Watch Dead Reckoning For Free

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

There's a scene near the beginning of "The Maltese Falcon" in which Bogart as Sam Spade is staring down a hill at his partner's newly murdered body. A cop says to him, "Too bad, him getting' it like that. I guess Miles had his faults just like the rest of us but it's a shame, ain't it?" And Bogart, and director John Huston, do something extraordinary with the character of Sam Spade. Bogart puffs on his cigarette, pauses, says, "I guess so," in an almost indifferent tone of voice and then turns and walks away.I only describe that scene in order to provide a frame my judgment that there is no such originality in this story of an ex GI trying to find out why his decorate buddy was murdered after they return from the war.Most of the story is framed by Bogart's explaining his situation to a priest. It provides us with a narration by Bogart that is ripped fresh from the still-quivering flank of Raymond Chandler, only without Chandler's color or aberrancies. The lingo is plain pulp. "That's when your goons hit me with that sledgehammer cocktail," and the like.The plot is twisted, as such routine murder mysteries tend to be, and not worth detailing. Basically the writers have lifted everything possible from "The Maltese Falcon" without letting the audience in on the masquerade. Some of the dialog is almost identical. "When a guy's pal is killed you're supposed to do something about it." "Yes, Mike, you're going to fry for it." The performances are professional enough. I've always kind of liked William Prince as the knocked-off buddy, ever since he saved that kid's life by performing an appendectomy in Tokyo Bay. The story here indicates that Prince graduated from Yale. Actually he went to Cornell. Then there is the inimitable Bess Flowers as a party guest. I like extras who play party guests because I did it myself in the unforgettable cult classic -- "Windmills of the Gods." Or was it "Rage of Angels"? I forget.I don't think the movie is worth much more attention. Just another programmer.

As I read others more positive reviews, I ask, "Was I watching the same movie". This is rehashed Noir complete with stereotyped dialog, grainy stock and uplighting ad nauseam. Only its Bogey! Albeit at the midpoint of his career...so this could have been a much, much better film. However the acting is terribly wooden. Bogey looks tired and uninspired and there is very little chemistry between he and the "femme fatale" Lizbeth Scott, who was ostensibly cast as a Bacall look alike. (husky voice and all). The set was supposed to be tropical, but was shot in NYC. The green screen beach scenes looked fake. I could go on and on. One parting comment, though, regarding the incredibly sexist scene where "Rip" explains his philosophy on women to Coral..."Woman should be shrunk down and kept in a man's pocket...and taken out, blown up, and be there for him looking pretty." (not exact quote, by you get the picture) Gag me with a maggot. The ending was, perhaps, the worst death scene I have seen. After a horrendous car crash, (head on with a tree at 70mph)Rip has a broken arm and Coral (on her death bed), with a designer head wrap and no bruising, closes her lovely eyes and parachutes off to the great beyond. Pathetic. The movie works as a reference point for Bogey film buffs and little else. -Jim

I just watched this movie again and, despite the many derogatory comments about Lizabeth Scott's acting abilities in the other reviews, I have to say that I found her far more interesting to watch than Lauren Bacall of that same period. She was certainly adequate to the role as written. FYI,she was under contract to Hal Wallis at this time (who released through Paramount)and was a last minute replacement for Rita Hayworth, who withdrew at the last minute because she didn't want to play another bad girl after "Gilda". The look of the movie is great, the supporting cast perfect and Bogart, as always, delivers the goods. I sense from some of the other reviewers that they are looking at this mystery (PLEASE, permanently retire that tiresome term, "Film Noir"!)in contemporary terms, rather than through the eyes of 1947 audiences, who generally went to the movies to be entertained, and not to over-analyze what is essentially a mystery. If one wants to have a good time, which was the idea behind movies of that period, you will be. Certainly far more than most of what is produced today, with forgettable faces, dumbed-down plots and questionable taste. I give this movie an 8.

When Rip's (Humphrey Bogart) army pal Johnny does a runner from the train taking them to Washington, it's the start of a shadowy street search that Rip undertakes to find out why his friend would do that. It soon becomes evident that Johnny was not who he said was, something that makes Rip's journey one that will involve murder, deception and one hell of a dame.Dead Reckoning has a mixed relationship with critics and Bogart/noir fans alike. Some are harsh on Lizabeth Scott who plays femme fatale Coral Chandler, while others have issues with the plot, calling it rambling and incoherent to the dialogue on offer. I disagree with both those things. Scott is just fine for what is a wonderfully well written character, her facial characteristics are indeed expressionless at times, but this to my mind adds an icy veneer to her character arc. She also has a knack of looking vulnerable, something that is very crucial to the film and her character in particular. The plot doesn't ramble to me, it's bonkers, yes it is, but that adds to the mystery of it all. Told in flashback as Rip confesses to a priest, all threads are however neatly pulled together to finally reveal a delightfully complete, yet surprising noirish whole. Yeah it's a jumble of conundrums, and twists and turns come and go, that's kind of the selling point really. To me at least anyway. Whilst some of the dialogue on show is as cheeky as Bogie got to deliver in the 40s. I was laughing whilst duly expecting something bad to be at the end of it.There's an air of genre familiarity with the piece, no question about that. And if implausibility factors are an issue, you best stay away. But it has a nice line in atmosphere, brutality is never far away one feels, and it's a nice shoot with Leo Tover's cinematography understated and at ease with the tone of the film. Bogart is just great, this is what we want from the great man, spouting put downs and pearls of wisdom in a grim crime movie. However bonkers it may be. 8/10