Plot
A police officer with a painful past returns home to help the FBI track down a mastermind assassin.
Release Year: 2010
Rating: 5.2/10 (1,237 voted)
Director:
Robert Kurtzman
Stars: Sean Patrick Flanery, Joe Pantoliano, Amanda Wyss
Storyline The Lion is a formidable assassin - clever, skilled, and cruel. In Albuquerque, he forces police detective Tom Armstrong into a tailspin of grief. Several years later, Armstrong's living alone in Mexico when the FBI seeks him out to help: they may have a lead on the Lion. Back in Albuquerque it seems that the Lion has unfinished business, and while he pursues his unknown objectives, he also stays one deadly step ahead of the police and the FBI. For Armstrong it's personal. Can he return to the states and find the arch villain, or is he walking back into more pain and loss?
Cast: Sean Patrick Flanery
-
Tom Armstrong
Joe Pantoliano
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David Kaplow
Amanda Wyss
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Julie Mulligan
Carmen Serano
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Isabel Ordonez
Greg Serano
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Ryan Alba
John Koyama
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X-ray Agent
Luce Rains
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Red Tie
David House
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Special Agent William Hopter
Joel Bryant
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Richard
Fredrick Lopez
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Senator Cordero
Michelle Greathouse
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Kelly Armstrong
Christopher Dempsey
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FBI Agent
Mike Miller
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Randall Hollis
Brother Eden Douglas
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FBI Agent
(as Brother Douglas)
Jesus Jr.
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Club Floor Security
Release Date: 3 Jan 2010
Filming Locations: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Canada:
User Review
A Worthy Member of the Criminal Mastermind Lineage
Rating: 6/10
After a horrible incident, police officer Tom Armstrong retires and
moves to Mexico. But he is forced to return when the madman who
targeted him once has returned, and only Armstrong knows the killer's
mind well enough to play his games. But, of course, this only makes him
a target.
Director Robert Kurtzman ("Wishmaster"), more generally known as the FX
maestro behind scores of films (often in the horror genre), brings his
vision to the script of Alex Vesha, who knows something about tense
situations, psychotic (but brilliant) killers and bomb scares. There
are more than a handful of moments here where lives are on the line --
sometimes hundreds. Eat your heart out, Jack Bauer.
While the lead role of Armstrong (Sean Patrick Flanery) has to be
admired, there's no denying that Joe Pantoliano steals the show as The
Lion. Menacing, devious, a master of disguise... he's a perfect casting
choice for a villain. Despite decades in acting (including "The
Goonies", "The Matrix" and "The Sopranos"), he still hasn't really
achieved the notoriety he deserves. This probably will not be the film
that breaks him into the top tier, but that day is coming. Watch out,
Kevin Spacey.
I have to say I'm not really keen on the romantic aspects, and there is
some slowness in general where the piano music kicks in. I understand
the importance of the romance and relationships in this one, but there
is a break in the pace that I think ultimately works against the fast
action of the movie. I cannot really offer a solution of how to
reconcile the need for romance and the pace, though, so I think the
best was done with what they had. I would have replaced the romantic
interest with a platonic partner or boss, but that's just me.
While I think the film is mildly flawed, due primarily to the pacing
issue, it is worth seeing for anyone who enjoys the police or thriller
genres. As stated, The Lion is a worthy villain in a long line of
criminal masterminds, and Vesha, Kurtzman and Pantoliano really bring
that to the forefront.
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