood movie done right, check out"Midnight Run." Anyone else, just watch it to have a goodtime.

2012-05-02 11:30:13

Definite "Guy" movie delivers the goods.

This is one of those movies that you will want to watch a number of times, making it an excellent addition to your home library. This film has too many memorable lines to mention, and moves through them at a fun pace. De Niro and Grodin play off of each other beautifully, and Dennis Farina is priceless as the mob boss. You'll quote this one as often as "Fletch" or "Spinal Tap". A real winner.

Tim Cox 2012-05-01 19:37:47

Midnight Run

DeNiro and Grodin are golden in this action packedcomedy about a bounty hunter (DeNiro) trying to make a big bundleof cash on bringing in a lowly accountant (Grodin) who stolemoneyfrom the mob. It gets harder for DeNiro when he learnsthat the mobster is an old acquaintance from the old days.DeNiro finds himself knee deep in trouble with the lawandthe mob and it's all entertaining. DeNiro shows a humorous side, whilestillkeeping the tough guy we love so much. There is great support from thealways exciting Dennis Farina as themob boss and John Ashton as a fellow bounty hunter out forabig score also. Martin Brest directs.

2012-05-01 05:28:28

Classic

This film is one of my all time favorite's and if you have never seen it, watch it. DeNiro is superb, Grodin is equally. Together with Yaphet Kotto and Joe Pantoliano is a cast that gives you none stop laughs and the twists just keep on coming. If you've seen it before, watch it again, you will love it all over.

2012-04-30 11:49:30

the best buddy action movie ever!

Remember the days when Robert De Niro doing a comedy was considered an anamoly? It's scary to think that there is a whole generation of filmgoers who are going to only known this great actor from generic comedies like Showtime and Analyze This. I guess it's all George Gallo's fault. He wrote the awesome screenplay for Midnight Run, which I'm sure is what attracted De Niro to the film in the first place.This is one of those super rare comedies that remains funny even after you've watched it a zillion times. The running gags (De Niro impersonating Yaphet Kotto's FBI agent) are never overused and even the minor characters (the two lunkhead gangster thugs who pursue De Niro and Grodin cross-country) are fully-realized and have their own scenes to shine.Of course, the number one reason why this film works so well and holds up to repeated viewings is the chemistry between De Niro and Grodin. At first, De Niro's hardened, jaded bounty hunter can't stand Grodin's anal-retentive, annoying accountant. However, as the two travel across country and escape from death several times, they begin to bond and almost become friends. The many scenes that De Niro and Grodin share are so good because they are given time to flesh out their respective characters and develop their relationship so that you actually care what happens to them. Yes, there are the requisite car chases and shoot-outs but not as many you see nowadays where it's all wall-to-wall action sequences with little to zero attention paid to character or decent dialogue.This was also Martin Brest's last great film. Since Midnight Run he's been absorbed by Hollywood and been the victim of several compromised films (Meet Joe Black, Scene of a Woman, Gigli) where his original vision was butchered by a studio that thought they knew better. Oh well...This DVD is good but could've had more extras added instead of the slim selection we get. Still, it's great to get a letterboxed copy of this film that had been long out of print on DVD. Do yourself and a favour and check this movie out. De Niro's never been funnier and Grodin's never been better. A comedic masterpiece.

the_mad_mckenna 2012-04-29 02:49:13

Are you doing the litmus configuration?

I was lucky enough to see this one in the theatre when it came out. MartinBrest is one of the truly underrated directors of his time for comedy - thisfilm just is PERFECT. A great road/buddy movie that is made for adults -more like "One flew over the cukoo's nest" than "cannonball run", really.All the supporting characters are great as well...Witness Dennis Farinatalking to his Vegas Lawyer, played by Philip Baker Hall (not the first timehe would be a guy in a suit in Vegas named Sidney!), Yaphet Kotto as afrustrated agent or Joe Pants as the shady Bail bondsman.The pacing, dialogue, story, acting, editing are all top notch - I just lovethis one.

Critical Eye UK 2012-04-28 14:34:45

Almost a winner

To hell with the pretentiousness of a Shyamalan or the increasinglymisplaced self-adulation of the Coens, 'Midnight Run' has no other purposein life other than to use the movie as a medium of entertainment. . . and itdoes. Oh boy; it does.Badly underrated on release and still unfairly under valued even now,'Midnight Run' is actually class-act film making, the narrative impeccablyengineered and the acting uniformly excellent throughout.Faults? Definitely, not the least of 'em being the gratuitous use ofprofanity: the movie's tone is such that it just doesn't need the endlessear-grating use four letter words -- 'Midnight Run' isn't about reality oranything remotely approaching it, so the insistence on so much gutterspeakis a major error.Set pieces though are gloriously handled, and the helicopter sequence isquite as good as anything in a Bond movie -- a genre that has managed quitewell without spraying profanities everywhere because it knows, and we know,none of it's real.9/10 then for 'Midnight Run', because as an exercise in how to develop amovie, to establish characters and plot trajectories, to bring 'em alltogether in a final wrap up and still leave space for a minor plot twist,it's of textbook quality. * I happened to see this as a late-night TV re-run, the day after watchingthe Coen's 'The Man Who Wasn't There'. 'Midnight Run' is everything that theCoen's work is not: it isn't self reverential, it isn't seeking to be acult, and above all, it knows how to tell a story with speed and with style.RECOMMENDED.

kyle-cruse 2012-04-27 14:07:14

Tons of fun

Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin make a perfect pair in "Midnight Run,"one of my personal favorites. Bounty hunter Jack Walsh (DeNiro) mustbring back "the Duke," (Grodin) a man who has run out while on bail.What results is a very funny trip across the country that transitionsfrom plane to train to automobile (no reference to another title).Nearly everything about this film is made funny, especially DeNirorepeatedly pretending to be an agent he met up with earlier andGrodin's attempt to act like an agent while the two of them rob astore. You will remember many lines after seeing this film, and you'llfind yourself laughing at more than you usually do in a movie. There'snot much more I can say about this film, as it must be seen tounderstand why it is so funny and worthwhile. I can almost guaranteethis movie has got something enjoyable for everyone. Nearly perfect.***1/2 out of ****

2012-04-27 12:36:38

This movie cracks my top5 all time favorite movie list!

I have seen this movie from beginning to end about 30 times. I have to see it atleast every 2 or 3 months. This is easily my favorite performance of Deniro! He is awesome as is Charles Grodin. A "Can't Miss" but be sure to watch the movie version and not the edited version for television. You'll love it and watch it for the rest of your life!

2012-04-24 17:48:49

Absolutely brilliant.

This the kind of the movie that you will likely watch far more than once. It is raw, it is funny, it's the kind of movie that leaves you feeling that you had as much fun (0r pain) as those starring in it. You feel like you're with them.Extremely entertaining, one of the best movies I have seen of its kind. The two main actors are wonderful together. I can't recommend it enough. The touches of humour through it, the very real touching human situations that are not over the top or nauseating.I cannot fault it, keeps you amused from beginning to end. And at times could have you in stitches.

2012-04-24 13:25:18

'Midnight Run': Overlooked and Unmatched.

What do you define as a classic comedy? "Animal House?" "Young Frankenstein?" How 'bout "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World?" Good choices, one and all. But how about something a little less obvious? I give you, "Midnight Run." No, it's not one you'd first think of, and in fact was overlooked during the AFI's recent celebration of Robert DeNiro's work. But "Midnight Run" IS a classic. Funny, intelligent, witty, this is a film for individuals whose sense of humor is matched by their i.q. and appreciation for perfect timing - something that DeNiro and co-star Charles Grotin display time and time again throughout this gem. Director Martin Brest perfectly tempers comedy with action in the tale of bounty hunter, Jack Walsh (De Niro) and 'white collar criminal,' Jonathan Mardukus, a.k.a. "the Duke" (Grotin), as they travel across the lower 49 in an attempt to get the Duke to his bail bondsman (cunningly portrayed by Joe Pantoliano). Brest avoids the pitfalls of creating a slap-stick, low-end comedy and pulls off a major win. He allows Robert DeNiro and Charles Grotin both shine as each other's foils. "Midnight Run" is a must for any movie collection.

2012-04-23 14:49:17

An amusing action adventure across America

"Midnight Run" is an action comedy genre film with a narrative that focuses on bounty hunter Jack Walsh's (Robert De Niro) cross country escapade with convicted creative accountant Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas (Charles Grodin). It is a journey of self-discovery for hardnosed Walsh, as The Duke reintroduces him to compassion, and a chance meeting with a daughter he hasn't seen in years. The steel heart of Walsh is continually eroded by the gentle and at times sneaky Duke, and their death defying adventure certainly brings out the best in both of them. Nicholas R.W. Henning - Australian Author Author of: Boomerang Baseball, The American Dream: From Perth to Sacramento, Brennan Cooper, and The Tourist

disdressed12 2012-04-22 23:29:22

decent enough

i liked this action/adventure/crime drama/lite comedy for the mostpart.there are a few moments where it lags,and i do think it was toolong.but otherwise.it's pretty good.it's not a rolling in the aislewith laughter kind of movie.but there are some witty and sarcastic oneliners.there are also some interesting characters.Robert De Niro andCharles Grodin play well off each other as the two main characters,andi really like Yaphet Kotto.one thing that lowered the quality of themovie for me though,was the excessive use of the F word and it'sderivatives.i'm no prude,but i just don't see the necessity for a filmto have crude language for no reason.otherwise,i thought it was prettydecent.for me,Midnight Run is a 6/10