Boiling Point

I'm slightly puzzled as to some of the harsher comments featuring BOILING POINT . I will confess that it's not a thriller classic but I will defend it against the accusation that it's a terrible movie Red ( Dennis Hopper ) is released from prison and owes some mafia types money and so is given a seven day ultimatum . Jimmy ( Wesley Snipes - And no early 90s urban thriller is complete without Wesley Snipes )loses a friend in the course of duty and the audience instantly know that these two unconnected characters will tie in with the plot somehow - And they do in a script that while not being the most tightly plotted screenplay you will ever see since there's a few too many characters involved is at least undemanding and easy to follow .

On the style front it's not exactly in the same league as HEAT but probably contains more substance than an episode of MAIMI VICE while we also get to see an early supporting role from Viggo Mortenson . I rate BOILING POINT six out of ten

My review was written in April 1993 after a screening in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.

Promoted as a hard-action film for Wesley Snipes fans, "Boiling Point" turns out to be an old-fashioned police procedural. Low-key and bland in the extreme, it's strictly for film buffs, though Snipes should ensure a strong first-week sampling among action enthusiasts.

Disappointingly, writer-director James B. Harris ("Cop"), in his zeal to re-create the mood and character acting of 1940s film noir, seems to have forgotten about excitement and visual flair.

Snipes toplines as a U. S. Treasury agent partnered with Dan Hedaya. The third T-man on their stakeout is killed by ruthless thug Viggo Mortensen, who gets away with his partner Dennis Hopper before the feds can close in.

Because of the fatal snafu, Snipes is reassigned from Los Angeles to Newark. He holds out for one week's time to catch the killers; coincidentally Hopper is given a week to find the $50,000 he owes gangster Tony LoBianco.

Loaded with false irony, Harris' mechanical script emphasizes the parallel lives of the two main characters to an almost laughable extent. Throughout the picture, Snipes keeps running into Hopper, neither knowing one is methodically hunting for the other.

Because of terrific acting down to the smallest role, one's interest is maintained despite the minimalist direction and lack of story twists. Particularly through Mortensen's careful underplaying, the film builds suspense and a sense of dread, but it never pays off.

Hopper's Red Diamond is a memorable small-time rogue who's a romantic at heart. Snipes is stuck in a one-dimensional role. Valerie Perrine is touching as the woman Hopper once put out on the street to pay his debts. Lolita Davidovich, as Snipes' ex-flame turned hooker, has little to work with in a patently unbelievable part. Seymour Cassel and Jonathan Banks are on the money as criminal types.

Pic looks nondescript. The soundtrack makes repeated use of Johnny Mercer's lovely standard "Dream".

With everyone battling each other over this movie, I just had to put my own say in it as well.

Boiling Point is a movie that I got for free on a giveaway shelf. There's a reason it was on that shelf.

Boiling Point has less action than any other Wesley Snipes movie I've ever seen. A documentary about real boiling points would've had more thrills than this wannabe actioner.

Almost nothing about this movie made me want more. Wesley Snipes put on an okay performance, but nothing more than marginal. Dennis Hopper acted weird the whole movie with over-exaggerated hand movements that made his character very off-putting. Except for a few killings, there was literally no action in this movie. The story could've been interesting, but instead it moves slow and lags at many places. The cinematography was nothing interesting, no better than any other average movie. And the script was dull and didn't move the story at all.

Overall, this movie was well beyond average, not Snipes best at all. Even The Art of War (and we all want to forget he was in that) wasn't as bad as this movie. This movie has already found its way to giveaway shelves and $.99 bins all over the country. Take that as a warning.

HandHStudios Rating: 2.5/10

Not one for the awards shows, but still an interesting thriller as Wesley Snipes is a good guy this time and he is after the one who killed an undercover cop.

Need a sleaseball? Just whistle and here comes Dennis Hopper. Hopper as a con man is the most believable character he can play. For a partner, he has the young Viggo Mortensen.

There was a lot of support from some beautiful women like Lolita Davidovich and Valerie Perrine and Christine Elise. Just a little eye candy when the film dragged a bit.

Fair Snipes vehicle.

I am going to make this review short for now, with the intention to expand it upon a second viewing if one ever occurs.

My understanding of this film is that it was a complete failure during production. They redesigned the film to give Wesley Snipes more screen time, as he was a rising action star. And they changed the name from "Money Men" to "Boiling Point"to imply that it's an action film. Well, quite simply, it's not. There's some twists in the plot, but no real action.

Wesley Snipes is a good lead, but more interesting is Dennis Hopper as Red Diamond, a prostitute lover and crook. Hopper has said he considers this his best role, which may be true, but it's embedded in a bad film. And most interesting? Viggo Mortensen in an early role as Hopper's crook friend. Had the film's creators had the foresight, they would have cut down on Snipes and expanding Mortensen. And, you know, with no fan following, we'll never see a director's cut.

Not a must-see.