Going to Kansas City (1998) User Reviews

Good directing

[haggar · 7/10 · 15 March 2002]

This is a romantic drama peppered with some music. And a bit of a thriller. It seems to me that almost all profiles of audience should find some amusement in it.

The plot is really the least original part of this movie, but I wouldn't dismiss it completely. The acting was OK and the director did a fantastic job with what he had at hand. Good control with some moments of inspiration salvage this movie and bring out the fun factor as much as the plot could permit. I wish to see more movies crafted under the direction of Pekka Mandart, aided perhaps by more fortunate scripts.

Ehh

[ccscd212 · 3/10 · 18 December 2004]

Wow, this wasn't good. The script is pretty much forgettable with some painfully ridiculous moments. Not to mention the dialog. In fact, this is the most cliché "American" film I've ever seen coming from a European director. I just don't understand why the director would want to make a film like this. American farm life, gun laws, the type of xenophobia the film deals with - not issues that a Finnish director should be concerned with, in my opinion. The universal motives are there, but don't stand a chance to salvage this mess of a script. Thanks to some fine acting by Ironside and a select few others, it's not a total waste of time. Almost, though. I'm not ready to write off the director based on this, but I surely won't be standing in line when his next film premiers.

finnish film:

[vasse · 10/10 · 14 November 1998]

I think it's wonderful that this film is finnish film, directed by finnish man and the man in the leading role is MIKKO NOUSIAINEN, who is very good actor and also very handsome! I liked the film very much and I'd like to recommend it to everyone. I hope that finnish film industry could rise to common awareness in the future! (also with the film)

Forgotten gem

[j-jameson · 8/10 · 7 April 2010]

I saw this movie way back when it first came out and I found it really good back then (well, what can I say, I was younger). Now I happened to see this again and decided to come in here IMDb to drop a few lines about it.

First of all this movie looks a bit like all Finnish movies did back in the 90s. I don't know if the director is Finnish or how is this movie Finnish influenced, but I have to say its definitely way above the average Finnish movie made in the 90s.

This movie has its faults. From time to time it looks quite amateur made, acting is a bit bad in some scenes and the plot could be far more twisted. Anyways, Going to Kansas city had me hooked on the 2nd viewing as it did on first over 10 years ago. Well this is a test that only a truly good movie will pass.

I watch about 200 movies a year and Going to Kansas city was ones that really kept me interested from beginning till the end.