Shoot to Kill (1988)

An F.B.I. Agent teams up with a tracker to pursue a murderer after he vanishes into the mountains and infiltrates a hiking group.

Director:

Roger Spottiswoode

Writers:

Harv Zimmel (story), Harv Zimmel (screenplay)

Stars:

Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, Kirstie Alley

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sidney Poitier	...	Warren Stantin
Tom Berenger	...	Jonathan Knox
Kirstie Alley	...	Sarah Rennell
Clancy Brown	...	Steve
Richard Masur	...	Norman
Andrew Robinson	...	Harvey
Kevin Scannell	...	Ben
Frederick Coffin	...	Ralph
Michael MacRae	...	Fournier
Robert Lesser	...	Minelli
Milton Selzer	...	Mr. Berger
Les Lannom	...	Sheriff Arnett
Walter Marsh	...	Sam Baker
Frank C. Turner	...	Crilly
Sam Hiona	...	Inspector Hsu (as Samuel Hiona)

Storyline

Sidney Poitier returned to the big screen in this action-thriller, after a decade-long absence. When a cunning murderer vanishes into the rugged mountains of the Pacific Northwest, pursuing FBI agent Warren Stantin (Poitier) must exchange familiar city streets for unknown wilderness trails. Completely out of his element, Stantin is forced to enlist the aid of expert tracker Jonathan Knox (PLATOON'S Tom Berenger). The killer has infiltrated a guided hiking trip led by Knox's girlfriend Sarah (Kirstie Alley, at the height of her Cheers fame). Viewers don't know which of the hikers is the killer, and the tension lasts well into the movie.

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Plot Keywords:

fishing trip | shootout | on the run | investigation | woods | 

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Taglines:

A ruthless killer. A beautiful hostage. Two men follow them into the mountains. One for love. One for revenge.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 February 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mountain Man

Filming Locations:

Buntzen Lake, Anmore, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$29,300,090

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Silver Screen Partners III, Century Park Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The knife Berenger is seen using is a Gerber BMF Survival Knife and was influenced by the those used by Sylvester Stallone in the Rambo franchise. The canyon scenes where Berenger crosses on the cable to retrieve the cart is the same location used in First Blood (1982).

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Goofs

During the car chase scene Jonathan Knox (Tom Berenger) says "You're Crazy" to Warren Stantin (Sidney Poitier) but he mouths the words "Look out".

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Quotes

Warren Stantin: [Out of breath] You need some more rest.
Jonathan Knox: No, I don't!
Warren Stantin: [Knox is getting up, ready to keep hiking and Stantin pulls him back down] *I* need some more rest!

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Connections

Referenced in Six Degrees of Separation (1993)

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Soundtracks

I Love A Parade
Lyrics by Ted Koehler
Music by Harold Arlen
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Music

User Reviews

The way that action movies should be made.

Shoot To Kill (GB title: Deadly Pursuit) is a lively, fairly intelligent action film which benefits from good character development. Many post-1980 action films suffer because they are empty spectacles, full of boring stock characters and visually impressive/emotionally redundant stunts. However, this one is different. There are eight main characters (all of them well-realized) as well as a fundamentally exciting plot, sharp dialogue, and a spectacular mountain setting.

FBI agent Warren Stanton (Sidney Poitier) is desperate to track down a dangerous jewel thief following a botched hostage situation. He suspects that the thief has joined a five-man hiking party in the rugged wilderness near Spokane. Unfortunately, there is no way of contacting the hiking guide Sarah (Kirstie Alley) to warn her that a dangerous killer is among her group. Instead, Stanton has to put his trust in another mountain guide, rough and tough Jonathan Knox (Tom Berenger). The unlikely pair pursue the hiking group, hoping to reach them before the killer strikes again.

The film moves at a good pace. Interest is generated on several different fronts: the volatile relationship between Stanton and Knox; the intriguing guessing-game as to which member of the hiking party is actually the jewel thief/killer; the "race-against-time" tension (as soon as the hikers have entered Canada, the killer could dispose of them at any time). There is spectacular action, but it is not emphasised to such an overwhelming degree that other story threads are lost. Shoot To Kill is a very commendable action film and it is a pity that more films in the genre are not up to the same standard.