Desperate Measures

1998 "Desperate times call for. . ."
6.1| 1h40m| R| en| More Info
Released: 30 January 1998 Released
Producted By: Mandalay Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

San Francisco police officer Frank Connor is in a frantic search for a compatible bone marrow donor for his gravely ill son. There's only one catch the potential donor is convicted multiple murderer Peter McCabe who sees a trip to the hospital as the perfect opportunity to get what he wants most: freedom. With McCabe's escape, the entire hospital becomes a battleground and Connor must pursue and, ironically, protect the deadly fugitive who is his son's only hope for survival.

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Reviews

Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place
GamerTab That was an excellent one.
Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.
Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
videorama-759-859391 This lesser known and short running film, didn't get the exposure it should of. This is one of those known films you go to the cinema, and really enjoy. This film has a great premise: Cop's kid needs a bone marrow transplant, the only possible match is that of a serial killer Peter MCcabe (Keaton). It's a nice chilling performance, though he's no Anthony Hopkins, who won't make you shudder, squirm, or make the hairs on your wrist stand up, but I for one, was quite impressed, especially after seeing him play it down, in the disappointing Jackie Brown. Garcia plays the determined cop, and pours a lot of humanity and heart into the role. Heavy duty prisoner, MCcabe, agrees to be the donor, of course for obvious, selfish, reasons. Now the real movie starts up with MCcabe loose in the hospital. Now consider Garcia's dilemma: he must stop his other colleagues from taking out Keaton, where meanwhile little son's condition is weakening. It's a great thunder show of explosions and shootouts, where Keaton has his humorous moments too. The car chase lead up, to a finale between Garcia and Keaton adds to the coolness of the movie, upholding the fun and excitement, which has been with us since Act 2. From the opening scene, the movie throws us right into Garcia's peril, where early in the film where father and sick son speak, I drew a few tears. It's really a well earned tear jerking moment. I can't really understand how this movie has got ridiculed so much as it has. Of course, it might seem quite far fetched, not in the way the action is delivered, but this is only a movie. In reality of course, Garcia, would of had a lot of explaining to do. From the get go this Barbet Schroder film, sets out what it wants to do, immediately involve our audience into the situation. Classic of a final frame moment too. It's a killer, preceding CCR's "Rolling On A River".
Desertman84 Desperate Measures is an action thriller film that stars Michael Keaton, Andy García, Marcia Gay Harden and Brian Cox.The film was directed by Barbet Schroeder. It was filmed in both the San Francisco Bay Area and downtown Pittsburgh.Garcia stars as Frank Conner, a widowed San Francisco police officer whose young son Matt is suffering from leukemia. Without a bone marrow transplant, Matt will die, but Frank isn't a donor. In fact, the only potential match is prison inmate Peter McCabe (Keaton), a psychotic but charming serial killer. At first, McCabe refused to participate despite Conner's pleas, but eventually, the convict relents and agrees to the procedure. It is all a ruse, however, as McCabe has discovered a clever way to escape the confines of the operating room where Matt's oncologist, Dr. Hawkins (Harden) is scheduled to perform the transplant. Faced with the dual nightmare of his son's deteriorating condition and a mass murderer on the loose in a major metropolitan hospital, the frantic Conner finds himself bending and even breaking the law to bring McCabe down and save Matt's life.Too bad that the film is only masquerading as a thoughtful movie that's really about something. At heart, it's an action thriller--a chase picture. It has all the usual implausible or impossible stunts, the highway carnage, the jumps off bridges, the slides down laundry chutes, and other feats that make it more of a video game than a drama.This unfortunately makes it an average picture that would thrill action fans.
MrPlumberman Exceptionally bad! I don't expect much from Garcia since he is one of the most overrated actors today but Keaton really should have known this movie would suck and gotten out while he could (not that I'm especially fond of him but hey, he did batman).In one scene Keaton is transported to a hospital chained down and wearing a Hannibal Lecter kind of face mask when two attack dogs bark at him (dogs can sense evil you know (puke)) and Keaton growls back at them making them back off and whine with their tails between their legs. Did the movie turn comedy right there? Garcia makes a fool out of himself in an interrogation scene with dialogue only a complete retard could find plausible and the kid is too annoying to feel sorry for..If you are gonna make a movie with as poor a plot as this you need some charm, humour, some solid action. Take Die Hard for example which is great despite its rather crappy plot.Even though Keatons character was a joke i routed for him all the way. I wanted to see Garcia cry over his dead kid and Keaton sipping martinis on some paradise island, however! This movie makes for a good laugh.. Watch it with a witty friend and you can have some fun as this movie begs for wisecracks in almost every scene. All in all its an insult to one's intelligence and a huge waste of money. Greed made this movie and thank god it bit its own ass.
jhartline This movie, "Desperate Measures", was.... I'm not quite sure how to even put it into words. Was this supposed to be a comedy? I couldn't stop laughing at how absolutely ridiculous it was. I love Michael Keaton, and I cannot actually comprehend that he did this. They did a good job at keeping my attention because I couldn't wait to see how much more ridiculous it was going to get minute by minute. I actually just registered on this site so that I could get this out. I don't review movies. I don't have time for this, but I cannot let this go knowing I haven't done my civil duty by letting people (those who have an IQ of 85 and above) know that this is no action/thriller, It is honest to goodness funny. You people that actually got thrills off of this scare me. Go watch a good movie like Million Dollar Baby. Clint Eastwood's acting is not superb, but I was balling at the end. Exercise your brain America!