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Bad Company
Following closely on the heels of “The Sum of All Fears” is Jerry Bruckheimer’s “Bad Company,” which again features an American city threatened by the detonation of a stolen nuclear weapon. This time it’s an action comedy. There will be a time when the smiles vanish. It was made before 9/11 (its original autumn 2001 release was delayed for obvious reason), but even before that, everyone knew nuclear terrorism was possible. While “The Sum of all Fears” deals with the subject in a semi-serious manner (up until its shockingly inappropriate end), “Bad Company” is much more light-hearted about it. Ho, ho.
The nuclear device itself is really only a McGuffin: It could be anything as long as bad guys want it and good guys fight to keep them from having it. The film represents a clash between three well-worn genres: Misfit Partners, Fish Out of Water and Mistaken Identity. After Chris Rock’s character is killed in an opening scene we learn he had a twin brother named Jake Hayes; they were separated at birth and never knew about each other. The first was adopted by a rich family, went to Ivy League schools and joined the CIA; Jake is a ticket scalper and chess hustler who is infatuated with a nursing student (Kerry Washington).
One flaw in Joel Schumacher’s film directing is that too many pre-fabricated story elements are crammed into its running time. For instance, consider the training sequence where Rock has nine days to perfect his dead brother’s mannerisms and absorb his knowledge odd that most coaching sessions have him learning how to recognize fine vintages of wine or evaluate ancient cognacs will he be dining with terrorists? Meanwhile he’s apparently expected to learn Czech from a tossed dictionary on his bunk.
His CIA minder is Gaylord Oakes (Anthony Hopkins), spookily calm veteran operative whose plan substitutes this twin for the other in sting operation designed to buy back stolen nuclear device. When another would-be buyer enters picture, film descends into lengthy series of chase scenes well enough done but too many and too long.
Hopkins plays right down middle hard edged serious while Rock has some effective straight played scenes but at other times goes into nonstop comic monologue funny yes but unlikely when shot at how can one think up all those one liners? Movie strategy makes every sequence stand alone no thought given overall tone whole film so we move deadly serious something approaching parody.
Of plot I can say nothing except created entirely whim stunts special effects chases action two competing teams would-be evil bomb buyers function entirely supply endless number guys fire machine guns lot hardly ever hit anything motive blow up New York scarcely discussed And could I believe my eyes Here in 2002 another red digital readout counting down zero just when I thought that cliche finally outlived viability
Kerry Washington plays the Rock’s girlfriend and is sincere and sweet in her role, but there are not many places for powerful female performances in a Bruckheimer flick. There’s no denying it was a nice paycheck, but Washington’s brilliant role in the shoplifting movie “Lift” which came from Sundance 2001 has still never been released.
Even less satisfying is Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon as the CNN reporter who was first twin’s girlfriend and recognizes him by his different kissing style; she vanishes entirely after an ironically appropriate descent down a laundry chute. (By the way: How do hotel guests or employees not appear during that shootout?) I can’t say I didn’t laugh at some parts of “Bad Company,” because I did.
But my fun came at intervals well separated by autopilot action scenes and stunts that had long since ceased to hold any interest for me. As for a nuclear device theme capable of destroying New York I suspect we won’t see much more than this generation of pre-9/11 films as they play out.
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