Ava-Grace Willis
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
Jemima
It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.
Phillida
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
1negevoli
I don't usually enjoy "special effects" movies but this movie was an exception. For one thing, Kelly Rowan is a really, really good actress. Very realistic. For another, it was interesting learning about the different ways bombers can wreak havoc on the rest of us when they have the brains, resources and, needless to say, no humanity. Also it reminded me of the utter bravery of our "public servants," who risk their lives to protect society. I have only seen Kelly Rowan a few times. Once on "DaVinci's Inquest," an old Canadian episode drama with an excellent cast that is the best thing on television, despite being all reruns, and despite not being aired on ABC until 1:30 or 2 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays (or later, depending on football). But then, beggars can't be choosers, she said as she yawned from lack of sleep.Currently, Rowan also is very good as Peter Gallagher's wife on "The O.C.," a somewhat thankless role all things considered -- you know, its being on TV for the kids, not us grownups. (In fact, the series can only improve now that Misha Barton is, hopefully, never coming back. After all, she did die. Sure, she has a beautiful face. But her curve-less body and stick-like legs spoil that. Most important, she couldn't show emotion if her life depended on it. Like the untalented Cohen character, who is almost as bad an actor as Ms. Barton.)As pure entertainment, Greenmail was not bad at all. Better than Titanic or one of those other overblown film excesses. Rowan, who is genuinely, outstandingly beautiful, and appears to have achieved that status without plastic surgery, seems to be excellent in everything she does. The rest of the cast was above average, as well. I especially enjoyed the bomb technician who portrayed realistic emotion when he thought he was going to be blown to smithereens. Of course, the Skerrit role (Rowan's retiring boss) had to die -- that was pretty obvious. But the way he died was not obvious and tied together a loose end.All in all, I enjoyed this flick. Certainly much more than Titanic, which has earned more money than practically any other film and which I could not stand. (Can you tell?) But then, of course, not being a geek or nerd or electronic engineer or tracker of plastic explosives or Einstein or otherwise a genius, I found the movie enjoyable as pure entertainment. As a normal, average person, that is.
JimmyCamel
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!!
Per A.
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.
George Parker
"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+