On P List of Movie Reviews
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The Package (1989)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
4/19
4/19:
Now, I can see where The Fugitive came from.
Andrew Davis directs The Package which takes place in Chicago and stars Tommy Lee Jones who will win the Oscar as
Samuel Gerard four years later.
Never mind the similarities, it's a good film that stands on its own. The story is captivating to
follow with many twists and turns, and the tension reminds me of
The Manchurian Candidate,
The Day of the Jackal,
and Roger Donaldson's No Way Out. Great acting, yes, but the story overshadows it.
The performances are solid. Gene Hackman is excellent as usual. His banter with Tommy Lee Jones is fun to watch. Talk about
two outstanding actors. Joanna Cassidy and Dennis Franz, who's always convincing as an undercover detective, do a great job.
John Heard is stone cold.
However, The Package is weak in parts and has transition problems. Gene Hackman's character has it easy for a dangerous
fugitive from the U.S. Army. I hate the James Bond-esque escape he's granted to have. Just put a bullet in the back of
his head and be done with it.
All in all, any movie with Gene Hackman is bound to be good, and it proves to be true for The Package.