Phillip Noyce directs Val Kilmer, Elisabeth Shue and Rade Serbedzija in this romantic thriller where an enigmatic thief tries to save the life of an energy scientist.

There should be a long-running modern day franchise in the Simon Templar concept. Globe trotting master cat burglar who changes his face more often than he saves the lady. Instead we get a cold dog’s dinner. Reshoots and miscasting sap all the life out of this. Master Of Disguise Kilmer is ridiculous in each of his new personas and absolutely blank out of costume. RIP Val but your lack of charisma here hobbles proceedings. He’s definitely no Roger. The action is weak but could have been promising, the plot has clearly been chopped up and switched about. Poor test screening scores meant we never really settle in. Should at least work as a romance but Shue and Kilmer spend two of three acts apart. The best stuff is them running around an icy Russia together in constant mild peril. A sloppy, poor man’s Mission: Impossible. Good soundtrack though.

4

Perfect Double Bill: M:I 2 (2000)

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