LastingAware The greatest movie ever!

MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Jerrie It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

Joxerlives SUCH a good film, could have easily earned a theatrical release. For a generation raised on David Soul as Detective Ken Hutchinson on Starsky and Hutch it really is a revelation to see him here as such a brutal villain (although having seen him as the vigilante police officer in 'Magnum Force' you realise his range extends far beyond clean cut heroes). Soul really dominates this film even with noted character actor Ronny Cox who was enjoying an excellent run at this stage of his career with his appearances in 'Robocop' and 'Total Recall'.I think what makes Platt and Matix so terrifying is their very ordinariness, both family men with no criminal record, both ex-soldiers with honourable discharges. Yet they were two of the most ruthless and violent criminals ever to be encountered. The final shootout is very accurate and thrilling, so well directed and acted by all. There are a few discrepancies from real life, the Miami police arrived sooner and helped protect one of the wounded agents, whilst Platt certainly did fire on Ed Moraless with his handgun it is disputed whether he got out of the car to do so. Terrific music too conveying the drama and excitement and also the poignancy of events depicted. Looking back now you can see all the mistakes the FBI made, not in their investigation which was flawless but in the final confrontation, they took on 2 men whom they knew were combat trained and armed with assault rifles with most of their agents just armed with pistols and one shotgun, only one of whom was wearing body armour. Nowadays many people criticize SWAT operations as over the top but they were developed partly as a result of this shootout. I think what really makes this stand out is the final sequence, the last zoom in on Matix's drivers licence and the voice-over informing us of the aftermath and unanswered questions surrounding the case never fails to chill the blood. The tribute at the end to Jerry Dove and Ben Grogan is always moving, giving their lives in the line of duty.

Tom Smith This is the best, or one of the best made for TV movies I've seen. Along with enjoying the movie, I was really moved by some of it's somber moments. It's total suspense, excellent action, and some incredible shoot out scenes. Everyone who enjoys cops and robber movies will really be engrossed in this high suspense thriller.

Batjac - 49 This has to be one of the best made for TV movies that you are ever likely to see.Based on the real life story of Platt & Matix ( played by David Soul & Michael Gross ) two murderous bank robbers operating in Dade County, Florida, this film is expertly crafted and maintains a gripping pace all the way through. Hollywood veteran Ronny Cox (Deliverance, RoboCop, Total Recall) brings a steely eyed brilliance to his role as Ben Grogan, head of the FBI unit charged with the apprehension of these bandits.Soul and Grosse put in dynamite performances as the two violent and unstoppable villians, which was a total role reversal from the warm, friendly characters that they are both best known for on television. Amazingly, the film does not pull any punches when it comes to the vicious nature of the crimes committed by both of these men. The final gun battle involving the FBI and these two villians is well shot (no pun intended), powerful and gripping television.

LuvsFood The In The Line of Duty series stands out as excellent - I was fortunate enough to watch a police training tape that re-enacted the infamous shootout upon which this movie is based. The movie itself is well acted and directed. The shootout at the end is pretty amazing - in fact, it shows a real double-standard on the part of network television - they'll cut a theatrical film to death, but if it's made for TV, they'll spice it up as much as they want. You won't believe your eyes as Michael Gross (Family Ties) and half of Starsky and Hutch (David Soul), play vicious robbers, who are finally caught up with by FBI agents, and engage them in a bloody shootout. Gross and Soul take hit after hit before going down, and taking two agents with them. (This isn't theatrics, by the way. Those two men were adrenalized, and determined to get away. They really did take a lot of hits) The tactical mistakes made by the agents that day have reshaped police training forever.