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Load of rubbish!!

Crappy film

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

"Ricochet" was one of the lesser movies that Denzel signed to be in, before he got the Academy Award for his supporting role in "Glory" ('89) that enhanced his status in Hollywood as a serious actor and a bankable star.Directed by the visual mogul, Russell Mulcahy, the well-known music videos' director and responsible for one of the most visually creative fantasy films from the 80's decade: "Highlander" ('86), his turn on the action / thriller genre with "Ricochet" was even a bigger step backwards than "Highlander 2 - The Quickening" ('90) which was critically torn apart and flopped hard at the B.O.The major problem with Russell Mulcahy's films are that, even if he's an acomplished director to compose stylish visuals and stage creative and peculiar scenes that works so well on screen, on the other hand he isn't much of a storyteller, and the writing for his movies are mostly, from passable to bad (with the noble exception of the aforementioned, "Highlander"). He also have a great sense of how actors can look the best on screen, to have a presence and doing their best to act their parts physically, but unfortunately he never was a good director of actors and sometimes the bland dialogue given to his characters didn't help either."Ricochet" is an action / crime / thriller film that lacks realism, congruence or logic, being nothing more than an over-the-top mess, that is even too sordid and gross to be called a 'cheesefest' like its counterpart movies from the 80's.Fred Dekker ("Night of the Creeps" ('86), "The Monster Squad" ('87) & "House" ('89), who signed the original story, is an imaginative writer for fantasy / horror films, so as his co-writer, Menno Meyjes, a Spielberg's usual collaborator and Steven E. de Souza, from "48 Hrs." ('82), "Commando" ('85) & "Die Hard" ('88) fame, wrote the screenplay, so what went wrong here, for so much talented individuals present a ludicrous final draft ?Mulcahy's handling of the film is no better, some scenes are way 'off' and just inserted in for the sake of the director's egocentrism, like the out of place / silly behind bars' swordfight between John Lithgow and Jesse "The Body" Ventura (the former W.W.F. Superstar, better known for playing Blain in John McTiernan's "Predator" ('87), which was reminiscent or better, a "homage" to Mulcahy's previous "Highlander" films.Denzel acts too straight serious for the movie's ridiculous tone, looking like he was thinking that he was in the next "The Silence of the Lambs" and John Lithgow plays his usual screen personna: the wicked and demented individual which is also very intelligent and stylish and then makes a stupid move out of nowhere for the hero to save the day. Lithgow is always exquisite & over-the-top / hammy in this kind of roles, but his fans will love him no matter what, 'cos the actor never disappoints.The rest of the cast are as useful to the overall plot as umbrellas in a sunny day: Kevin Pollak is totally dull and his death scene / line exchange with Denzel is near Ed Wood's material; Lindsay Wagner plays it better, but lacks screentime and Ice-T, playing himself once again, is so irritating to follow and acts so lousy that makes Keanu Reeves' a Sir Laurence Olivier in comparison.The only way you can enjoy "Ricochet" is if you're a fan of Golan-Globus produced B-films from the decade earlier, and even Cannon Group released far better and entertaining action flicks that, at least, did not take themselves so seriously.In short, "Ricochet" only wins in its polished visuals and scores at a "so bad, it's good" level that worths a watch, besides that it may be for Denzel nowadays what "Bachelor Party" is for the now established and respected Tom Hanks, but at least the latter is funny and entertaining, whereas "Ricochet" is a failed attempt at whatever they were suppose to be doing and an almost embarrassing product for the resumé of the all involved.

"Ricochet" is a movie worth seeing (renting) for its two lead actors; both of whom approach this movie with gusto, not to mention serious talent: Denzel as the righteous crusader attorney, and Lithgow as the bat-guano crazy killer. Lithgow plays the hell out of the psycho here, not the scenery-chewing bad guy you picture from "Cliffhanger", but the unhinged and unpredictable kind. The mindscrew he puts Denzel through in this movie is something else, man. Way out there.Sleazy and over-the-top are both very good descriptors for "Ricochet", which isn't at all what I'd expected. It does have that early '90s violence (you know it when you see it), but a lot of it's shot like a music video; it's kinda surreal. Ice Ti's character/subplot is awkwardly shoved in there, but on the other hand, Kevin Pollack's a reliable presence. I do love that Mary Ellen Trainor's playing the same character she did in "Die Hard") it's so random). This holds your attention, but it's also fairly forgettable.6/10

The Problem Here is Tone. It Wanders and Waivers at the Drop of a Profanity. The Movie is Vile and Then Cute and Cuddly. There are Individual Set Pieces that are Effective and Brutal and There are Scenes that are Cringe Inducing, Like a Switch of Allegiance with a Backstory that is Barely Hinted and Does Not Ring True.Denzel Washington and John Lithgow are the Right Actors in the Right Roles but are Betrayed by the Lame Script, Inept Storytelling, and a Style that is Pedestrian. It can be a Guilty Pleasure for Sure, but that Only Reinforces the Mishandling of the Material and a Result of Rubbernecking at Powerful Actors being Prostituted for Cheap Thrills. Kevin Pollak is Wasted in a Sleepwalking Role.The Movie Works at Times but Unravels So Often it is a Frustrating Film that Never Finds its Legs and is Herky-Jerky the Way it Fluctuates its Presentation. The Third-Act is the Worst of the Three as Characters Betray Their Previous Personas and Become Cattle Herded Into the Slaughterhouse for a Cheesy Conclusion.Yes, the Whole Movie is Cheesy but Not as Smelly as the Completely Clunky Ending.

There's a very good idea in this film: A psychopath want revenge on the cop that put him away by bringing him down to his level. While the film starts out promisingly, It ends up delving into camp. Some things work very well, such as the performances of the two leads, Denzel Washington and John Lithgow, but the character of Kim (Josh Evans) is completely unnecessary and detracts from the intensity of the film. Another problem is the ending, which will not be revealed, but is too improbable to really comprehend. All in all, "Ricochet" is a passable thriller, which is only elevated because of the strong performances of the two leads.