Dynamixor
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
mraculeated
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
Robert Joyner
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
bkoganbing
I guess Don Johnson after Miami Vice wad destined to be cast as irreverent police detectives who get results which is why they are tolerated. After easy living Sonny Crockett on a houseboat in Miami Vice he does Dead Bang in which his character is working off a perpetual hangover. Soon enough he would be in Nash Bridges where he once again had a sunny disposition.On Christmas Eve Johnson catches a homicide of a patrol officer shot at point blank range. Like millions of the rest of us Johnson had plans to spend time with his family. But he figures if he's working Christmas investigating the shooting of a fellow officer no one else should be enjoying themselves. And he makes sure they don't.A convenience store manager who was shot and survived gave out a description of someone who the deceased spotted before he was killed. Following this suspect out of southern California in a tour around red state America leads Johnson on a merry chase through a variety of white supremacist groups. The object of his search is Frank Military identified by the convenience store manager who as it were is black.Johnson really steps on a lot of toes, two prime examples are Bob Balaban a parole officer whom he kidnaps Christmas Day so that he can pursue without a warrant a lead. That whole sequence including what Johnson does while interrogating his lead is hilarious.He also handles department shrink in a most unusual manner. Michael Jeter plays the psychiatrist who never encountered issues like Johnson has. I also can't forget the uptight, anal retentive FBI guy that Johnson is forced to work with, William Forsythe. Those two are one impossible team.Though it has a lot a lot humor Dead Bang also is a most serious look at a proliferation of white supremacist groups which makes the film maybe even more relevant for today.
sol1218
(There are Spoilers) Christmas Eve sets off a number of incidents in L.A that goes through the states of Arizona and Oklahoma and finally leads to the mountains outside of Boulder Colorado, at the Shelby Ranch. It's there where we have a confrontation between the local police the FBI and L.A homicide policeman Jerry Beck, Don Johnson, on a Neo-Nazi concentration camp-like, minus inmates, headquarters. Guning down a black convenience store manager, who survived, and an L.A cop Gary Kimbel, who didn't, has LAPD officer track down the killer by checking all the parolees in and around L.A. Looking for a Bobby Burns who fit the description of the killer LA detective Jerry Beck checks out this biker place only to find Bobby Burns younger brother John who's not very helpful in the murder investigation. With Jerry trying to get John to talk about his brothers whereabouts out of nowhere this guy jumps out of the window, Jerry runs him down it what seemed like the length of the Boston Marathon. Jerry after running down tackling and cuffing the fugitive seems to uncontrollably, like it wasn't in the script but a sudden bodily function on his part, vomits not once but twice all over the poor mans shirt. It also turned out to Jerry's embarrassment that the person Jimmy Ellis wasn't the guy, Bobby Burns, that he was after. Jerry's on pins and needles with his marriage on the rocks and his estranged wife Karen not letting him see his two kids as well as him being told to have a psychiatric examination by an LAPD assigned shrink to see if he's fit for duty. Christmas night Jerry attends a policeman single's party and meets and spends the night at his pad with Linda who he later finds out to his surprise and shock was the wife, estranged but still married to, of Officer Gary Kimble who was shot just the day before! how much can one man take without going off his rocker! It seemed that the person involved with the shootings in LA went west to Cottonwood Arizona and, together with his friends,shot up a bar robbing and killing everyone in it. That incident has Jerry put back on the case and sent to Arizona to help, the Cottonwood police, in finding the killers. With the help of the local Cottonwood sheriff Jerry tracks down the killers to this farm and after a violent shootout the trio get away. Checking the farm house Jerry finds that the three fugitives left behind a map and letters about a big Neo-Nazi meeting to be held at a place called the Shelby Ranch in Colorado where the three are headed for. As you would expect nobody takes Jerry seriously since he's such a flake even though he has the evidence, the map and the letters, right in his hands. Even the local FBI man Arthur Kressler assigned to the murder case,since the murders crossed state lines,treats Jerry like he was a conspiracy nut, in him saying that the Neo-Nazis were planing to overthrow the US government,gone out of control. It takes a kidnapping, by Bobby Burns, and almost murder of Jerry Beck to finally convinces the FBI that Jerry may be on to something. Together with Boulder Sheriff Dixon's men Jerry and FBI agent Kressler storm the Shelby Ranch. Jerry & Co. not only find out the truth about what the persons there lead by the "Right Reverend" Ghbhardt, the Neo-Nazi religious Fuhuer, were planing for the future of America! Even more important it's found out who was behind the LA and Cottonwood Arizona murders, in which Officer Kimble was a victim, and what were the real and sick reasons behind them. Interesting but a bit complicated police thriller that mixes Neo-Nazis street thugs and a lot of emotional and mental instability, on both sides of the law, together in making a fairly good story. It was interesting to see a young William Forsythe as the FBI man Arthur Kressler being so goody two shoes, like a combination boy scout and altar boy, who became so upset with LAPD's Jerry Beck for as much as using off-color language to the point of almost coming to blows with him! In almost all of his movies after "Dead Bang" Forsythe, in films like "Stone Cold" and "Out for Justice", was anything but the stuck-up and self-righteous FBI agent Kressler that he played in the movie.
arjavanespen
I've liked most of Don Johnson's work and this movie proves how versatile he is. His character is so very different from his Miami Vice days, though I liked those series a lot as well. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes cop-films, this is one of the best I've seen. Lots of action, good storyline, a good 80's film.I also just wanted to correct the previous person to comment on this film as Don plays Det. Crockett in Miami Vice - there is no-one in Miami Vice called Stubbs - only Crocketts detective partner Tubbs springs to mind.Obviously everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, and though this film may not be huge, remember it's been made for people who like this sort of stuff.
g-amp-smckenzie
Another one of those TV stars who moved into movies this sadly has been put alongside with Caruso's JADE but on closer inspection all movies are not that bad..... Dead Bang is a fairly run of the mill cop against bad guys type thing but what takes it out of the run of the mill is the direction from Frankenheimer & the star turn from Johnson. Johnson gives a great performance as the stressed cop,we can see the frustration in Beck's life either doing his job or trying to see his kids,his acting is done very well & not over the top..in particular the xmas morning bust Beck makes..the start of the scene we see the alcoholic sweats to later on being sick all over the suspect. The supporting cast however do not raise their game to give the support Johnson needs with William Forsythe in particular giving a completely wooden performance which is surprizing as he has been so much better.The action scenes are handled very well indeed...The gunfights(are they're are a few) are not to Hollywood for my liking.On the whole a very enjoyable movie & it shows that Don Johnson should have been a movie star.
