Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

Teringer An Exercise In Nonsense

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

vchimpanzee At the beginning of the movie, John Parker is on the run from the law in a blue Chevrolet Impala outside Vedalia, California.Later, FBI Agent Rick Kendall is mistaken for a Jehovah's Witness as he tries to collect background information on a prospective agent. That is when he is asked to investigate a robbery at The Bank of Vedalia, since he is in the area. This much is known: the power went out, disabling security cameras and the alarm, and a man in a clown mask entered the bank with a gun. It was a perfect time to rob the bank, since an armored car had just arrived with the deposit from the nearby Native American casino. The robber left in a blue Chevrolet Impala. A Camaro found in the area belongs to John.Later in a bar, John picks up Natalie, a nurse at the local hospital. Natalie's controlling ex-husband is one of the police officers in Vedalia, and it is surprising that John is not more apprehensive about being watched by a cop. Natalie doesn't appreciate the attention; this is why they're no longer married.We later learn why John wasn't concerned--for those of you who don't understand how the film works, the next night after John leaves Natalie's place, someone comments that John robbed the bank that morning. So the story is not being told in order. Furthermore, there are flashbacks that explain what is going on in John's life.We've already seen John in a church with the money, so he must be guilty, right? Actually, the complications that led to John being chased turn out to be quite interesting. And Natalie has some decisions to make: if John is guilty and she treats him without turning him in, she gets in trouble. But he won't let anyone else help him. We later learn all the details as the story is told from different points of view.James Spader and John Livingston both give good performances. Spader is basically Alan Shore without the sarcastic, nasty wit or the courtroom skill, but what's left is still enjoyable. This is a man who has turned cynical and lost confidence in his own ability to do the right thing. By contrast, Agent Kendall is discovering he has a lot of confidence in himself, most of it being along the lines of "Gee whiz! Look what I can do!" He actually provides comic relief.There is quite a lot of blood in this movie, but relatively few violent events. Most of the blood is from the one wound John received in the car chase scene--that is, the long version later.It was good after all. I wasn't sure what to expect at first.

Rogue-32 Rowdy Herrington and James Spader teamed up originally for Jack's Back, a slick, scary and ultimately satisfying affair, with TWO - count 'em, TWO - incredible performances from the always-superb Spader. In The Stickup, Spader's back, and the result is another clever little movie that is not what it appears to be on the surface.Spader's character has enough edge for 3 characters, most of the supporting cast is excellent (especially the actress who plays the nurse), and although it doesn't have the high multiple viewings factor that Jack's Back possesses (I try to watch that at least once every four or five years), it's still fun.My IMDb rating: 7

amusinblue Picked up a couple of videos to watch on this rainy Saturday afternoon. Oh what a waste of time this movie was. Can I get my money back? I love James Spader. What a great actor. I'm sure he wouldn't have taken this role if it wasn't a good script -- originally. Too bad that in the process of making this film so many bad decisions were made.What I found to be the most disappointing was the casting of the lead (and only) female character. There just wasn't any chemistry between Leslie Stefanson and Spader. I can think of SO MANY other actresses who could have been far more believable, interesting and competent. Stefanson couldn't deliver a convincing performance. If Natalie really was attracted to Parker, why didn't she act like it? His reasons for getting involved with her were obvious -- he needed her help (and wasn't going to turn down her quick invitation to jump in the sack) -- but what were her reasons for getting (and staying) involved with him? Even when they first met, there was no flirting, no dalliance. This mysterious man just shows up one day and brings excitement and intrigue into her otherwise duller-than-dull life, yet we see no emotion from her. Natalie took a lot of serious risks helping Parker, yet Stefanson's performance left me wondering why. Being his nurse as well as his lover, one would expect some tenderness, some warmth from her. I found her to be cool, aloof and sarcastic. There should have been some fervor from her to justify her actions.The main storyline of this movie involving the crime and the mystery of solving it was a good one. But the simultaneous "romantic" relationship between Natalie and Parker never heated up as they became more involved with each other, and it should have. That was a disturbing distraction to me.

George Parker "The Stickup" is all about Spader as a burned out LAPD cop on the run after being shot for robbing a bank in some fictitious small town in California's Sierra-Nevada mountains (played by Canada). Spader takes up with a babe who happens to be a nurse and the ex-wife of the town Sheriff, etc., etc. Toss in a lame FBI rookie, some Indians, and a bunch of flashbacks about Spader's past, mix them with a low budget and poor direction, and you have a film which will make you cringe when you're supposed to be enthralled or yawn when you're supposed to be thrilled. The only thing this loser has going for it is an unexpected twist at about the halfway point which doesn't make it a good film but it may keep you from ejecting your DVD prematurely. Best saved for broadcast. (C-)