Greenmail

Greenmail is an economic term having to do with corporate takeovers. This is a story about ecological activism gone awry. During a night time mission for water samples explosions occur, and someone dies. The ATF is called in and the story proceeds. The whole thing is quite predictable, and you know what is going on from fairly early. There is frequent (probably fewer than 400 times) referral to events "15 years ago" (when Stephen Baldwin was in diapers, I think,) although they have only passing importance to the story line. Since there are bombs, there is plenty of the usual dithering about wires and the normal Hollywood detachment from the real world. For example, why is there always such a ready supply of Semtex and C4? On the other hand, there is one really great line, and when someone takes a torso shot wearing body armor, it HURTS. Amazing. In general, not bad, not good. Baldwin is OK, Tom Skerrit can do it in his sleep but D.B. Sweeney could have been replaced by a rock and you wouldn't notice.

Some films "know" they are bad, and they have fun with it. But Greenmail isn't fun, it's just average, in fact the most "average" film I have ever seen.

I just could not believe that the cops were supposed to be cops at any stage of the film. For one thing, they all look like they just went shopping at The Gap. They all have nice haircuts and manicures. They are all like fluffy cats.

The "police station" is actually the interior what looks to be Adobe Software's site in Fremont (if you know Seattle). My point is that it just simply doesn't look like a police station.

Now everyone just shopped at the Gap and they're all in their cubicles at the software company (err.. police station). Some strange faxes show up from the mystery bomber, a la "exposition". The cops read the faxes. It's in a nice font, since we are at Adobe Software, anyways. Boy, are the cops scared. One nearly drops his coffee mug.

Ok, there was one part where I really laughed. Basically they had to defuse a bomb, and the lead Gap-clothes cop says, "don't worry, I've done this before". She walks up to the bomb. Now all of them are supposed to be wearing these visors that cover their heads. Now OBVIOUSLY if there was a bomb nearby, wouldn't you want your visor down? But they are all just hanging out by the bomb, having a good ol' time. In other words, they aren't scared, they don't have their visors down, in fact some of the extras are just kind of hanging out near the bomb... which means NO DRAMA.

Wouldn't a real bomb squad be called in? Wouldn't the real bomb defuser be in an elaborate bomb-proof suit, while everyone else was a safe distance back? Wouldn't there be a little bit of tension.. at all?

It has some wonderful, experienced actors in it, but they cannot save it. Unfortunately the lead actress (forget her name) just cannot play a cop - especially a tough, bomb-defusing cop.

The script is laden with too much exposition (a ridiculous amount of exposition, in fact), and dialogue that consistently derails any dramatic tension.

Even the "prisoner", Baldwin, wears an orange fuzzy sweater from The Gap instead of a prison/jail jumpsuit. COME ON! These are supposed to be talented actors.

They had a large enough budget for explosives and decent actors, so I don't think the faults in this film can be chalked up to "low budget"-ness.

The difference between a great director and a mediocre director? See "traffic", and watch the scenes that can be done on a low budget. Compare. Contrast. And realize that Soderbergh deserves his success, while the director of "Greenmail" is a very average director.

Ok, to be fair, they make an effort with the gunfights, explosions, and so on.. but overall it is just one average boring film. Blah.

"Greenmail" is all about bombing. Especially the old "which wire do I cut?" suspenseful moment we've all seen many times before and will see many times again in this shabby flick. Rowan is an ATF bomb expert (yeah, right) and Baldwin's a "greenie". Someone's blowing up anyone having anything to do with the corporate rape of the environment around Seattle and Rowan and Baldwin team up to catch the serial bomber. "Greenmail" is just one series of obvious contrivances after another with little to offer beyond some big bang pyrotechnics. Recommended only for the most hard up couch potato. D+

Spoilers

Stephen Baldwin played a environmentalist convicted of blowing stuff up who has to help the police find his serial bomber former colleague in this STV actioner.

There wasn't much characterisation and the plot wasn't anything that the average film watcher hasn't seen dozens of times before. The climax wasn't particularly climatic either.

Still, for a video movie it had its fair share of things blowing up which prevented it from being completely tedious. It had Tom Skerritt in too, who did his best but couldn't save this film from being more fodder for empty weekends. Watchable for one viewing.

4/10

Just another average(made for TV) movie with Stephen Baldwin(as we expect from him)It has some nice explosions but overall its a bit shallow. The acting is just above average(although its clearly they all did it for the cash only). the story is not really exciting and has no surprises(yeah, all the clichés off bombing movies are in it). i must say i've seen much better(backdraft) but also much worse(ticker).The directing is just very average but for a B movie good enough! They picked some nice areas to film(I think it's filmed in Canada) So if you ain't got nottin to do and it's on TV you could give it a try!! But only if you have really nottin to do,OK!!