Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 21:21:23 GMT From: "Steve E. Powell" To: krish Subject: Film review Cc: ans-aa, sfp Greetings. Your film critiques have opened a new window to my life. I have come to realize that film is not the mass media passifier that I once believed, but an art form full of depth and expression. I now feel compelled to share my explorations with my compatriots; so that they too can experience the wonderful world of film. Tango and Cash -------------- On first appearances this film appears to be the mindless drivel that mainstream America loves but critics hate. However, it is a subtle trick by the producers to deceive the population into watching a film of great stature. Tango & Cash is about two wildly successful cops who must overcome their mutual scorn of one another to survive the devious plots of the mastermind antagonist. The professional rivalry between the two cops manifests itself because of a difference of style. Tango beats up criminals really hard before throwing them in jail. Cash beats up criminals very hard before throwing them in jail. Both cops have a mutual disrespect for one another because they believe that their style is the superior style, ignoring the fact that the end result is the same; bad guys pummelled into unconsciousness. This rivalry would have continued indefinitely were it not for the diabolical plot of the evil industrialist mastermind bad dude to have the two cops thrown in jail. The method is not important to the movie. The point is that Tango and Cash are now surrounded by several thousand convicts who want to kill them, because they were beat up very hard or really hard by one of the two former cops. To make matters worse, the prison authorities are on the mastermind bad dude's payroll and are trying to find ways to kill them. Tango & Cash realize that in order to escape and kill the evil bad dude, they must put aside their differences and co-operate. Tango and Cash was especially impressive because of some innovative tricks used by the producers. The bad cop worse cop routine was a refreshing revision of an old ploy. The scene where the mastermind bad dude's henchman has a live grenade dropped down his pants is a stunning use of foreshadowing reversal. The gadgets given to Tango & Cash by their nerdy scientific contact before the final confrontation with the big evil bad dude are cool and pyrotechnic. And of course the realization by the former rivals that really hard and very hard are the same thing is almost tender(sniff). Despite the impressive body count and the appearance of brutality, this film is actually a sensitive look at the makings of a great friendship. My only regret is that a sequel has not been made yet. Next week Invasion USA stevep