Add to Google

Subscribe in NewsGator Online

Mostly Entertainment

entertainment ave!
Read our stuff.

 

  Home    -    Our Blog   -    Our Podcast   -   The Concert Hall    -   The Movie Theater    -   In Your House    -   Stu & The Dude    -   The Alley    -   Mail Us!    -   The Office


Murder at 1600
Movie Stats & Links

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane, Alan Alda
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: Warner Bros.
Kiddie Movie: Nope. Call the babysitter.
Date Movie: Sure.
Gratuitous Sex: There's a pretty good scene at the beginning showing some nice breasts. It's too bad she had to die.
Gratuitous Violence: Not really, just some blood and gunfire.
Action: Some.
Laughs: Not really.
Memorable Scene: Nothing stands out that hasn't been done before.
Memorable Quote: "The government doesn't shut down just because it's Friday."
Directed By: Dwight Little
Produced By: Arnold Kopelson and Arnon Milchan

Murder at 1600
A Movie Review

MPAA Rated - R

It's 1:46 Long

A Review by
The Dude on the Right
Photo 1
There is only one real problem with the movie "Murder at 1600" - the general public is too used to political scandal, even at the highest office, and those scandals really don't shock us anymore, even if it was murder. And you know, that's too bad because "Murder at 1600" could have had a lot of potential to shock the public if we just didn't seem to care anymore.

Well, "Murder at 1600" puts Harlan Regis (Wesley Snipes) investigating a murder at The White House. The premise here is simply that when dealing with the government nothing is simple, you should always watch your back, and never expect the expected. Poor Harlan, he gets stuck on the case of the century - who killed this woman in what should be the safest home in America? Well, the
Photo 5
government types set up a guy quickly, Harlan doesn't believe it, and his assigned Secret Service agent Nina Chance (Diane Lane) is torn between the morals she was brought up with while living in Iowa or playing the game of the government. All in all it's not a bad story, but it just doesn't make it and I still can't figure out why.

See, this movie has some pretty good intrigue, it took me a while to figure out just who did it, and it's one of those movies that make you question the power that the government may have, but maybe it's because it has been done before, maybe because we are so used to government being sneaky and tricky, or maybe just because Washington D.C. doesn't surprise us anymore, I don't know, but "Murder at 1600" just didn't push things to the next level.

I guess it's just that most of the scenes in this movie have been done before that made me think it's a better film to wait for the video than drop the full price of admission for this film. Wesley does a decent job of trying to put the pieces together, being the detective against all odds to find this killer, and sometimes trying to be a bad-ass, and after seeing this film I have a new found appreciation for Diane Lane. But the starring role in this movie really goes to Alan Alda, playing Alvin Jordan, the President's right-hand man, but is really a conniving asshole hell bent on upholding the honor of the
Photo 8
Presidency. Yep, "Murder at 1600" has it all, the sneaky secret service, the up-tight agent who becomes admirable after she lets her hair down, protesters, government scandal, secret tunnels into The White House, and even Dennis Miller. Problem is it's nothing new. Not that any of it is done badly, it's just been done.

So, what do I really think of "Murder at 1600?" Well, with some of the better films out right now I would suggest saving your money and catch it at the bargain theaters or wait for the video. I give it 1 1/2 stars out of 5.

That's it for this one, I'm The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!

 

Copyright © 1996-2010 EA Enterprises, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
www.entertainmentavenue.com
eavenue@entertainmentavenue.com