Saturday, October 24, 2020

Movie review - "Firepower" (1979) **

 Lew Grade's idea of a commercial movie - old stars, exotic locations, explosions. James Coburn is actually quite good as a macho hitman type asked by the FBI to go after a crook. It's great to see him in a part with "balls" again.

Sophia Loren's role feels shoe-horned in. She's a woman avenging the death of her husband. It didn't need to be shoe-horned in... they have Vincent Gardenia hire Eli Wallach hire James Coburn who hires OJ Simpson... just have Loren hire Coburn and Simpson.

The plot should be simple but is needlessly complicated. It's about getting a Bad Guy. There's a few twists. Coburn has a twin - why not use that more? Why not give Loren more to do?

She and Coburn hop on and off boats a lot. Simpson is quite a good action hero. The locations are nice but not that nice. Too many of the actors are old - there aren't even young henchmen.

I liked seeing Victor Mature at the end in a scene that could have been cut out - why not have him as the big baddie though?

Michael Winner didn't do a very good job as a director. He was a better producer than director and by now he was assembling ingredients more than producing a film.

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