Even if it did drop the ball on tracking September 11 terrorists, the real CIA still looks a whole lot smarter than their movie counterparts here, who recruit Chris Rock (?!?) as a temporary agent in this dumb, loud, and flashy action-comedy. High-gloss and low-IQ, the film plays like somebody spliced random moments of Rock's stand-up routine into what is otherwise a cliché-riddled but self-serious spy thriller. Standing out like a circus clown at a funeral, Rock plays the long-lost twin of a secret agent killed in the middle of negotiating a deal for a stolen Russian nuclear suitcase bomb. To keep the deal on track, a high-ranking spook, played by the venerable Anthony Hopkins (what was he thinking?), taps Rock with the old "your dead brother was a spy and we want you to take his place" speech. Training montages, ad libs, car chases and kidnapped girlfriends soon follow before we reach the terrorist-themed, intelligence-insulting finale involving a countdown on the bomb's LED read-out. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include the 12-minute featurette “In Bad Company: An Inside Look,” which offers cast and crew insights. Bottom line: a lame extras package for a lame flick.] (R. Blackwelder)
Bad Company
Touchstone, 116 min., PG-13, VHS: $106.99, DVD: $29.95, Nov. 12 Volume 17, Issue 6
Bad Company
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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