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35 reviews in total

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70 out of 97 people found the following review useful:
Be careful what you wish for!, 18 April 2011

Author: Julian0922 from United States

I do not understand how people can downgrade this movie so badly, the acting is great, the story is excellent, one of the best I've seen in the past 12months and the movie itself is also way better than the most movies coming around on a daily basis. Sadly its not a high budget movie, so the common public would become aware of it, but downgrading something like that is pretty sad. If that is a 2 or 3, then the grading rates should go in the future down to minus 10 at least, because there are a lot of worse movies out there!

Its the same with another Cuba Gooding movie, Sacrifice, its also way better than the reviews show, but thats is a different subject. Maybe he is not so liked anymore...:-)

To me The Hit List is a good 7-8...not a 10 (except the story itself), but in regards of the downgrading, I upgrade it a bit. The story of the movie is simple, be careful what you wish for, even when you are drunk...because sometimes wishes come true!

More I do not want to spoil. Conclusion: absolutely worth the time watching and money as well...!

(I do not write many reviews here, only when I see that a movie is so badly discredited like this one!)

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41 out of 61 people found the following review useful:
The Hit List Good ole American Fun..., 16 April 2011

Author: Right-Wing-Man from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Hit List is good ole American fun. I am not sure why at this point the rating is 1.9, for e that is just simply retarded. The movie was from a couple of interesting POVs. On the one hand you have a CIA (I assume) Hit-man that gets cancer and loses his mind. The Protagonist is a total softy Cole Hauser, and the antagonist Gooding Jr., picks him out to help kill him... what he is really doing is helping Cole's character grow some below if you know what I'm saying. The story was action packed and engaging... both Cole and Cuba were great in this film and I was thoroughly entertained. All of the actors for that matter, played believable characters. Thanks to all involved in this one, it was a good movie : )

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19 out of 22 people found the following review useful:
Could have been worse... but not that great, 24 May 2011
Author: Wizard-8 from Victoria, BC

I've come to the conclusion that Cuba Gooding Jr. has accepted his downfall to direct-to-DVD movies, because he doesn't seem to be trying to pick good projects anymore, including this one. In fairness, this project isn't as bad as some of his other turkeys. For a low budget direct-to-DVD project, the production values are okay, though there are signs of cost-cutting throughout (such as a number of close-ups and very few wide shots). The police in this movie don't come across as dumb as they do in other B movies, and the movie did interest me enough to wonder how the situation would be wrapped up in the end - though honestly, it wasn't worth the wait. The screenplay has a number of other problems, with some decisions by the hero to be so idiotic that I was groaning out loud, and some implausibilities by others that make no sense when you think about them closely. (For example, think about the way Gooding's character kills the second person on the list.) Gooding is simply unconvincing as a ruthless hit-man, and Hauser has to somehow make his stupid and spineless character sympathetic, which sees far beyond his abilities. If you ask me, more thought and planning went into the fancy opening credits sequence than with the rest of the movie.

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27 out of 40 people found the following review useful:
Not a Horrible movie, 16 April 2011
Author: bobmichigan1 from San Diego

I was watching this and usually i turn off a Cuba Gooding movie within a half hour because of his poor performances in the last 4 or 5 years. This is the 2nd movie i have made it to the end without saying terrible. Actually this is about a 7 out of 10 because at least he had another acter that is not terrible with cuba. Cole Hauser actually makes this movie worth watching. This is worth a watch if you having nothing left to do on a Saturday night. The movie starts off with a terrible bond like move for the credits and of course it backfired i almost turned it off after that. But after that it smoothly moved into the story..With a better director and a better acting crew this could of been at the movies.

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23 out of 34 people found the following review useful:
What You See Is What You Get, 14 May 2011

Author: Terry Roehrig II from United States

Allan Campbell (Hauser) is a loser. He is late on a debt he owes some mobster-type guy, he loses his promotion from his boss because his colleague (Cook) stole his idea and his best friend (Waters) is sleeping with his wife (Weirick).

Ever hear that joke... a man walks into a bar...? The movie is not supposed to be funny... however, it is kind of funny... unintentionally. Campbell walks into a bar to drown his sorrows and meets Jonas (Gooding, Jr.) -- a stand-offish man whom he eventually warms up to. After about half a bottle, Jonas informs Campbell that he is a hired killer -- haha, big joke -- you want me to write down the names of 5 people I want dead -- haha, OK -- there... there's your "hit list", slugger.

When the people he wrote down on the dirty bar napkin start to turn up dead, Campbell realizes he's done something terribly wrong. It's just too bad the audience found out they did something terribly wrong in the first place....they actually rented or worse, bought this piece of garbage. It sounds fine from the synopsis, sounds like it might even be actually good.

Let me start off by saying this has got to be the worst sound I've ever experienced in a movie. I'm not saying effects or syncing... I'm talking about how the action sequences ARE SO LOUD AND IN YOUR FACE THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S RIGHT THERE IN YOUR LIVING ROOM and then when the characters go to speak, they talk so quietly and mouse-like and you strain your ear, so you turn it up AND THAT'S WHEN AN EXPLOSION OR GUNSHOT GOES OFF. To say I was annoyed is putting it mildly.

The story is okay, the acting is above average (except for Waters at the end but it's alright because Cuba is good throughout) -- I just wish they had better motive for Jonas and/or some sort of surprise or twist. There is nothing that will make you go, "Aaahhhhh, so that's why....." in this film. What you see is what you get. More reviews at www.soveryterry.com Final Grade: D+

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23 out of 34 people found the following review useful:
Surprisingly good..., 21 April 2011

Author: mag6581 from Australia

I don't think it's a spoiler to say this film has a great deal to do with Collateral. Unfortunately, I think that perhaps the distributors also felt the same way, to the point of rejecting the film for fear of some kind of backlash. Although superficially it does share much with Collateral, it goes its own way, and has its own conclusion. And it's a good one. It may not be the most high- budget movie, and it may not be the best edited movie, but it does deliver better than most efforts seen lately, even in the big-budget category. Cuba may have a new career here as an Ice-T reminiscent bad-ass. Worth a matinée ticket.

For what it is, 8/10.

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13 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Cuba still a little off the mark, but much better then "Sacrifice". Pretty entertaining thriller thats not too bad. I say B, 10 May 2011

Author: Tony Heck from United States

Be careful what you wish for. After having the worst day of his life Allan (Hauser) meets Jonas (Gooding Jr) at a bar. After talking to him Jonas says he can help Allan with his problems. Thinking it's a joke Allan gives him the name of five people he wants dead. When they begin to wind up dead Allan is the only one who can stop it. After watching "Sacrifice" I was not expecting much from this movie. This one, however, was very good. Even with Cuba's movie choices lately being one step above Val Kilmer's, his acting is far better. He does a good job playing a heartless killer on the verge of death himself. Cole Hauser also does a really good job playing an everyman trying to correct his mistakes. While there are many similarities to "Collateral" (and a hint of "The Shootist"), this movie is not as good, but it's not a huge decline from that movie. It is a pretty solid action, suspense movie that is well worth checking out. I give it a B.

Would I watch again? - I think I would *Also try - Collateral & S.W.A.T. : Firefight

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11 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Cuba is bad ass again!, 22 April 2011

Author: davidross20 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I really don"t know why some people are giving bad reviews to this movie. Cuba hasn"t been this bad ass in years! of course he is the deranged hit man who doesn"t care anymore if he lives or dies. that can be extremely liberating. if you do not fear your own death then what else is there to fear? people spend their whole lives trying to out run death and in the end it gets us all anyway! that is why suicide bombers are so difficult to stop. Cuba was very convincing in his role but Cole Hauser was such a wimp that i was hoping Cuba would shoot him in the head and put us out of his misery. anyway, i could use my own personal hit man because there are a few people i would like eliminated. just a fantasy, right? lots of action and the suspense builds slowly till the terminator like ending where just about everyone gets wiped out. two thumbs up for this one. you won"t be disappointed. Cuba is bad ass! did you notice how much Cuba looks like a ghetto thug on the DVD cover? that is a good look for him!

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12 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
A Good Movie!, 10 May 2011

Author: Starrman69-932-594721 from United States

I enjoyed the movie. Other reviewers mentioned that Cuba Gooding appeared bored during this movie. I liked the premise and the acting. Everyone did an very good job in their roles. I would recommend it to those that enjoy an action flick with an unusual story line. It held my attention and the ending was an emotional moment given all that I had learned about the characters during the course of the movie. Cuba Gooding was outstanding and did a real interpretation of the character that he was portraying.

I was pleasantly surprised with the entire movie and would tell all my friends to rent it.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
A film that is helped by it's cast., 25 May 2011

Author: Dexter22 from United States

Just a few weeks after picking up Gooding's last film "Sacrifice", "The Hit List" was released. I picked it up because I am a pretty big fan of his. The film turned out to be pretty well done for a DTV thriller but just like "Sacrifice" it has it's flaws.

Jonas Arbor(Gooding) is a hit man and decides to go rouge. His reason unfolds throughout the movie but in doing this he runs into Allen(Cole Hauser) in a bar. Allen is having his own bad day by losing his promotion to a younger partner in his film and problems with his wife come to surface. Arbor and Allen meet in a bar and get drunk together. Jonas explains to Allen that he is a hit man and will kill five people for Allen free of charge. Thinking it is a joke Allen writes down names and laughs it off. It isn't long before he realizes its a joke and has to stop Jonas from completing the list.

The film has been compared to "Collateral" and while it is a fair comparison, the film does stand on its own. Its flaws lie in editing and lack of budget which is the same thing "Sacrifice" suffered from. The opening credits are done in almost a comedic or even a James Bond type of way and really turns the viewer away from what the tone is trying to be. The budget shows in the camera set ups and how rarely other angles are used. The DP obviously did not have the time or money to make the film look bigger. There is a car chase in the film that could have been much more exciting if the editing was better. All in all what saves the film is the performances by Hauser and Gooding. They do not play down to the budget level and they treat the film as if it is a big budget hit. Gooding assures the audience that he has still got it and reminds us of why he is capable of an award winning performance. He is deep and scary and really gets into the role more than he has in the last few years. The quality lies in the performances which is why this is an above average DTV Thriller.

Acting 9/10

Editing 5/10

Music 5/10

Directing 7/10

Fans of Gooding and Hauser should be pleased with this film.

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