Delayed Reaction: In the Line of Fire

The Pitch: Clint Eastwood is an old lawman trying to save the day...yeah, another one of those.

What Took Me So Long: This didn't look markedly different from a lot of other movies from this time period (see Blown Away or No Way Out to name two).

Why I Saw It: I like Clint Eastwood and he has been playing the "I'm getting too old for this shit" game since before Danny Glover had a gray hair, so this is a good part for him. John Malkovich is clearly having a good time as the villain (a little shocked that he pulled off an Academy Award nomination for it though). It's an interestingly subdued thriller in that it doesn't rely on a lot of action to keep it going. I liked that but, I'll admit, as someone who is on three screens while watching a movie, it makes it harder to pay attention to. That's my problem though. Not the movie's.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: In movies like this, there's always the risk that the villain outdoes the hero. Sometimes, that works in the movies favor (The Dark Knight). Other times, it highlights how underdeveloped the hero is (The Rock comes to mind). The latter is the case here as I found myself fairly bored by Eastwood's old but effective agent when put up again Malkovich's mastermind seeking revenge.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend