John Badham month: Nick of Time

A review by Brooks Rich

I won't spend much time on this one. I remember thinking this was pretty mediocre when I saw it years ago but it's on Amazon Prime and the director is being featured this month.So I rewatched this and yeah it's just not that great of a movie. It's probably fine for someone looking for something mindless to watch on a lazy afternoon but there will be far better films covered for John Badham month.

Johnny Depp is Gene Watson, a recently widowed single father who arrives in LA with his younger daughter. He and his daughter are soon apprehended by two people pretending to be police and Gene is told he has ninety minutes to murder someone at a hotel nearby or his daughter will be killed.

There are two things that help me get through this film. One is John Badham's direction. He keeps the plot moving at a steady pace and it's never boring. That's good. One of the worst sins a film can commit is to be boring. The second is the awesomeness that is Christopher Walken's performance as the villainous Mr. Smith. Walken is always a treat in anything he does. The man just does whatever he wants. If you really want to see him at his most awkward and hilarious, go watch a compilation of his scenes in the otherwise unwatchable nightmare The Country Bears. Yes a movie based on the Disney ride. Walken plays it like he's a villain in a film noir. The man is a treasure and should be celebrated.

Nick of Time is an ok film that some might enjoy. I don't hate it but I never need to watch it again, unlike Drop Zone which I'll never tire of. Check it out if you have Prime I guess. But Drop Zone and WarGames are also on Prime so maybe just stick with them.

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