A man obsessed with conspiracy theories becomes a target after one of his theories turns out to be true. Unfortunately, in order to save himself, he has to figure out which theory it is.
When a multimillionaire man's son is kidnapped, he cooperates with the police at first but then turns the tables on the kidnappers when he uses the ransom money as a reward for the capture of the kidnappers.
After a successful heist, Porter is shot by his wife and his best friend. They leave him there to die but when he recovers, he seeks revenge and wants his share of the money.
With personal crises and age weighing in on them, LAPD officers Riggs and Murtaugh must contend with deadly Chinese triads that are trying to free their former leaders out of prison and onto American soil.
Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh pursue a former LAPD officer who uses his knowledge of police procedure and policies to steal and sell confiscated guns and ammunition to local street gangs.
Jerry Fletcher is a man in love with a woman he observes from afar. She works for the government. Fletcher is an outspoken critic of that government. He has conspiracy theories for everything, from aliens to political assassinations. But soon, one of his theories finds itself to be accurate. But which one? Some dangerous people want him dead, and the only person he trusts is the woman he loves, but does not know.Written by
Steve Richer <sricher@sympatico.ca>
The secret C.I.A. MKUltra program that forms a key factor of the plot for the movie is real and well documented. It ran from 1953 to 1973 when the, then, director of the C.I.A. ordered all the files destroyed. A cache of twenty thousand documents was somehow preserved and subsequently released by a freedom of information request in 1977. See more »
Goofs
When Jerry pulls up to the newspaper stand, he splashes the men sitting drumming on buckets but soon afterwards (too soon), the men are dry. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Jerry Fletcher:
July eighth, 1979, all the fathers of Nobel Prize winners were rounded up by United Nations military units, all right, and actually forced at gunpoint to give semen samples in little plastic jars, which are now stored below Rockefeller Center underneath the ice skating rink...
See more »
Crazy Credits
The initial Warner Bros. logo with the clouds behind is shown - the camera then pulls back to show the logo as a billboard on the side of a bus. See more »
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio
Performed by Frankie Valli
Courtesy of The Four Seasons Partnership
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products See more »
Richard Donner's 'Conspiracy Theory' isn't without its share of interesting moments & has a solid cast that deliver, but overall, its an uneven! The Writing isn't always tight & never makes much use of its brilliant concept.
'Conspiracy Theory' Synopsis: A man obsessed with conspiracy theories becomes a target after one of his theories turns out to be true. Unfortunately, in order to save himself, he has to figure out which theory it is.
'Conspiracy Theory' begins tepidly, I wasn't engaged in its initial moments at all. However, the film grows on you gradually & maintains a certain pace till the very end. I'd like to single out the dramatic scenes & also the portions involving the menace (A Solid Sir Patrick Stewart), that stand out. But, the writing isn't consistent or tight. It falters at places & even though its not boring, it never achieves anything extraordinary either.
Brian Helgeland's Screenplay is a mixed bag. Sometimes its super, sometimes not very appealing. Sharper Writing would've made 'Conspiracy Theory' a knockout! Richard Donner's Direction is excellent, as always. The legendary filmmaker has handled this political thriller with command. Cinematography & Editing are average. Action-Sequences are realistic.
Performance-Wise: Mel Gibson is convincing in his portrayal of a man obsessed with conspiracy theories. Julia Roberts is sensational. She shines all through. Sir Patrick Stewart has never been so creepy before. He nails the part of the evil villain.
On the whole, 'Conspiracy Theory' ranges from being good to strictly average. At best, A One-Time Watch!
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this
Richard Donner's 'Conspiracy Theory' isn't without its share of interesting moments & has a solid cast that deliver, but overall, its an uneven! The Writing isn't always tight & never makes much use of its brilliant concept.
'Conspiracy Theory' Synopsis: A man obsessed with conspiracy theories becomes a target after one of his theories turns out to be true. Unfortunately, in order to save himself, he has to figure out which theory it is.
'Conspiracy Theory' begins tepidly, I wasn't engaged in its initial moments at all. However, the film grows on you gradually & maintains a certain pace till the very end. I'd like to single out the dramatic scenes & also the portions involving the menace (A Solid Sir Patrick Stewart), that stand out. But, the writing isn't consistent or tight. It falters at places & even though its not boring, it never achieves anything extraordinary either.
Brian Helgeland's Screenplay is a mixed bag. Sometimes its super, sometimes not very appealing. Sharper Writing would've made 'Conspiracy Theory' a knockout! Richard Donner's Direction is excellent, as always. The legendary filmmaker has handled this political thriller with command. Cinematography & Editing are average. Action-Sequences are realistic.
Performance-Wise: Mel Gibson is convincing in his portrayal of a man obsessed with conspiracy theories. Julia Roberts is sensational. She shines all through. Sir Patrick Stewart has never been so creepy before. He nails the part of the evil villain.
On the whole, 'Conspiracy Theory' ranges from being good to strictly average. At best, A One-Time Watch!