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Scar City More at IMDbPro »
| Index | 10 reviews in total |
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Very average but still watchable, 21 November 2003
Author:
bob the moo from Birmingham, UK
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Under investigation for his third shooting that month, Officer John Trace is
on the streets when he interrupts a drug deal but ends up shooting dead an
unarmed perp. Looking at jail time at worst he takes an offer from
Lieutenant Laine Devon to join an elite unit in return for Devon covering
for Trace on this shooting. When he joins the unit he finds that SCAR are
more assassins than cops – mercilessly killing perps with City Hall happen
to turn a blind eye. When Trace lets a prostitute live during a gun battle
it sets him on the run from the SCAR unit with Candy in
tow.
I had seen this film before but noticed I hadn't reviewed it so I decided to
watch it again as I remembered it was OK. I was right – it is just OK,
nothing more nothing less. There are no surprises in the plot – it's not a
spoiler to say that Trace ends up going against his heavily armed unit. The
action is also average, lots of gunfire and big bangs don't really cover the
lack of tension but they do an average job at keeping the pace of the film
up.
The gentle humour comes from bits of the film having it's tongue in it's
cheek and it let me know that I wasn't meant to be taking any of this too
seriously. All the usual `banter while getting shot at' stuff was there to
keep it far from reality – none of it was very good but, again, it was
passable.
The cast looks great on paper but fail to really do anything other than run
of the mill performances in this thriller. Baldwin is OK but doesn't
distinguish himself. Palminteri is slumming it a bit here but he enjoys a
slightly hammy bad guy role which is really almost a long cameo. Carrere is
sexy despite her best efforts and she gets the `sassy broad' lines, I liked
her character. The actual unit has a few well known faces but nobody stands
out.
The holes in the plot should tell you that you're not watching a film of
high quality or aims (how DID they find Candy's house?) but if you're
watching this on a low rent cable channel or as a bottom shelf video rental
then you should be happy with the mindless guff that gets served up with
bangs and booms. A reasonable video thriller that falls well short of being
good but will stand out when viewed alongside many later night cable
movies!
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Witty script, some nice surprises and lively characters., 19 January 2003
Author:
pantagruella (baltica@softhome.net) from London, UK
I had no expectations of this film, but I was thoroughly entertained. We
showed it to friends the very next day to see what they
thought.
The film's premise is quite outrageous and it is executed in a stylishly
outrageous way. There are several Wow! or 'Nice Shot' moments. In fact
this
film is very close to Grand Theft Auto.
The script is genuinely funny, reminiscent of another Tia Carrere classic,
Hollow Point.
For some reason the idea of a Baldwin film is an amusing thing. The South
Park movie says, "What sucks about being a Baldwin? Nothing!" I am
impressed
with Stephen Baldwin's restrained, laconic, dry and heroic performance. We
wondered if he were blind, considering the number of disconcerting smiles
he
issues with his eyes closed.
Chazz Palminteri is the Man. He's given the stupidest role and as usual he
makes it seem almost convincing, while he enjoys himself a great
deal.
Tia Carrere sings, moves around a lot, looks good, has her moments and
kills
people. What more can you ask for?
This film scores over many 'better' films by working hard to introduce the
opposition. You are half way through the film. You know Stephen Baldwin is
up against it, and all the bad guys are still there.
The film is filled with memorable characters. I very much enjoyed the
'fight
in the bar' scene because there's no fight. They should use the bouncer in
a
new series of the Munsters.
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Run of the mill action flick, 23 February 2000
Author:
Sciurus from Cleveland
I had the chance to watch this for free and I've got to say it was worth every penny. Seriously, it was not nearly as bad as it could have been. It's a decent if never surprising "action" movie with a bit of cleavage and lingerie thrown in. I felt that a lot of parts seemed thrown together and rushed, but I've seen a whole lot worse.
Classic Cop Flick, 16 August 2011
Author:
sydneyswesternsuburbs from Australia
Director Ken Sanzel who also created the classic flick, Lone Hero 2002
has created another gem in Scar City.
Starring Stephen Baldwin who has also been in other classic flicks,
Born on the Fourth of July 1989, Last Exit to Brooklyn 1989 and The
Beast of War 1988.
Also starring Tia Carrere who has also been in other classic flicks,
True Lies 1994, Showdown in Little Tokyo 1991 and Harley Davidson and
the Marlboro Man 1991.
Also starring Renee Estevez who has also been in other classic flicks,
Single White Female 1992, Intruder 1989, Heathers 1988 and another
classic cop flick, Lethal Weapon 1987.
Also starring Chazz Palminteri who has also been in another classic
flick, Running Scared 2006.
I enjoyed the violence.
If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic cop
flicks, Across 110th Street 1972, Assault on Precinct 13 1976, Back in
Action 1993, Bad Boys II 2003, Bad Lieutenant 1992, Bloodfist V: Human
Target 1994, Cobra 1986, Renegade Force 1998, Breach of Trust 1995, God
Told Me To 1976, Die Hard 4.0 2007, Dirty Harry 1971, Extreme Justice
1993, Face/Off 1997, Fair Game 1995, Game of Death 2010, The Gauntlet
1977, Internal Affairs 1990, L.A. Confidential 1997, Last Man Standing
1996, The Last Marshal 1999, Magnum Force 1973, I Love a Man in Uniform
1993, Maniac Cop 2 1990, Martial Law II: Undercover 1992, Maximum Risk
1996, Out for Justice 1991, Phoenix 1998, Rapid Fire 1992, Ricochet
1991, Shallow Ground 2004, Sinners and Saints 2010, State of Grace
1990, Sudden Impact 1983, Surveillance 2008, The Sweeper 1996, Training
Day 2001, Until Death 2007 and The Untouchables 1987.
A fairly good action film, 21 November 2003
Author:
Billy Tranter (mrbillyt) from Shropshire, England
I have to say I did enjoy the film I liked the story of a team of cops who have no regard of the law they kill whoever they like. For me it was very enjoyable but as the person from another post says that some parts of the film seem to be rushed and I do feel that. I think the ending could have been a lot better and it didnt really tie up the characters very well. I would recommend this to anyone who has a free night on their hands to watch it you will enjoy it I did very much.
A great surprise, 16 October 2003
Author:
sweetteasutlery from Honolulu, Hi
I didn't expect "THE USUAL SUSPECTS" but what I found was a film with some GREAT GREAT moments.. funny and caustic... a beautiful song by Tia... some fantastic scenes that made the occasional 2-D plot come alive with the fresh delivery and chemistry between the two stars!
1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Usual but likable thriller., 5 July 2005
Author:
madbandit20002000 from Queens, New York, USA
When I first saw "Scarred City" on late night broadcast TV some years
ago, I liked it, despite editing of mammary organs, blood and profanity
(It was aired 11.35 p.m., beyond the hold of the dreaded FCC. Aw, the
idiocy). Thankfully, I got in on DVD and I like it a bit more. It's not
the best, but has charm.
John Trace (Stephen Baldwin) is a good but trigger-happy beat cop in
Brooklyn, New York, facing three bad shootings. A fourth happens with a
unarmed drug perp. Lt. Laine Devon (Chazz Palminteri) is the only
high-level cop sympathetic to Trace's predicament and inducts him into
the SCAR unit, an elite group of cops that handle dangerous thugs. It's
better than going to jail, but Trace, during a sting at a porn shop,
finds Devon and the rest are also trigger-happy, but have no conscience
and the powers-that-be look the other way. He goes along for
self-protection, but, during a violent drug bust, he breaks rank by
saving the life of a call girl/torch song singer named Candy, played by
sweet-faced, sassy Tia Carrere. Marked for death by both sides of the
law, both of them have to work together to stay a few paces ahead.
"Scarred City" is your usual late-night, B-feature but has much more,
thanks to director Ken Sanzel's(writer/showrunner on "Numb3rs") witty
dialogue-laded script and the performances. Sure, Baldwin's sometimes
sleepy, Carrere's too smart and both look a bit old for the roles, but
they play along well as two unlikely lovers who don't fit in their
professions, another good redeeming factor. Palminteri comes across
more of a mobster than a cop, but still menacing. TV fans should note
the appearances of Gary Dourdan (CSI) as Devon's right-hand man and
Larry Manetti (Magnum P.I.) as a mob-connected, strip joint owner. The
rest of the cast is also reliable.
And no, Tia's doesn't display her "goodies" but there's a funny bit
involving that. Although it pales in the shadows of the superior
"Magnum Force" and the recent "Frank Miller's Sin City" (particularly
the slightly similar "That Yellow Bastard" vignette, starring Bruce
Willis, Jessica Alba and Nick Stahl), "Scarred City" is good enough
with a six-pack of beer (I prefer orange juice), three extra cheese
pizza pies, a soft-core porn film and a Chris Rock concert film on a
Saturday night.
1 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Baldwin ain't no Rambo, 30 December 2007
Author:
jimakros
Baldwin is trying to be Rambo here,kills about everyone in sight and then some.The guy should stick to stuff he does well and forget trying to be Stallone.Thats about all there is to say about this movie.The plot is about a bunch of crazy vigilante cops who seem to just like to murder people,some of whom happen to be criminals.Baldwin does his best to act tough and delivers every line in as much a husky voice as he can master but he just ain't the dude for this type of role.He is a cop opposed to the lawless violence,meets a prostitute played by Tia Carrere whom i usually like but i didn't like her in this,she has too may wisecracks and too much personality for this role. Neither the bad guys nor the good guys make any sense in this movie,there is a lot of shooting but the motivations and the characters are all paper-thin,Palminteri is simply wasted here.
0 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Triumph, 16 August 2006
Author:
martijannetti from United States
Scar City is the inspirational story of New York City's first fully functional retarded police officer, John Trace (Stephen Baldwin), who is recruited to work in the special S.C.A.R. unit run by Lieutenant Laine Devon (Chaz Palmenteri). Trace goes through the usual rookie hazing, but has a harder time with it than most, because of his inability to understand what is happening. Tia Carerre plays a titty bar vixen who spends half the movie uninvolved with the plot but finds her way in at Trace's first raid with his new unit. From there on the helpless Carerre relies on Trace to keep her safe from the baddies. There are some amazing moments where the retarded Trace walks on top of cars instead of going around them and shoots his pistol over and around his head. The line, "Don't think once," sums up the movie pretty well. I won't spoil it for you but Trace's journey through the crooked NYPD as the first fully functional retarded officer is as hard to watch as it is inspirational. I'm not sure if this was inspired by a true story or not, but if it was I'm sure that whoever the trailblazer was who is the real John Trace would be thrilled with the accurate portrayal of the mentally retarded by Stephen Baldwin.
0 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Entertaining Failure, 23 September 2004
Author:
dingo865 from Toronto, Canada
This is a strictly B movie that manages to successfully disguise its
true identity up until the last 1/3rd of the story.
The story is nothing new - Clint Easywood, amongst others, charted the
same territory of vigilante cops pulling the wrong newbie into their
group in 1973's MAGNUM FORCE - but it has been spiced up with some
bullet ballet that is actually more realistic than most big budget
affairs produce. Overall, the photography and lighting are very
professional in a gritty way, and so is the editing, which gives the
movie a very polished, well-budgeted look. Still, police dramas with
mediocre plots need to be carried by their characters, and while
Stephen Baldwin does make an interesting hero, his shooting does more
for character development than his dialogue. Tia Carrere is nice, but
she comes across way too smart, and definitely way too composed, for a
call-girl, and she shows virtually zero skin - an especially big
disappointment in a genre film of this kind...:) If anything, the
supporting characters, the 'baddies' who make up the police team, are
the ones that carry you through several scenes: their action is fairly
nicely choreographed, and it is a pleasure to see them die.
...but, ultimately, Scar City really fails. The first third is somewhat
engaging, because the director wisely spends his time to establish the
protagonists' and the antagonists' strengths and weaknesses. The second
third rolls well because of all the action suddenly exploding onto the
screen. In the third, though, where action and characters could be
nicely pulled together into a tight, plot-driven finale, the film
crumbles into a dozen silly clichés and inconsistencies instead. Why
would you ask someone whether they can shoot, a few hours after they
showed you their gun, telling you how they used to shoot squirrels with
it? The mess is hardly mopped up by an incomplete and nonsensical
ending that makes it look like the director was too tired to tie up a
dozen characters and plot lines.
Still, for a slow weekday evening it is good gunplay.
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