ENTRAPMENT (1999)

Directed By: Jon Amiel
Written By: Ron Bass & William Broyles Jr.
Based On a Story By: Ron Bass & Michael Hertzberg
Cinematography By: Phil Meheux
Editor: Terry Rawlings

Cast: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sean Connery, Ving Rhames, Will Patton, Maury Chaykin

This film like it’s stars are beautiful to look at but here they don’t have much depth. There is nothing really in this movie other then the shot in the movie that the trailer spoils of Catherine Zeta-Jones in spandex slowly slinking under a laser-beam security laser. Her buttocks almost touching it and man what a ass. That and Sean Connery got many men into seats to watch this film. Which is like a espionage film disguised as a heist movie, with all the gadgets used to help the characters on this mission. Then trying to throw in a little romantic comedy with the aging thief and the young undercover agent who is old enough to be her grandfather, But all of this mixed together makes the movie come off as stale and a by the book blockbuster. Instead of it’s intention a kind of Cary Grantish breezy romantic thriller.

The formula seems simple Make things look good and expensive put in a bunch of action to keep the audience awake then put in a twist. This movie more or less comes off as a European THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR copy. I will give it some credit. It was the first film to really use infared laser technology as a major plot detail to get around making those scenes look like a avant garde dance piece. It has been parodied and copied by other films. Some better some worse.

Watching this so called action. I found myself getting bored because you can only dress up a film so much before you need some substance. This film was directed by Jon Amiel a director who i thought had some promise after watching his Film THE WAR but who has disappointed me with each new film he directs. Which leads me to believe he just got lucky with material and has ever since has taken for hire jobs on films that have no substance at all. He is a director of films that come around for a quick buck that are here today and gone tomorrow. Just look at some of his other films like 88 MINUTES, COPYCAT, RIGHTAEOUS KILL all majorly disappointing. But all have the common factor of him as director. I’m sure the scripts weren’t that great but a talented director could have made something memorable out of them.

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