This is an effective thriller marred by slight preposterousness. The story of a beat cop who rises to fame by means of media blitz after the capture of a psychopath who fakes his own death and uses that same media machine in an attempt to discredit and destroy his captor. It is a great story. Both the script, by Fred Dekker(House, The Monster Squad) and the score, by Alan Silvestri(Back To The Future, Predator) are solid. Unfortunately, Russell Mulcahy(Highlander) adds some weird moments, like a bar with nude midget and fatty, for no apparent reason. The scenes with Lithgow electrify the movie, although this movie is merely a warm-up for Cliffhanger. His range, outlined by an impressive filmography, is impeccable. Denzel Washington gives an early show of the charisma that would make him a star. Kevin Pollak, Ice-T, Lindsay Wagner, Mary Ellen Trainor, Sharman Howard, Viveka Davis, Jesse Ventura, and Miguel Sandoval bring depth to their smaller roles. This movie also features some violent and explicit scenes that make it genuinely disturbing even after fourteen years. There is a wit in the script that keeps the filth from being overwhelming.
Review of Ricochet
