The Package

For about the first half of this movie, the story was very gripping. Tommy Lee Jones and Gene Hackman are both on top of their game. However, once Hackman and Cassidy's characters get to Chicago the film starts to drag and the ending gets predictable. Cassidy's character who started out interesting and intellingent doesn't get anything interesting to do toward the end of the film. The concept, an 80s version of the Kennedy Assisination with a twist is solid, but the movie just runs out of steam. If you like spy thrillers or the Kennedy conspiracies, you may find this movie somewhat entertaining. If you pass on watching this, you aren't really missing much either. Rating 6 of 10 stars.

The end of the Cold War and the toppling of the Berlin Wall made this film outdated almost before it was released. Nevertheless, it remains one of the best conspiracy mystery/thrillers ever made. The plot is amazingly intricate, but by the finish everything is tied up neatly, with no loose ends, a rarity for this type of story.

Gene Hackman is at his no-nonsense best as Johnny Gallagher, a career military man caught up in a complex assassination scheme. As the events unfold, he becomes more and more personally involved, which serves to ratchet up the tension for the audience. His relationships with his ex-wife Eileen (Joanna Cassidy) and the 'package' of the title, a prisoner that Johnny is assigned to escort into the U.S. from Berlin (played by Tommy Lee Jones in top form), are what really elevate "The Package" into the first rank of suspense dramas. The scenes featuring Hackman and Jones together are wonderful examples of understatement, as the larger political conflict becomes a personal one. Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue) turns up in a great supporting role.

"The Package" maintains an entertaining balance between action movie excitement and character-driven drama. The political background may be out of date, but the fine acting and writing deliver a story that is still compelling.

EDIT by author, 08.30.2006 Note: I saw this film during its original theatrical run. Events at that time (late 80's) moved so rapidly, the political situation had changed significantly between the start of production and its release. It was meant to be occurring in the present, not designed as a period piece. That is what I mean by outdated, which in no way detracted from the film's quality, or my enjoyment of it.

A decent thriller with a fairly convoluted plot. This far removed from the Cold War, it's hard to remember what a threat the Soviet Union was, the incredible evil which she served as vanguard. This film was fairly leftish, seeing accommodation with the USSR as the ultimate good, and confrontation as the ultimate bad. (Sort of a hangover from the demonstrably dumb Nuclear Freeze Movement of the mid '80's) Must have been embarrassing three years later. Tommy Lee Jones and Dennis Franz were totally adequate here. Pam Grier seemed a lot more professional, and a lot prettier, than in the blaxploitation stuff I remember her from. And Joanna Cassidy was great. She played her role intense and low-key at the same time. And what can you say about Gene Hackman. Amazing, the career he's had, looking like that. He is the consummate professional actor, and of course, he had to be. I've never seen him in ANY role that he didn't pull off with seeming effortlessness. (Although I will say, that seeing him in the car scenes seemed to almost be a teensy bit of a self-parody) But some of the plot were a bit big. This one is worth checking out on cable, or a Netflix rental.

Andrew Davis shows with "The Package" his affinity to this type of thriller which was better realized in "The Fugitive", but as films of this genre go, it makes satisfying entertainment. As written by John Bishop, the film will not bore anyone, although the plot is at times so convoluted it loses our credibility.

"The Package" takes us from Berlin to Chicago. It involves corrupt officers within the higher ups in the armed forces who don't want to see any type of peace between the two super powers at the center of the story, the United States and the Soviet Union.

This film came out as the Berlin wall was falling. Of course, the Mr. Bishop couldn't have foreseen the future, but after watching the movie, it makes us think this could well have occurred because of the parties involved. The film also points into the subversive groups operating within our country which is an added confusion to the plot.

Gene Hackman is tremendously appealing as Johnny Gallagher, the man who is responsible for solving the puzzle. Tommy Lee Jones, is the paid assassin Thomas Boyette who, in true thriller fashion appears to be one step ahead of everyone else. Joanna Cassidy makes a good contribution as Eileen Gallagher. John Heard is an intense military man who wants to get rid of whoever comes in his path. Dennis Franz is seen as the kind Chicago detective that realizes the immensity of what is being planned.

"The Package" is a good entertainment under Andrew Davis' direction who gets solid performances from the talented team assembled for the movie.

During this movie I had some fun to predict what will happen next. If you had watched (or read) many Thrillers with the Cold War as Topic it's quite easy. This movie is like a time travel back to 1980's. The music score was typical 80's as the photography of the action scenes. Not only the photography and the score were solid like all the actors. Gene Hackman was the leading cast next to Tommy Lee Jones, Dennis Franz, Pam Grier and Joanna Cassidy. Gene Hackman is more or the less the same character as he was in many other thrillers. This time he is a good U.S. Sgt. who had some bad luck in his life but is still good enough to fight against all enemies of the U.S. Tommy Lee Jones is playing a villain and he always was great in such Roles. Hopefully he is doing more roles like that again in the future.

The suspenseful final wasn't without flaws but overall I enjoyed "The Package". Not the best Cold War Thriller but entertaining enough.