punishmentpark
A terrific thriller adventure flick with lots of fine acting by Sydney Poitier, Tom Berenger, Kirstie Alley and the whole bunch playing the survivalists. The film is roughly divided into three geographical sections: 'heist' (prelude), 'survival trip' (the main course) and 'finale in Vancouver' (aftermath). All parts are suspenseful (and comical at moments), but the different settings really add to the colour of the movie.The group dynamics when Alley's characters teams up with a crew (one of them is the baddie, but who?) work great, and Berenger and Poitier have good chemistry as well. Of course, the film works best when you see it for the first time (and you still don't know who the baddie is), but I'm always looking forward to seeing it once in a while on the BBC. It's one of those re-runs that never bores, and I must have seen it at least four or five times by now.9 out of 10.
jamiecostelo58
I enjoyed this film very much upon first viewing and I've must have watched it hundreds of times since and never get bored! Deadly Pursuit is a nail-biting, intelligently thought out action thriller made all the more stronger with its excellent cast and mountainous settings. It is certainly a welcome return for the legendary Sidney Poitier after a decade away from the screen.The intrigue regarding which of the five members of Kirstie Alley's (as Sarah) hiking group is a deranged jewel thief and killer is there in abundance; perhaps all have something to hide, you just don't know! This point is heightened thanks to the casting of actors well known for portraying bad guys, namely Andrew Robinson and Clancy Brown. When we do find out who the killer is, the cat-and-mouse game reaches new heights.Deadly Pursuit is a simple title for a simple film, but it does move along at a good pace, and adds full-on tension and interest to keep the viewer entertained; for example the turbulent yet vital relationship between Poitier's Stanton and Tom Berenger's Knox, two very different individuals coming together for one and the same purpose; the sometimes humorous moments (Stantin's struggles with a horse, a scene where he and Knox have to shelter from a snowstorm as well as their encounter with a grizzly bear), mixed with great action that doesn't go over-the-top as proved with other similar movies.Sidney Poitier and Tom Berenger are a pleasure to watch together. Despite their character's sometimes volatile relationship, the two actors do share a certain chemistry, while Kirstie Alley performs well despite limitations to her character.I enjoyed Deadly Pursuit to the full. Roger Spottiswoode directs a well crafted action thriller that can be watched again and again. 8/10
thinker1691
Police in every nation have, over the decades accumulated hundreds of stories concerning the chasing of criminals. Sometimes in the city, sometimes in the country and then there are times when the bad guys try to jump jurisdiction by crossing the boarder. This is one such movie called " Shoot to Kill. " The story is of Steve (Clancy Brown) a very intelligent, very crafty diabolic killer who begins with a B & E, armed assault, robbery, kidnapping and graduates to outright Murder. To combat him the F.B.I. assigns a senior and experienced agent named Warren Stantin (Sidney Poitier). The two meet with a robbery, murder where Steve takes his loot and kills his victim and makes good his escape. Stantin vows he will eventually apprehend him. A short time later, Steve emerges by infiltrating a troop of hikers into the U.S. Canadian mountains, where Steve is once again pursued by Stantin who is helped by Jonathan Knox, (Tom Berenger) a stubborned, but very experienced mountain guide who is determined to save his girlfriend (Kirstie Alley) from the clutches of the killer. In it's cast are several well known actors who have also played heavies, like Richard Masur and Andrew Robinson and make it difficult to identify the real killer. The movie is filled with action, adventure and some light moments between the principals. All in all, it's a good film and one is thankful for allowing Mr. Poitier to return to center stage before the camera. ****
elshikh4
There is one sure truth about movies, not only that they last forever, but also that our memories last with it. Therefore, whatever how many years passed by; when you watch a certain movie, you recall all of your happy, or unhappy, memories which are connected with the first watching' time, with all of its thoughts and feelings.As for (Shoot to Kill), I was 21 year old when I first watched it. Back then, I've just ended my fourth and final year in faculty of arts, waiting for the result of my exams, exactly like my friend (he was my neighbor too) who was waiting for his result as well, but at the faculty of law. Both of us were movies' freaks, and maybe you'll understand how crazy we were when I tell you that we raced once to finish watching all the movies in one video store near our homes !! I remember that he saw more horror movies than I did, but I surpassed in watching the action and the musical ones. Anyway, it was the glorious glory's days, we were watching movies through our national TV like (Hot To Trot), (Romancing The Stone), (Other People Money); there were all good, so at the theaters too like (X Files "The Film"); although we were disappointed with it, but we were having each other, and ready to watch more movies, better or worse. Through the VHS, we enjoyed a lot of nice ones, and how we got our own dictionary out of the movies' dialogue; to hang a phone call saying (I'll Be Back !) from (The Terminator), or to end a hot conversation peacefully (Opinions are like asses, everybody got one !) from (The Dead Pool), or to be naughty sometimes (Hubba Hubba !) from (Payback) and so on.. On 14/7/1999, I watched (Contact) by (Robert Zemeckis), and my friend just finished (Shoot To Kill), so we recommended every one's movie to each other, to discuss it later, as usual, in our discussion zone : The Gym !I went to read its cover to discover that it's an action thriller that got (Sidney Poitier) as the lead, and (Roger Spottiswoode) as a director, so I rented it enthusiastically. And when I watched it, I just fell in love with it. (Shoot to Kill) was sharp, so solid and more beautiful than most of the above. It's the good old school at its best, and that's ladies and gentlemen my favorite kind of action, not the awful grisly comic books graphic novels video games kind of pace, violence and idiocy (YES, Sin City, Sin Movies !). I see that this good movie got it all. Firstly, the fine screenplay. It's fine because it cared about making good action thriller time with no flaws at all, and – in the same time – showed the comparison of 2 clever men and how everyone, in his own world and by his environment's rules, is a real hero. Actually, it said that the work of any police officer in the city is as hard as the mountain climber's work in the woods. Or that the world is one giant jungle, therefore you must know how to survive, but everyone by their special talents. Look how the magnificent (Poitier) acts so clumsy in the forest, with many wicked details and witty expressions, while (Berenger) was the MAN. But then in the city, it's totally the opposite, where (Poitier) was the master of his civilized yet the same brutal jungle, and (Berenger) turned into the naive one who discovered finally the truth about (Poitier) to tell him during the car chase "You're Crazy!".Furthermore, that strong music, that wonderful cinematography, and that perfect editing; remember the armlet's scene in the beginning; that was unforgettable piece of work as a lesson in how to build a thrill in one short scene. And, naturally, the proficient direction. This movie delivers greatly, particularly in the last 15 minutes; I simply adore this climatic sequence.I loved it to the extent that I watched it for a second time right after the first one immediately. You can find it in my list for the best 100 non-Egyptian movies ever. And it's still an enjoyment to watch that one from the 1980s, thanks mainly to the iconic presence of (Poitier) as an action star here (try to believe that this graceful elegant was 61 years old at the time !!). I didn't find till now an explanation for his 11 years of absence as a movie star from 1977 to 1988 ?! But whatever, he came back to make (Little Nikita – 1988) and (Shoot To Kill – 1988) and really what a huge difference between them both; as one is half good and one is too good ! (I wrote a review about Little Nikita on its IMDb page). So after watching the movie, on the title's date, I remember so joyfully that in the next afternoon I met my friend in the very zone of us, and when I asked him smiling "You FBI guys do this kind of s**t a lot ?" I had him and me answering in the same time imitating Poitier : "Every Damn Day !". Although it's a line which maybe we've heard in other movies or even TV shows before, but when it has Poitier's performance.. It becomes CLASSIC.
