Coming home from work tonight, I felt like I needed three things: a beer, a film and a woman. Sadly, only the middle of the three was a viable option (I'm at work early tomorrow) and so I settled for the only film that finished at a sensible time: "Metro". And even though it was an Eddie Murphy vehicle from the Nineties, I enjoyed it far more than I should have.
"Metro" has an extremely basic story at it's centre: hostage negotiator Scott Roper (Murphy) incurs the wrath of jewel thief Michael Korda (Michael Wincott) who then proceeds to pursue Roper and his girlfriend (Carmen Ejogo) with murderous intent. Throw in a clichéd car chase (well, it is set in San Fransisco) and a typically climatic face-off at the end and it's plain to see that "Metro" does nothing new for the action cop movie - something you'd expect Murphy to do, given that he plays action-cop-extraordinaire Axel Foley in the "Beverly Hills Cop" series. In truth, it's difficult to decide whether this is a good movie badly done or a terrible movie well made.
I've made my mind up: it's an average movie. Despite flashes of goodness, "Metro" wallows in stereotype and imitates every action movie gone before. The baddie who just keeps coming back, the attack on Murphy's girlfriend, the loser cop who comes good in the end. We've all seen these done to death and I, for one, have no desire to see them again. I admit, it was a brave decision casting Murphy as the lead. Many, including myself, thought he was finished when the Eighties did (at least, until "Shrek" came along) and he does look like a fat Snoop Dogg in this, which doesn't help. The other brave decision was making the romantic lead English, which doesn't happen every day.
Other than that, this is strictly by-the-numbers. Why does every action film in San Fransisco feature a runaway tram? Why does it always rain when things don't go right for loser-cop hero, especially when their partner and best buddy gets taken down? Why does every car in San Fransisco fly instead of drive? I could go on but it's late and I'm tired. Plus, my typing is keeping my flatmate up. Basically, "Metro" is a good enough film but never threatens to get above "OK". No ambition and little enthusiasm and it shows.
"Metro" has an extremely basic story at it's centre: hostage negotiator Scott Roper (Murphy) incurs the wrath of jewel thief Michael Korda (Michael Wincott) who then proceeds to pursue Roper and his girlfriend (Carmen Ejogo) with murderous intent. Throw in a clichéd car chase (well, it is set in San Fransisco) and a typically climatic face-off at the end and it's plain to see that "Metro" does nothing new for the action cop movie - something you'd expect Murphy to do, given that he plays action-cop-extraordinaire Axel Foley in the "Beverly Hills Cop" series. In truth, it's difficult to decide whether this is a good movie badly done or a terrible movie well made.
I've made my mind up: it's an average movie. Despite flashes of goodness, "Metro" wallows in stereotype and imitates every action movie gone before. The baddie who just keeps coming back, the attack on Murphy's girlfriend, the loser cop who comes good in the end. We've all seen these done to death and I, for one, have no desire to see them again. I admit, it was a brave decision casting Murphy as the lead. Many, including myself, thought he was finished when the Eighties did (at least, until "Shrek" came along) and he does look like a fat Snoop Dogg in this, which doesn't help. The other brave decision was making the romantic lead English, which doesn't happen every day.
Other than that, this is strictly by-the-numbers. Why does every action film in San Fransisco feature a runaway tram? Why does it always rain when things don't go right for loser-cop hero, especially when their partner and best buddy gets taken down? Why does every car in San Fransisco fly instead of drive? I could go on but it's late and I'm tired. Plus, my typing is keeping my flatmate up. Basically, "Metro" is a good enough film but never threatens to get above "OK". No ambition and little enthusiasm and it shows.