User reviews

"Tequila Sunrise" is sometimes quoted as an example of neo-noir, a genre of film which uses modern cinema techniques while trying to capture the spirit of the classic films noirs from the forties and fifties. Other examples include Polanski's "Chinatown", the Michael Winner remake of "The Big Sleep", Lawrence Kasdan's "Body Heat" and Curtis Hanson's more recent "L.A. Confidential".

The title is derived from the well-known cocktail which has three ingredients, tequila, orange juice, and grenadine. Mel Gibson is seen drinking this cocktail on a couple of occasions, but the significance of the title may be that the film explores the triangular relationship between a "cocktail" of three main characters, Dale "Mac" McKussic, Nick Frescia and Jo Ann Vallinari. (The film was advertised in France under the slogan "Un Cocktail Explosif").

Mac is a former drug dealer who claims that he is now trying to go straight. Nick is not only the head of the Los Angeles narcotics squad for but also Mac's close friend. Jo Ann is a local restaurant owner with whom both Mac and Nick are in love. The two men's friendship is therefore under severe strain, and not only because of their feelings for Jo Ann. There are suspicions that Mac has slipped back into his old ways and may be trying to pull off one last deal with another old friend, a Mexican drug baron named Carlos. If these suspicions prove correct, Nick will be duty-bound to arrest him.

Like many examples of both film noir and neo-noir, "Tequila Sunrise" has a complex plot, one where the motives of all the characters are suspect and where nobody knows whom they can trust. (The writer/director Robert Towne was also the scriptwriter for "Chinatown", a film with one of the most convoluted plots in cinema history). Nevertheless, I have never really regarded it as authentic neo-noir. There was always more to film noir than a crime-related theme and a complicated storyline. Atmosphere was equally important; in some cases (such as Howard Hawks' original "The Big Sleep") it was paramount. In the eighties it would have been virtually impossible to make a film using the moody black-and-white photography which characterised film noir, but neo-noir directors were often able to give their films an equivalent atmospheric look. "Body Heat", for example, has an atmosphere of extreme heat, of sweat, of physical lassitude, of moral decay and of sexual tension, something emphasised not only by John Barry's jazz score but also Kasdan's colour scheme dominated by blacks, reds and oranges.

The film stars three of the up-and-coming stars of the eighties in Gibson, Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer. None of them really give their best performance here, although Pfeiffer is always very watchable. Although in the eighties Gibson was best known for his "tough guy" roles, especially in the "Mad Max" series, he does not bring much menace to the role of Mac or suggest his criminal background. Roger Ebert called him "the nicest drug dealer you'd ever want to know".

In 1988 Towne was much more experienced as a screenwriter than as a director. He had worked on the scripts for more than a dozen films and several TV series, but had only directed one previous film, the very different "Personal Best". It is therefore perhaps not surprising that "Tequila Sunrise" comes across as more of a writer's film than a director's one. Towne inserts all the plot twists and turns that we have come to expect from noir and neo-noir, but there are none of the visual touches we associate with the genre. The film is surprisingly slow-moving and wordy for what is supposed to be a crime thriller, dominated more by talk than by physical action except during the (literally) explosive finale. Towne may have had ambitions to become an auteur director like Polanski, but "Tequila Sunrise", a run-of-the-mill crime drama, is not the work of an auteur. 5/10

This movie has a cast to die for; Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell, Raul Julia, J.T. Walsh, Arliss Howard. It makes you wonder though why they all ever agreed to appear in this movie. It's a waste of their talents really, since the movie its script doesn't provide the movie with anything interesting or exciting. Instead it more often confuses and bores.

I was real disappointed by the movie its script. While '80's police movies also aren't exactly know for their great or original stories but this story is even worse than usual. In the end you just stop carrying about anything that is happening in this movie or for any of its characters, since the movie has dragged along for far too long. The movie is lacking a certain depth with its story. In all honesty the movie really didn't started off too bad but its one of those movies that gets worse by the minute. In the end it makes you regret you've ever watched it.

It's sad that not even the great cast could put some life into the movie and its story. It's also a rather unknown movie from each of the movie its actors. They still try their very best but no, I can't really say it helps much. Although it of course is certainly true that the presence of actors such as Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell, Raul Julia and J.T. Walsh still uplifts the movie. I mean, with a totally different and unknown cast the movie would had been far worse for sure.

What the movie is lacking is some good action. It would at least had made the movie more interesting to watch. And when you have an '80's action-star such as Mel Gibson in your movie, why not use that? Instead now the movie feels like a movie done action-crime-thriller movie style but without any action in it and also without much thriller elements, since the movie is just not exciting or original enough to allow any of these elements to completely work out.

The movie also suffers from an horrible '80's music curse; the '80's music! It's so dreadful, hearing constantly some idiot playing his saxophone as loud as he can, with an occasional guitar and drums joining in. It's a score you can normally expected in a bad porn-flick.

Oh well, it's not exactly as if this is THE worst movie ever made but it also isn't exactly a movie I would recommend to anyone, despite the presence of some good big names in it.

5/10

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Many perceive Tequila sunrise to be a routine, formulaic cop thriller with some nice sets, pretty actors, some guns, some sex....etc. Cynics go on to say that Gibson has never acted worse, that the plot twists are predictable and the love triangle is overly cheesy. I, on the other hand, feel that the film profits greatly from expert cinematography, fluent storytelling and convincing(albeit rather undemanding)acting. Pitting Gibson (the now-retired drug dealer lured back for one last deal) and Russell (the reluctant sheriff assigned to bust him) as best of friends on opposite sides of the law was a strong premise, made even more compelling by the fact that the drug dealer (Gibson) is the sympathetic character and the cop (Russell) is the sly, manipulative sort. There is an apparent sense of irony and it goes a long way to making an otherwise average story, interesting and very watchable. Pfeiffer is the glamorous love interest whose character does a lot to intensify the rivalry between the two men. Much of the drama and strength however comes from the late J.T Walsh as Russell's superior, hell bent on bringing Gibson down and his Mexican drug counter-part who nobody has ever seen. A special sense of irony presents itself at the denouement for Walsh unknowlingly becomes a pawn in the drug ring that has now become the talk of the town thanks to his vendetta.

The also late Raul Julia never disappoints as the charismatic yet enigmatic Mexican law enforcer. Julia and Walsh complement the film beautifully as side characters with dubious intentions. They are multi-faceted and like all the other people in this film are torn between what they should do and what they want to do, and in fact what they end up doing. Nothing is black and white in Tequila Sunrise; it's a very grey area. With every development we learn more about the people and how they are so far from being what we originally perceived. Hats off to to Robert Towne for his writing. Tequila Sunrise may lack the inventiveness, vision, and dynamism of Chinatown (Robert Towne wrote both scripts), but it should, by no means be discarded as a mediocre cop thriller.It is a very slick piece of cinema with fine acting, glamorous sets, and great dialogue. Furthermore, unlike some of it's predecessors it's a film that can be seen repeatedly without losing it's cutting edge. Under appreciated and underrated, Tequila Sunrise is an excellent film

A story that meanders and sort of goes nowhere despite the best of intentions. Nice cinematography and great cast though, Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell bounce well off each other as two old friends on opposite sides of the law. Michelle Pfeiffer is a perfect addition as the woman they both fall for.

I remember liking this movie when I originally saw it, way back when but this time around not so much. Hideously dated sax music throughout -as all the movies from this time 80s tended to have- was partially to blame but the whole story just felt a bit dry.

On the plus side the cast is superb Raul Julia steals every scene he's in as Carlos the charismatic dealer, Kurt is sleazy with his cocky cop attitude, cigarettes and slicked back hair, determined to get the girl and bring down his old friend. He actually reminded me of Dano from Hawaii five-0. Michelle Pfieiffer is beautiful and lovely as per, a sweet romance there. Yeah poor Mel, nobody will believe he's gone straight.

"Tequila Sunrise" is the very definition of selling a movie on the basis of sheer star power. Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell, I mean, you can almost see sparks fly from just the movie poster. But the movie is really about the characters and their tangled relationships . And even though the emphasis is placed on Gibson and Pfeiffer (and their steamy chemistry), I've always been partial to Russell's side of it. I just find him more interesting, and I do love his contemptuous attitude towards JT Walsh.

That said, this is a case of one supporting player stealing the whole movie, and that is Raúl Juliá. Don't believe me? Just watch how the movie comes to life when he's around. It's never dull, but the guy's charisma is off the flippin' charts. The man had a gift.

On the whole, it's a pretty good movie; complicated plot, surprising twist, great cast.

7/10

This is a really good flick, lost to time.

Gibson's career had so many high points that this somehow got lost in the grandeur.

A lot like 'Bird on a Wire'.

If you want a middle of the road film to watch, this is what you're looking for.

Not too serious, but not cheesy, either.

With Gibson, Russel, and Pfeiffer - it's tough to go wrong.

Raul Julia even shows up to throw the talent level over-the-top.

The minimum character limit introduced to IMDb is a joke.

I refuse to copy and paste the synopsis like everyone else, just so I can post the real paragraph at the end.

Instead, I'm just going to say... Girl world sucks.

Girl world sucks.

Girl world sucks.

Continuing my plan to watch every Mel Gibson movie in order, I come to Tequila Sunrise

Plot In A Paragraph: Mac (Gibson) is a drug dealer who wants to go straight. His old and best friend Nick Frescia (Kurt Russell) is now a cop who is assigned to investigate him and his friendship with a Mexican dealer named Carlos, who the police believe is coming to town to meet with him.him. Both men fall for Jo Ann (Michelle Pfeiffer) a restaurant owner.

It was actually an effort to get through this movie. Dull, bland, uninteresting and just boring. I actually contemplated turning it off on several occasions. All of the cast look good, but when they appear bored with it all.

There is a good idea in Tequila Sunrise, but it just doesn't work. At least not for me.

Tequila Sunrise ended the year the 26th highest grossing movie of 1988 with a domestic gross of $41 million.

'Mac' McKussic (Mel Gibson) is a former drug dealer trying to stay clean. His close friend Nick Frescia (Kurt Russell) is in the drug taskforce in the L. A. County Sheriff's Department. DEA Agent Hal Maguire (J. T. Walsh) insists that Mac is involved with faceless Mexican cartel leader Carlos. Maguire tries to get restaurant owner Jo Ann (Michelle Pfeiffer) to spy on Mac but she refuses. Nick gets close to Jo Ann as the task force closes in on Mac. Nick introduces Jo Ann to Mexican Federales Commandante Xavier Escalante (Raúl Juliá).

This is a jumble messy noirish hard-boiled crime drama. The first noticeable thing is the need for more setup. It would be helpful to show the childhood friendship and even their relationship when they were cop and robber. They need to build up their story together so the audience can truly feel their closeness. Everything builds on that including the love triangle. The story is both as slow as molasses and as confused as an Iowa corn maze. I like the style and the acting is alright. However, the plot has no momentum and struggles to find any footing. Everything could be solved with a better introduction to these characters. I don't care about them. Kurt in a suit is not enough characterization.

I'm betting that writer/director Robert Towne of Tequila Sunrise was a big fan of the great Warner Brothers classic Angels With Dirty Faces. That's the one where two kids who grow up to be James Cagney and Pat O'Brien, because one is caught by the authorities and one wasn't for some juvenile crime, one becomes a gangster and one becomes a priest.

Here the mere fact that Kurt Russell was enjoying a midnight swim and Mel Gibson was caught smoking a joint on a Mexican beach makes all the difference in their lives. Russell becomes a cop, Gibson who gets protection in the Mexican prison from Raul Julia drug kingpin goes into the business. Little is left to the imagination about how Gibson enjoyed Julia's favor.

Julia's wanted by just about everybody and while Gibson would really like to quit the business, he owes Julia and Julia is coming to the USA for a really big score. Putting Kurt Russell in a precarious position. It gets even more precarious when restaurant owner Michelle Pfeiffer arrives on the scene. She has a thing for both Gibson and Russell.

This very unofficial redoing of Angels With Dirty Faces also from Warner Brothers is nicely updated to the glitzy 80s and all the players are doing some really good work here. Tequila Sunrise got an Oscar nomination for Cinematography and the way that fiery climax is photographed I can see why.

I will say things work out a tad better than they did for James Cagney.

Robert Towne, best known as the writer of Chinatown, directed this backstabbing corkscrew of a film from his own script after several notable directors didn't meet interpretation. A dark brooding piece, that is as meditative and murky as it is tightly written for suspense and twists, Tequila Sunrise focuses on the expectations that conventional mores place upon our freedom to interct and even love whomever our heart bids us.

Gibson plays a drug dealer with, if not a conscience, at least a code of some sort of ethics. He is raising a son and wants to retire from illegal activities so that he may be a good role model.

Russel plays a narcotics cop bucking for a promotion. In order to get his promotion he needs to bust the area's most notorious dealer... guess who. Problem: he and Gibson and childhood mates.

Pfeiffer is a woman caught between them, each one wanting her for different reasons. Raul Julia and J.T. Walsh complete the central players in a fine ensemble on people with agendas that may be worth sacrificing the alliances they have made along the way.

As the various subplots tie themselves into impossible-to-unravel knots, every character will be forced to question what it is he or she holds sacred. Tough and even regretted decisions are made. Friendships are made and dissolved, hearts are broken, revenges plotted...

Gibson is at his best here, Pfeiffer brings great depth to what could easily have been little more than a trophy role. Walsh and Julia are so poker-faced that an audience member who succeeds in reading all the angles should account himself no more than a lucky guesser as they leave you very few clues to work with.

Ironically, despite the desires of Gibson and Towne, the ending had to be altered to please test audiences. Later critics would harp severely on the final shot, the reviews keeping away significant audience. While the ending may be unsatisfying to the typically cynical noir fan, it does not change the fact that this a far-above-average genre flick with an excellent cast and a superb script.

Worth a watch, worth several.

I watched this purely because it was on TV, I liked the sound of it from looking it up on here, and because Towne wrote Chinatown(and I don't hold him responsible for Mission: Impossible II, he was asked to work around the action sequences that had already been developed; this is the only thing that he's directed that I've seen, and, well, maybe there's a reason he hasn't gotten to do that all that often). This is entertaining enough. The leads, all four of 'em(Raul Julia stole the show), work their own individual charm and it works immensely well. Whilst not the best, this is a nice example of where the 80's could truly deliver something marvelous, as far as films go. The dialog is clever and relatively sharp at its best. Pacing is reasonable, although this has dull portions where the plot could move faster than it does. The cast are clearly enjoying themselves, and the acting performances tend to be quite good. There is some pretty decent tension in this, and it's definitely funny, and not afraid to challenge the ideals of who the good guys and who the bad guys are. There is a bit of strong language, a little bloody violence and a single sex scene in this. I recommend this to fans of anyone involved in making it. 6/10

No matter how strong a cast, without a script, the story falls apart. Russel, and Gibson perform strongly, but have too little to work with. One word can describe this film, boring! I could not rewind the tape fast enough, and get it out of the vcr. Do not rent it, even if there is nothing else watch. 3/10

This film is all about what was great about the 80's, it has it's own style and all three main actors obviously enjoy there roles. I admit it's not one for challenging your intellect, but it is fun, honest and above all well acted. Great scenery, great story.

Veteran Hollywood penner Robert Towne (Chinatown, Shampoo) creates a simmering, atmospheric and elegantly convoluted world of drug dealers, DEA agents, old friendships and new romances in this noirish crime-drama. The title alludes both to the drink they all keep drinking and the deep yellow Los Angeles sunsets Towne keeps getting cinematographer Conrad Hall to capture - there is no doubt the director romanticizes his home town and movie history in one go here. And thanks to solid, layered performances from his three stars and some brilliant dialogue, especially in the first half, Tequila Sunrise becomes almost as alluring as Towne arguably aimed for. In that first half, Kurt Russell gives what may be his best performance ever. Which is why the eventual occlusion of his character is something of a letdown. It coincides with the introduction of Raul Julia as a powerful, larger-than-life Mexican police commandante, and his tug of war with Gibson is indicative of the film's less inspired final part, in which Towne clutches at straws and paints himself into a Miami Vice-ish corner which is clearly out of his depth. The action sequences towards the end leave a lot to be desired. There is also a fine jazzy score by Dave Grusin and a wonderful supporting performance from the always dependable J. T. Walsh.

What can you say about the guy who wrote Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes; Shampoo; Chinatown; and The Last Detail? Do you think that a movie written and directed by Robert Towne might be worth 2 hours of you life? We are talking about a master romantic tantalizer here.

A sample: Michelle Pfeiffer tells Mel Gibson how sorry she is that she hurt his feelings. He replies, "C'mon, it didn't hurt that bad," pauses, and adds, "Just lookin' at you hurts more." You can see the love in his eyes as he looks at the shining beauty of Michelle Pfeiffer.

Doesn't that make you want to run out and rent this film? It should.

I was a teenager in the '80s when "Tequila Sunrise" was released, so I watched it again recently to see how the movie looks and feels so many years later. It's a standard film noir tale with a classic love triangle: Nick (Kurt Russell) the LA narcotics detective trying to take down a major international drug dealing ring; Jo Ann (Michelle Pfeiffer), an elegant, beautiful restaurateur who caters to the city's wealthy, including drug dealers, although she has no idea; and Mac (Mel Gibson), one of those successful and polished drug dealers who's trying to get out of the racket to raise his young son on the beach.

The story by Academy Award-winning writer of "Chinatown" (possibly the greatest American film ever) Robert Towne is entertaining, although seems dated in its dialogue and situations--the criminals seem too congenial and almost upstanding in their moral code. The corrupt LA cops may seem more realistic by comparison. The action scenes are entertaining and the plot keeps you engaged enough all the way through.

But the main hook of "Tequila Sunrise" is the love story between Nick, Jo Ann and Mac--Nick and Mac being close high school chums who still try to look out for each other, although both are in love with Jo Ann, who is the epitome of late '80s beauty and allure. She is intelligent, decent, professional and kind. So, there is the conflict that drives the story. The tasteful love scenes are very stereotypically '80s, complete with quick cutting, soft lighting and soaring saxophone solos by David Sanborn.

One reaction I had (a pleasant one) was that the three stars were absolutely attractive and gorgeous, but did not look fake like today's standard--they all had real teeth, skin, bodies and hair. What passes for beautiful or sexy today often seems quite plastic. Pfeiffer is so alluring as Jo Ann, but she wears elegant business suits or cocktail dresses at work and softly draped casual clothing in scenes outside of work. "Sexy" fashion doesn't have to be skin tight, ripped or overly revealing.

This movie was popcorn-fare enjoyable, if dated and a bit silly at times. If you are feeling nostalgic for the 80s, this one will be right for you.

This movie is so mediocre, it screams to want to be a better movie. So that's the frustration you get as you watch some really good moments get buried in TERRIBLE dialogue, goofy plotting and ridiculous characters. Why did I think it was the middle of the road? It is well made. By well made, I mean it looks and feels like L.A. in the late 80's. It's sweaty, everything looks late afternoon and reminds me of tequila on cocaine. It's the atmosphere of that time. And it's perfect. Then you get these bobbleheads who ruin it with talking. Frankly, I've never seen Michelle Pfeiffer so wooden. She's got as much sex appeal in this movie as a billboard for genital herpes. Russell is grossly mis-casted. Strange how Alec Baldwin was first considered. It would've been an interesting choice.

With all the earnest dark brooding noir sense, it becomes slapsticky Mel at the end (with Raoul Julia). While fun, negates the rest of the movie. This thing was a patchwork, not yet fully cooked before production started. Still, love L.A. in the 80's though.

I honestly expected something more from this film. The script is based on interesting premises and has everything to create a pleasant atmosphere of suspense, with touches of romance and action, but I felt that the film has no impulse or depth, lacking impact with the audience. It is too light, and we watched it without thinking too much.

The script is based on a love triangle between two childhood friends, one of whom, Mac, is a former drug dealer and the other, Frescia, an agent in the Narcotics Division. They are both interested in Jo Ann, the manager of an Italian restaurant they used to go. But the chief of police is convinced that Mac is not out of the drug business and he's preparing a visit of a powerful drug barom for a big deal. So, Frescia decides to involve Jo Ann, and ask him to spy on Mac, while trying to take advantage of the situation to seduce her.

The film relies heavily on dialogue and cast's performance. And there is no doubt that dialogues were very well made. The main actors are also good and leaved us an excellent work, particularly Michelle Pfeiffer and Mel Gibson, who build a truly enviable chemistry. Kurt Russell is also very good, although he is not able to meet with his colleagues, who almost throw him into the gloom. On the other side, Raul Julia barely gave life to a caricature, given that he limited himself to follow the list of Latin stereotypes: histrionic, he speaks loudly, screams and exaggerates in the demonstrations of affectivity.

Technically, the film has an excellent cinematography and filming work, which earned it its single Oscar nomination. The influence of noir is quite clear in this film. The scenario is complete when we consider the regular effects, the good sets and costumes and a dated soundtrack, not very elegant and worthy to be left in the forgetfulness where it fell.

All in all, I really like this movie. The chemistry is definitely there, and the cinematography is excellent (I love the scene where Mac and Nick are talking while sitting on the swings, in pure silhouette).

Occasionally the dialog does seem stilted, like when Nick's character is telling Joanne how much he wants to see her that night. And you really wonder how Nick has his job, with all of the compromises he makes for relationships (as with Mac and Joanne).

But, Mel Gibson's eyes when he tells Michelle Pfeiffer about his interest in her... swoon! And there's a literally steamy love scene involved that is one of my all-time favorites.

All in all, the whole movie is a very interesting commentary on friendship and the ties that bind. 1) Friendship is the only choice you have in life (you can't choose your family...) vs 2) at some point friendship's obligations can go beyond the real life of the friendship itself.

Raul Julia has a great speech about that in this movie. Seeing this made me miss him all over again!

The only thing I heard about "Tequila Sunrise" back in the '80s was that it had a sexy hot tub scene. Does it ever.

But the movie is more than that. It's the story of friendship and betrayal with some stunning cinematic moments.

Mac Mckussic (Mel Gibson) is a drug dealer trying to go straight. His friend Nick Drescia (Kurt Russell) is the cop investigating him.

Both Mac and Nick are attracted to Jo Ann (Michelle Pfeiffer), the owner of an Italian restaurant. What Nick wants from her, though, is information about Mac's plans. He wants to know more about Mac's drug dealing plans and his connections with a major Mexican dealer, Carlos, whom the police believe is coming to town to meet with Mac.

"Tequila Sunrise" isn't heavy on action, which I suppose is one criticism, and it has some complicated subplots. And I'm not really sure you'd call it a noir - noirish maybe. What makes it interesting are the performances of Gibson, Pfeiffer, Russell -- and their beautiful looks -- and Raul Julia and J.T. Walsh, both marvelous.

Someone described this as a chick flick. It's not hard-hitting like director Towne's classic Chinatown. It draws on some old themes - a love triangle, loyalty, friendship -- and it succeeds on that level. Comparing it to Chinatown won't get you anywhere.

Legendary screenwriter Towne's thriller is a slick, watchable story about honour among friends involved (from various perspectives) in a big drug deal. Unfortunately, it's also a load of tosh. The characters are all beautiful (Michelle Pfiffer especially), but completely unconvincing, none more so than Kurt Russell's cop who never seems to do a single day of real police work. The moral complexities of the story lose out to gloss, and a ghastly soundtrack, at every point - even the cleverness of the plot has no impact, so intentionally flat are the characters. Fundamentally this film is all about aspiration - it sells you a lifestyle (good food, beautiful women, golden beaches) and the details are just a peg on which to hang the ad. Passes the time, but there's something fundamentally unpleasant in the whole conceit. A film of the 80s in every sense.

Now after saying that, let me say this. I do not think it is his best movie. I realize he has made much better movies. This movie is flawed but if you look hard enough everything is flawed. The reason this is my favorite Mel Gibson movie is A: Mel's performance, it was very good. Probably not his best but he plays paranoid well. B: Raul Julia he was awesome in this. Same with Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell. Next is the story. A tale of a drug dealer trying to clean up his life to impress a restaurant owner, but is derailed by everyone else in his life. His brother is trying to set him up, his high school buddy is trying to stop but not bust him, and steal his would be girl. His other old friend who is supposedly the biggest dealer in Mexico is trying to get him back into dealing. His ex-wife wants his money, the DEA wants him in jail, his lawyer isn't really helping and all his kid wants is his attention. This is a character the has every reason to trust no one and still tries although he is usually right and shouldn't. To me this is a fun film with interesting characters doing what should be uninteresting things. True it all ends in true hollywierd fashion but seeing Michelle Pfeiffer looking great in some power woman suits and Kurt Russell looking like a 50's cigarette poster and trying to be slick is fun. Plus the performance by J.T Walsh (one of my favorite character actors) as the seedy DEA agent makes this worth the time.