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DVD Talk review of 52 Pickup

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DVD Talk review of 52 Pickup

Old 07-14-07, 06:25 AM
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JM1
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DVD Talk review of 52 Pickup

Personally I like this movie, I always thought it was one of the better Cannon produced movies from that period , and as we al know there were some clunkers.

I liked it primarily because I thought the portrayal's of the villains were interesting and quirky, and it did have some interesting twists on the usual victim-turning-the-tables-on-kidnapper scenario.

John Glovers slimy, irritating surfer-dude punk is one of his best performances, perfectly realised to such a degree that you really wanted to reach inside the screen and slap him. It's a shame he kind of degenerated into tv guest star roles.

Robert Trebor's nervous, jumpy and ultimately doomed Leo was also fairly impressive.

But I really don't know how you can review this movie and not make some reference to Clarence Williams III's excellent and coolly menacing Bobby Shy. He initially comes across as a badly dressed, shambling, softly spoken character. But he is prone to bouts of shocking and ferocious violence that really take you by surprise - there is a determinination and ruthlessness about him, the way he opten starts what appears to be a casual and innocent conversation or line of questioning, and at the end of it someone usually ends up dead or severely injured. Williams's invests the role with a level of intensity rarely seen, and really made the character stand out from the rest for me.

But there are also a few aspects of the review I have issues with - namely the reviewers distaste at the torture and killing scene near the beginning. Yes, it's shocking but I would not call it over the top or exploitative. Scenes of intense violence and horror in movies of this type if done correctly, merely serve to make the central character/hero's determination to succeed more understandable and believable.

I also disagree with the comments on the films score - partly because I don't think it's that bad anyway, but partly because it's not all synthesiser based at all - the main theme, which is used a lot throughout the film is primarily sax, piano, bass, drums etc. I know a lot of scores from 80's movies can sound a little cheesy now, but you have to put in into context - back then that was perfectly acceptable. And I also don't see what involvement Cannon films had with the movie score at all.

And talking of Cannon films, there is yet another disparaging comment re the canno films logo and people booing it which I really don't see has any relevance to this film. Cannon films only produced this movie, they did not direct it, John Frankenheimer did.

Does the reviewer perhaps still hold some predjudice against the production company and their well-known sub-par 80's output, and are they possibly allowing this to colour their review?

Now, I have no problem with anyone not liking a movie I did, and my opinion is no more or less valid than anyone elses - but when factors such as a reviews personal distaste for what they consider to be unnaceptable torture/violence scenes and comments regarding the production company are brought in, does this make for a balanced and fair review of the movie?
Old 07-28-07, 01:17 AM
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Bump.

93 views and no one else has an opinion on this? No one else like this movie?

Thought at least I may have prompted a reply from the original reviewer...
Old 07-28-07, 09:47 AM
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I've always liked the film. One of the best for great villains and IMO the best movie ever made from an Elmore Leonard crime novel (I think many of the others are overrated).

I had an R2 of the film before but picked up the R1 when it was released.

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