Outrageous spy action fun, just perfect for those seeking an alternative to Die Hard. Geena Davis is pretty convincing in the role as a female assassin, and Samuel is great fun to have on board as always.
You’ll most likely get caught up in the messy plot holes ahead, but it’s seriously worth a watch (especially at Christmas).
I have scored this fairly low due to a scene in which an animal is killed, it’s not for the faint hearted.
Advocates of Die Hard being the best Christmas movie have clearly forgotten about this. For a start, it's a proper Christmas movie rather than a movie set at Christmas.
And if you don't know, now you know!
Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson are a lot of fun in this very cheesy and 90s Christmas action movie. Shane Black's script has some good humor and great lines for Samuel L. Jackson.
What a great movie! I don't know why, being a Geena Davis fan, I had not seen this film until today. Every once in a while I stumble across a treasure I haven't seen like this which always surprises the crap out of me considering the number of movies I've seen. Although this was quite over the top, it had some pretty funny moments, a lot of action, and some pretty well-known cast members, many being considerably good actors such as Brian Cox, David Morse, and of course Samuel L. Jackson, to name a few, each of whom seem to be in everything (if you spin the action movie roulette wheel, there's a good chance you'll land on a movie containing at least one of these actors). Over all, this movie was just a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did.
One of Geena Davis' best movies
Shane Black’s fingerprints are all over this script, and that’s easily the best part about this film. It’s his specific style of writing dialogue (combined with Davis and Jackson’s acting, who just know what to do with this material) that make it a fun watch. By focussing on the interactions of its two strong main characters, instead of its somewhat typical tropey plot, the movie knows where its strengths lie. Yet for as good as the script is, there’s something oddly forgettable about the end result, and I think that’s mostly due to the weak direction. There are a lot of baffling editing and sound choices throughout the film, which can lead to scenes not striking the tone that the script is aiming for. It’s certainly cheesy and there’s some personality to be found in the camerawork, but I don’t think Harlin always understands the quirk or wit of his script. Add to that that they clearly didn’t put a lot of effort into the set pieces (lots of overediting with a lack of geographical clarity) and you have a movie where I’m more likely to remember quotes than specific scenes.
5/10
Has stood the test of time. An action movie with a female lead; what's not to like?
I was reminded of this movie when I saw a recent Geena Davis interview, where she lamented the lack of any substantially "juicy" role offers once she turned 40. That is Hollywood's, and our loss, as this Renny Harlin actioner proves she had the chops to pull off a female super agent role long before ScarJo, JLaw, the myriad of other cookie cutter femme fatales gracing the big screen today. Just to prove he point, Samuel L. Jackson went on to bigger and better things, even without his hair, including an anchor role in the MCU, while females of that era (other than Sigorney Weaver) pretty much have had to "settle" for whatever matronly roles they can get. Sad, because this could be a really interesting follow up story, or, perhaps some enterprising writer could come up with a female driven version of "The Expendables".
Yes, it is 80's over the top cheesy, but, in the all the best ways, with Renny Harlin burning and blowing stuff up REAL good (including a few people), and making sure each kill is set up with the prerequisite quip and or catch phrase. Also includes a plethora of other character actors you've seen in many different action films, as well as the (gasp) happy ending we really could use these days. a fun popcorn movie worth the watch.
From director Renny Harlin comes the explosive action film The Long Kiss Goodnight. After being attacked in her home, school teacher Samantha Caine discovers that she used to be a government assassin and takes off with a private investigator to uncover her past. Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, and Brian Cox lead the cast and give sold performances. The plot is a little hard to follow, but the fight scenes and chases are incredibly well-done and keep the film moving. Though it goes a little overboard with all its government conspiracies, The Long Kiss Goodnight is extraordinarily entertaining and a lot of fun.
Gave it only a 5 but it was entertaining and funny at parts. Jumped the shark a bit at the end... Worth a watch :)
Shout by Simon MasseyVIP 11BlockedParent2015-03-01T21:07:01Z
Completely overblown and ridiculous, this still works surprisingly well and has "guilty pleasure" written all over it. A lot of enjoyment comes from seeing an actress you wouldn't expect turn into a great action heroine. Like Liam Neeson in the Taken franchise, Geena Davis takes on an unfamiliar role, chews the scenery and has a blast and a lot of what makes this film so watchable is seeing her transformation. The script by Shane Black shows its age somewhat, but it is still pretty funny in places, with Samuel L Jackson knowing exactly the kind of tone the film is going for. There is also a brilliant cameo from Brian Cox. The film loses its way a little bit in the final act as they try to increase the scale and stakes, and the lack of subtlety grates on occasion, but it is still a lot of fun.