Fugitivos encadenados

Mindless chasing and shooting. This one leaves plenty of your mind unoccupied to wonder such things as: How can a guy shoot a three-quarter inch rope with a handgun and miss everything with a shotgun? Why is RuPaul in this movie for 15 seconds? Would the feds really honour a verbal agreement to let you off after you've shot up a lot of folks and a lot of Atlanta? Could a limo really keep up with a Ducatti? Is it true that all you've got to do to get a semi out of your way is to lean on the horn?

Fled is a cheerfully illogical actioner which rattles along at a seriously rapid pace without ever pausing for breath. It's stupid and spectacular in equal measure.

The plot hardly seems important, but for what it's worth here it is: a Cuban mafia boss has foolishly allowed himself to leave some incriminating evidence on a computer disk. The only guy who knows where the whereabouts of the disk is in a chain gang in the Deep South. An undercover cop is sent to the chain gang to find out where the disk is, and to keep the guy alive when the Cuban hitmen turn up to silence him.

The first half of the movie borrows liberally from The Defiant Ones, with Baldwin and Fishburne chained together and fleeing through the swamps from both the good guys and the bad guys. Later on, they reach the big city, and the film then borrows ideas from any police actioner that you could care to mention (Lethal Weapon, The Dead Pool, Tango and Cash, Striking Distance, et al). In fact, the second half of the film consists solely of fist fights and car chases and shootouts, all inspired by similar movies from the genre.

Fled never bores you, but it never particularly engages your brain. It is a quickly forgotten film, but it is also the perfect film to watch with your mates while you sink a six-pack of beer and a 16" pizza on a Friday night.

While this is not a film that will mark any new trend in the thriller genre, it's not unpleasant to watch. The director, Kevin Hooks, working on the script written by Preston Whitmore, delivers a an action film that is easy to watch.

Preston Whitmore's screen play combines elements from different movies that have been much better, but that said, while it's not breaking any grounds, the film keeps one's interest throughout.

Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin make an odd couple indeed. Mr. Baldwin acts with a blank expression most of the time he is seen. Mr. Fishburne has been around for a while; with the right director he is more effective than what he shows in this movie.

Will Patton, one of the best character actors working in films today, has a small, but effective role. It'shame because he can outperform this cast by only saying his lines. Salma Hayek's Cora, the girl with a heart of gold, is a welcome presence for the eyes.

The beginning of the film, as well as the closing scenes are the best things going because it sags a bit in the middle section, but all in all, it will keep the viewer entertained without pretending to be more.

As average a film as you'll se. Not much to say on it. Starts off very well with much promise but once they unchain themselves turns into a run of the mill action film, nothing different. One or two of the subplots, the romances especially, seemed trivial. It may even of been a better story had Fishburne not been a copper and a different plot.

Quite why they didn't shoot the chain apart when they had the gun I don't know either, but they chose to drive, still attached. No character is especially warming, but there's a good cast, nothing wrong with the acting & great to see old Dex Dexter, Michael Nader in a role, as he was brilliant in Dynasty & never looked even slightly out of place here.

Better than it's 4.9 rating, but not by much.

6/10.

Will Patton is one of our finest actors, having blessed the screen with a variety of memorable characters. Unfortunately, most of his performances seem to be in movies like this: generic action films which nobody has any need to remember. Sure, he gets to show up in great movies (NO WAY OUT), good movies (REMEMBER THE TITANS), and popular movies (ARMAGEDDON), but the man is a working actor who ain't embraced by the masses, so he also has to make movies like this. Not that this is a painfully bad movie... it's just so darn generic. And the testament to the man's performance is that there is nothing on paper that should make this a particularly great role. But darn it if he isn't the moral center of the movie.

If you don't know who this guy is, you can skip the movie with a clear conscience. But if you are a fan of the man, this performance is one of his best.