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24 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-
Lots To Like In This Updated Version, 6 March 2006

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

It's odd to like an original film and then like the re-make equally so, if not more, but that's the case with this film. I have viewed both versions of this film at least three times apiece and thoroughly enjoy both.

Almost 55 years ago, this was a film noir called "The Narrow Margin" and in 1990, this re-make took off the "The" on the title. However, as is sometimes the case with remakes, some of the twists and turns of this thriller were also changed from the first film.

They didn't spoil it. I have no objection to the changes made here because the bottom line is entertainment, and that's where this movie excels. Plausible? No, but neither was the original, for that matter, and neither are a lot of suspense/ crime films.

What makes this re-run good, in addition to the great suspense, are several other things: 1 - Gene Hackman, one of the best actors of his generation and often overlooked in discussions of great actors; 2 - nice photography featuring some great train shots and the scenic Canadian Rockies; 3 - an interesting assortment of characters, some of which keep you guessing whether they are the good guys or the bad guys; 4 - a dash of humor thrown in here and there to break the tension.

In addition to Hackman, we see the sexy Anne Archer, who gives a nice film noir feel to the movie and we get some good supporting performances including two from guys with the same last name: J.T. and Emmet Walsh and one from a guy who plays one of the hit men: James Sikking. That's a name I'm not familiar with, but he has a scene talking to Hackman that is riveting.

The main fault of the movie at least to me, was the "Rambo" mentality in which I mean the villains have the good guy in point-blank, can't-miss range several times and....you guessed it: they miss. The action scenes in here are great but lack credibility, or this would be almost as good as it could ever get for a "thriller." I'm still tempted to rate it a "10" for the entertainment value alone.

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18 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
Suspense for the Discriminating, 30 January 2001
Author: BillSchillaci from Ridgewood, New Jersey

This film pops up frequently on the tube, and with good reason -- it's lean, smart, and superbly acted. Director Hyams makes the most of the claustrophobic train interior contrasting with the wide open Canadian wilderness. Gene Hackman has never been better. Tension is built through a series of one-on-one confrontations, each with electric undercurrents. The best by far is the gentlemanly chat between Hackman and James Sikking in the dining car. The standard "action-packed" ending is a bit disappointing. But don't let this stop you if you're into suspense films for the thinking person.

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9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent thinking man's action movie., 18 July 2002

Author: niecel5 from usa

Very suspenseful movie for someone who has moved beyond Steven Segal and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Requires a certain number of neurons to be firing at the same time to really enjoy it. Gene Hackman's performance has been under appreciated. It exceeds his portrayal of Popeye Doyle in The French Connection and its sequel. This character is tough, but a lot more likable. The repartee between his character and the assassin is excellent, but as I said previously, does require some finesse.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Quite a ride, 30 June 2008

Author: TrevorAclea from London, England

1990's Narrow Margin made a poor showing at the box-office, which is a pity because this is a thriller that really thrills. All too quickly dismissed by many critics for committing the cardinal sin of being a remake (in this case of Richard Fleischer's classic 1952 B-movie), it's a superbly paced example of pure commercial film-making at its most satisfying.

Intelligently scripted by director Peter Hyams (Capricorn One, Outland) with an admirable use of Scope that emphasises the claustrophobic nature of the game of cat-and-mouse, there are at least two genuinely breath-taking moments even before the inevitable train-top finale. Yet the film is always careful to maintain a semblance of credibility. As a result, it derives as much of its suspense from our involvement with the characters as from its bravura action sequences.

True, these are stereotypes - idealistic DA, frightened-but-honest witness, pragmatic killer - but they are believable stereotypes who behave logically, relying on their wits. If the watchword of Hyams' Outland was professionalism, in Narrow Margin it is self-reliance. Both sides have to make the most of what is to hand in a restrictive environment that works against them equally.

If this enclosed environment had been a spaceship and the killers aliens, Narrow Margin might have wowed them at the box-office. As it is, without an easily exploitable angle, it proved one of the most mystifying of Hyams' frequent financial disappointments: Hyams at his peak was the consummate commercial film-maker, yet paradoxically his films were never very commercially successful. With impressive performances from Hackman, Archer and Hyams' regular James B. Sikking as the businessman-like killer who prefers negotiation to coercion, Narrow Margin deserved much, much better. It's a good movie, and one you won't just watch once.

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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Gene Hackman makes a good picture even better, 5 June 2005

Author: NewEnglandPat from Virginia

Gene Hackman and Anne Archer star in a good thriller that has tense moments and wonderful Canadian scenery. The story is of a frightened woman who sees a man killed and takes flight to avoid having to appear as a witness to a murder. Hackman is the resourceful district attorney who convinces Archer to return to Los Angeles and testify against the killers. The rest of the picture details a game of cat and mouse between Hackman, Archer and their pursuers who see Archer as a loose end and are determined to keep her from the courtroom. The scenes of pursuit atop the moving passenger train have been done in other films but is expertly done here without becoming a cliché. The picture does have its flaws but is a diverting film and any movie starring Hackman is certainly worth watching.

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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
An atmospheric thriller quickie, 11 September 2004

Author: Shawn Watson (gator_macready@yahoo.com) from The Underverse

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Peter Hyams' remake of Richard Fleisher's 1952 The Narrow Margin focuses more on atmosphere and scenery than it does film noir. It does make for a cool, if a bit too short, movie.

Gene Hackman is the loudmouth Deputy DA desperate to get a big daddy mob boss behind bars. And when a shy book editor witnesses a mob assassination he treks out to Middleofnowhere, Canada to drag her into court to testify. Problem's arise when the bad guys show up in the wilderness and blow the crap out of her cabin.

A brilliant, rustic car/chopper chase down the sheer slopes of a mountain forest follows. It's a great scene with some cool shots and sharp editing. Once they reach the bottom of the mountain they find a train station and board the train for a private cabin. The bad guys follow, only they still don't know what their witness looks like.

Many scenes of hiding and seeking make up the rest of the movie. It doesn't sound like much but Peter Hyams' widescreen photography is used to the max to promote a sense of claustrophobia and even the quieter scenes are dominated by the sound of the train charging through the dark Canadian wilderness. One particular scene at Monashee Station really does take advantage of the 'middle of nowhere' feeling.

Bruce Broughton's score is kind of okay, but nothing as loud and exciting as the score he originally created. Peter Hyams disagreed (as he often does with his composers) and chopped up Broughton's work in post-production. Thus, the music in the movie is more of an underscore with much of the more action-based cues missing.

I wish it did last longer and with more scenes on the train (coz trains are cool) but, for what it is, Narrow Margin is a tightly wrought thriller with Gene Hackman on top form as always and having fun playing the older guy in the suit who can still get into fights and car chases as if it were his everyday job.

Filmed in Panavision the DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with a Dolby 2.0 soundtrack. Though 5.1 would have been better there is still some surround use. The R2 DVD by Universal also has better cover art than the R1.

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10 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
A great, straightforward action thriller, 13 October 1999

Author: stills-6 from california

Terrific action thriller with great actors. Unfortunately, they don't have much to say because the action takes over. There isn't much time to develop a character when you're being chased up and down a mountain. Still, this is a great example of the genre. I can't help but think that it would have been a lot more successful financially with younger, hipper stars. I also think that would have ruined it.

The direction is very matter-of-fact. Some movies like this reel you in with a definite "atmosphere", stylized to death. I'm tempted to say this movie has no style at all, but that would be a disservice to Hackman and Archer, who give it all the style it needs.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Enjoyable suspenser remake that could have been better!, 12 October 2003
Author: liammurphy1 from United Kingdom

This movie succeeds on the talent of Gene Hackman and his co-stars especially Anne Archer and James Sikking. The story is as follows Carol Hunnicutt (Archer) is a witness to a mob killing, so she hides in a remote part of Canada. los Angeles Deputy D.A Robert Caulfield (Hackman)is given the task of finding her to bring her back to L.A to testify at a Mob trial, but he accidently tells the Hit-men out to silence her - her whereabouts, so when he arrives at her remote cabin, there a helicopter full of bad guys waiting for them - so begins a enjoyably suspense chase through remote Canada, they decide to get on a Cross-Country train.. but the bad guys are also on board, so theyt spend the night trying to avoid a bullet. If it sounds familiar it's because the movie's a remake of the 1950'S RKO Picture of the same name starring Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor.

Double crosses,dirty cops and tension throughout but the script could have been better and the movie (just over 90 mins) could have been longer and the climax is slightly disappointing

otherwise it's a good early 1990's movie from Peter Hyams who's had a bit of a hit and miss career since,HIT:- Timecop (1994) and The Relic (1997) and Sudden Death (1995) - MISS:- Stay Tuned (1992) and End of days (1999)

My rating 8/10

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Not quite the "Edge" of suspense, but you can see it from here…, 10 June 2008

Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

What a completely redundant and pointless idea to do a remake of Richard Fleischer's superb and still perfectly undated film-noir masterpiece "The Narrow Margin"… But hey, bad ideas got turned into highly entertaining movies before and particularly the cast & crew involved in this early 90's production should make you more confident. Peter Hyams is a gifted director (and an even better cinematographer), Gene Hackman is his good old reliable self and, since the script pretty much follows the same trail – or should I say 'rail' – as the '52 original, you already know that'll be good as well. Carol Hunnicut witnesses the cold-blooded murder of a mafia attorney at the end of their blind date and promptly becomes the only key witness ever to testify against well-protected crime lord Leo Watts. When the dedicated prosecutor Robert Caulfield travels out her secluded hideout place in order to convince the reluctant woman to do the right thing, this triggers a virulent deadly cat and mouse game with a duo of professional killers. The chase largely takes place on the night train to Vancouver (the ideal inescapable location) and the good guys' only advantage is that their opponents don't know what Carol looks like. One of the taglines proudly claims that "Narrow Margin" will take you to the edge of suspense. That is perhaps a slightly too optimistic promise, but it's definitely one of the better suspense-thrillers of its time. A lot of little elements and twists in the plot seem rushed and don't make a whole lot of sense, but who cares when there's stuff to enjoy like a spectacular helicopter Vs. Jeep chase through the Canadian forests or an exhilarating battle of train's rooftop? Bruce Broughton's divinely unsettling score most definitely increases the tension level even more. Gene Hackman clearly enjoyed starring in this light-headed action thriller and particularly his speech to the killers – about why he prefers working on the right side of the law – is truly priceless. There are some great names in the supportive cast as well (J.T. Walsh, M. Emmet Walsh…) but sadly their roles are too brief. Overall recommended as long as you don't anticipate a flawless masterpiece but, if it ever comes down to choosing just one, go for the superior 50's original.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
A thriller can't get better than this, 28 October 2005

Author: manuel-pestalozzi from Zurich, Switzerland

For once, the remake is better than the original. Richard Fleischer's black and white movie has many fans, and rightly so, but the 1990 version really has something to it that makes me watch it again and again. The story and the characters have largely improved, and someone really had a lucky hand with the casting here. Gene Hackman gives a great performance as the loudmouth police detective who finds out that he is not as smart as he had thought. He is on his own, he is scared and he also has a bad conscience. Along with numerous action scenes he shows all these sentiments, the viewers can really feel with him. The same can be said for Anne Archer, together with Hackman she makes a formidable team. She is really perfect for the part of an upper middle class businesswoman who is looking for some romance and suddenly finds herself on the hit list of the mob. A formidable opening scene with a short but really great performance by J.T. Walsh sets the tone, and the tension never loosens.

A very important part is also played by the landscape, a remote, idyllic part of Western Canada, I believe. The director successfully succeeded in putting a romantic scenery opposite to the harrowing plot, the hectic action which has nothing to do with its immediate surroundings. Nature is depicted in its friendliest forms of appearance as an innocent bystander. Everything is so normal, so lovely, except ...

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