Ricochet (1991)

An attorney is terrorized by the criminal he put away years ago when he was a cop.

Director:

Russell Mulcahy

Writers:

Fred Dekker (story), Menno Meyjes (story),

Stars:

Denzel Washington, John Lithgow, Ice-T

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Denzel Washington	...	Nick Styles
John Lithgow	...	Earl Talbot Blake
Ice-T	...	Odessa (as Ice T)
Kevin Pollak	...	Larry Doyle
Lindsay Wagner	...	DA Priscilla Brimleigh
Mary Ellen Trainor	...	Gail Wallens
Josh Evans	...	Kim
Victoria Dillard	...	Alice
John Amos	...	Reverend Styles
John Cothran	...	Councilman Farris (as John Cothran Jr.)
Linda Dona	...	Wanda (as Linda Doná)
Matt Landers	...	Chief Floyd
Lydell M. Cheshier	...	R.C.
Starletta DuPois	...	Mrs. Styles
Sherman Howard	...	Kiley

Storyline

In this action thriller, Denzel Washington plays Nick Styles, the assistant district attorney of L.A. The film opens in his early days as a cop on the L.A.P.D. During a carnival, master criminal Earl Talbot Blake creates a scene after a botched drug deal. Styles and Blake confront each other, during which Blake is wounded by Styles and later sent to prison. Seven years later, Blake escapes from prison during a parole board hearing to carry out his revenge against Styles, and what follows is a violent series of events that destroys Styles' career. This sets the stage for one last bloody duel between Styles and Blake.

---

Plot Keywords:

prison | drugs | revenge | district attorney | sex | 

---

Taglines:

This is one case that's going to be settled out of court.

---

Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and sensuality, and for language and drug content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 October 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Harhaluoti

Filming Locations:

City Hall - 200 N. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$21,760,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Home Box Office (HBO), Cinema Plus, Indigo Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When John Lithgow enters the Prison Cell with Jesse Ventura (WWF) the picture on the wall is of Vincent McMahon President of the WWF who Ventura worked side by side with for years as a ringside commentator.

---

Goofs

As street cops, Styles and his partner are walking a beat at the carnival without their uniform hats, which are required whenever an officer is outdoors.

---

Quotes

[Nick Styles approaches a car driver that almost ran him down, and suddenly sees it's Blake]
Nick Styles: Jesus Christ.
Blake: Almost.

---

Connections

References The Love Boat (1977)

---

Soundtracks

"Makin' Happy"
Words and Music by Crystal Waters, Neil Conway (as Neal Conway) and Mark Harris
Published by Basement Boys Music, Inc. and BMG Music (Admin. by Polygram International Publishing)
Performed by Crystal Waters
Courtesy of Polygram Special Products, a Division of Polygram Group Dist. Inc.

User Reviews

Action Picture Fizzles Upon Impact **1/2

Denzel Washington, a policeman in law-school is playing basketball with the neighborhood toughs.

He achieves fame by bringing down a drug dealing character, played extremely well by John Lithgow, who by his acting of a psychopath, put a new dimension into his acting abilities.

Washington has it made as the years pass. Lithgow plots revenge while incarcerated and breaks out violently at his parole hearing.

He turns the tables on Washington in several ways including the killing of his friend and fellow officer, nice played by Kevin Pollak. Washington is blamed for the killing. He kidnaps Denzel and shoots drugs into his system and provides him with a prostitute.

The two eventually tangle on top of a high area before the obvious ending occurs.

A good story allowed to go awry by crazy staged events.