IMDb user comments for
Ricochet (1991) More at IMDbPro »

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 5:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Index

43 reviews in total

---

15 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Typical Washington Fare, Which Means Interesting, 24 May 2006

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

This is a typical Denzel Washington film: well-acted, rough language, a racial theme and an involved story that holds your interest. A lot of his movies fit those categories.

Washington plays a preacher's kid and its nice to see he has such respect for him.So many times, Hollywood portrays fathers and especially clergymen in a bad light. John Lithgow is the villain and is such a crazy over-the-top loon he's fun to watch. There are no lulls in this story, yet the action scenes weren't overdone.

It gets predictable in the end but I like the analogy in the film to the classic movie, "White Heat."

I was sorry to see a few things: once again, white people are all the bigots; Lindsay Wagner, television's nice lady of the past, now using very profane language here and looking hard.

Overall, this sometimes looks like a "B" action film more than a classy one but it's still an interesting crime film that sports a few different angles. It may not be one of Washington's better-known efforts, \but it is still entertaining.

---

7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Action packed film that has Lithgow as the bad guy!, 17 July 2003

Author: Movie Nuttball from U.S.A.

Ricochet is an intense movie that stars Denzel Washington,John Lithgow,and Ice-T!I really don't want to say much in case you haven't seen it. I will point out a few things though.Lithgow really steals the show here as he puts on a great performance as a very mean villain!There is one small sex scene and a little nudity in a bard but it really doesn't show it that long.The music is excellent by Alan Silvestri!I love it when the haunting music starts when Lithgow shows up in some scenes.There are some really intense moments.Jesse Ventura is in the film for a while and boy does his character look different than his others in previous movies.Washington and Ice-t were very good.Anyway it a cool film directed by Russell Mulcahy!If you haven't seen Ricochet before than now is the time to check it out!

---

12 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
awesome, 12 March 2001
Author: mattkratz (themattk@hotmail.com) from Richardson, TX

This movie rocks! The double cat-and-mouse game played by Washington and Lithgow works. If you are looking for an action movie that provides plenty of thrills, conflicts, drama, chases, and breathtaking suspenses and actually has a PLOT, then this film is for you.

Washington and Lithgow are both first rate, as always, and this movie does not disappoint. Watch it!

*** out of ****

---

11 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
I love it when they beg, 6 January 2006

Author: HEFILM from French Polynesia

This rating means so bad it's great. Over the top to the point of a Monty Python movie. Bad American Action movie finally becomes enjoyable comedy.

Too many highlights to mention, but I'll try. John Lithgow showing he can't stop mugging--a sad thing from someone who was a great actor before he became a mugging TV sitcom actor. Denzel in his most embarrassing moment, stripping off all his clothes down to his undies to distract the villain. And the scene with the hooker when she walks up to a drugged out Denzel who is begging her in his drugged state to not have sex with him (she does anyway) and she says "I love it when they beg" Over the top music score helps push this into bad movie heaven as does the "making crap great" director R.M. working at the top of his bad movie MTV form. I miss him now in these days of Michael Bay etc, he had style to his crap that saved some of the films or elevated them to be fandango's of excess and lighting. Outlandish in every sense also tasteless on every level this is Hollywood product at its most SUPER SIZE ME level.

The only thing that may hinder your enjoyment is if you like Denzel and Lithgow (I certainly liked them at their best) and don't want to see them totally take this job for the money. Also a problem if you can't take the attempts at nasty film-making as comedy, which you have to to enjoy this mean spirited ridiculous trash, your apt to be offended and would have every right to. But not taken seriously this is a real gem and should become a cult item in the future.

---

11 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
A pulse-pounding, first-class thriller!!!, 30 March 2002

Author: mattymatt4ever from Jersey City, NJ

I'm really glad I caught this flick on the Action Network, because this is one way cool movie! The excellent performances by the two main actors is alone worth watching. Denzel is great at whatever he does. As for John Lithgow...I am not exaggerating when I say he plays the most terrifying villain in movie history! His cold stare alone sends shivers down my spine. He plays the kind of cold-blooded murderer that would make Hannibal Lecter cringe. This movie proves Lithgow's versatility as an actor: He can play the lively, farcical Dick Solomon on "3rd Rock from the Sun" as good as he can a cold-blooded serial killer. The plot is full of twists and turns, and I didn't lose interest for a minute! I felt Denzel's pain and anguish as he would try to convince everyone around him that Lithgow was still alive and abducted him, and no one would believe a word he said. I wouldn't normally regard any movie with Ice T in the cast as "great," but I'll make an exception this time around. Aside from some laughably bad dialogue, this film is absolutely excellent and is definitely one of the best action/thrillers I've ever seen! I said it before and I'll say it again: You gotta check out Lithgow's performance in this movie! "Ricochet" is a MUST-SEE!!!!

My score: 9 (out of 10)

---

7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Denzel Washington in Die Hard Mode? John Lithgow as a crackling maniac? You bet. And the results fun., 20 December 1999

Author: Alejandro Alaluf (aalaluf@ucla.edu) from L.A., USA

Remember when John Lithgow used to be menacing? Remember when he was a demented psycho in Blow Out? or the magnificent transvestite in The World According to Garp? What about when he was a demented paranoid in The Twilight Zone - The Movie? And that religious tormented Reverend in Footloose? Even De Palma's Raising Cain was good in Lithgow's gallery of freaks. Yes, John Lithgow used to be dangerous as an actor. And one of those great performances was given in this little seen thriller directed by Russell "Highlander" Mulcahy. Denzel Washington, in a full, maniacal "Die Hard" mode, is Nick Styles, a maverick cop who is framed fro murder after Blake (Lithgow, in electric psycho mode) escapes form prison seeking revenge on Styles, the man that put him on cold seven years ago. The pace is really fast, the situations are extreme and the movie even manages to include some over the top, twisted violence. Sure, it has the very same conventionalisms and clichés of every other action movie (Styles partner dies, et al), but still, Ricochet goes over the average thanks to bravura performances by the two leads and some damn fine action sequences and camerawork.

But now, Russell Mulcahy has stepped into oblivion and John Lithgow has become somber family fodder in mind numbing sitcoms about aliens and rock.

---

4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Great film thanks to Denzel, John, and Ice-T, 9 October 2000

Author: dee.reid from United States

A great film thanks to 3 very talented actors. In my opinion what makes this film exceptional to other revenge thrillers is that the antagonist doesn't focus on killing the protagonist, he focuses on destroying everything that means something to the protagonist through sex with prostitutes, stealing, cheating, and murder. I wonder why it didn't get a higher rating because Ricochet is an excellent film that shouldn't be missed.

---

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Unusual Action Film benefits from Sharp Performances., 2 July 2005

Author: Lucien Lessard from Canada

Rookie Cop (Two Time Oscar-Winner:Denzel Washington) has come a long way from the tough streets of L.A., Nick's life changed forever when he becomes a celebrity. When he stopped a ruthless psychotic killer by the name of Blake (John Lithgow). Nick becomes a media sensation, when it was captured on video by a bystander. Nick's career takes off as a lawyer, while the criminal is behind bars. Seven years has passed... Nick never realize that Blake is being planning the perfect plan of intimidation, public humiliation and murder. Nick has no choice to ask for help, when he ask his old friend (Ice T). Which his old friend has become a Street Hustler while dealing drugs and stealing cars at the same time. Together with the help of another friend (Kevin Pollak) to set a trap for Blake.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy (Highlander, Resurrection, The Shadow) made an entertaining, lurid, action/thriller. This film is also campy at times, especially for this interesting premise. Lithgow offers a scene stealing performance as the villain, which he is entertaining. Mulcahy even manages to give a Highlander homage in a scene. Victoria Dollard (T.V.'s Spin City) also co-star in the film as Nick's wife.

DVD has an sharp non-anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an terrific-Dolby 2.0 Surround Sound. This film has never been a box office hit but it did become a cult hit on video and a television favorite. The film's only flaw is the silly conclusion but Mulcahy keeps things moving in the film. Do not miss this far-fetched but strong Action/Thriller. Screenplay by Steven E. de Souza (Beverly Hills Cop 3, Commando, Street Fighter). From a Story by Fred Dekker (Night of the Creeps) and Menno Meyjes (Max). Panavision. (****/*****).

---

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
" I've got things to live for", 9 December 2008

Author: Newsense from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I don't know what other people were expecting. This was supposed to be a popcorn flick not a movie made to win Oscars. The story is simple enough Denzel Washington plays Nick Styles, a cop/attorney who busts a psychopath named Earl Talbot Blake(John Lithgow) at a drug ring gone sour. Earl Blake plots his revenge on Nick Styles in jail and escapes from prison. From then on, he systematically destroys Nick Styles life and has everyone questioning Nick's sanity.

The storyline is not bad and Denzel does a great job as usual. John Lithgow is perfect as Earl Blake and its probably his best role since the scared flight attendant in Twilight Zone: The Movie. His villain is a throwback in the days when villains were villains and not these craven new age geeks who tap on laptops and run from confrontation as far away as possible. Kevin Pollak is decent enough as Nick's partner Harry. Ice-T plays Odessa(and who the hell names a man Odessa?), the man who helps Nick Styles take down Blake. If you are looking for Oscar material you are definitely in the wrong place but if you are looking for a pretty good thriller it wouldn't hurt if you tried this.

---

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Ricochet, 19 July 2005

Author: paul1978 from Manchester, England

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Drama starring Denzel Washington and John Lithgow. Nick Styles (Washington) is a rookie cop who captures the quite sadistic Earl Blake (Lithgow) in an unusual fashion. The publicity surrounding the arrest gets Styles and his partner promoted to deceive and within 2 years he becomes deputy DA. Blake however rots in jail attacking everyone and anything that gets in his way thinking about getting revenge on Styles. He soon escapes after some silly fighting in the prison (samurai style sword fights in what looks like the canteen, with books strapped to each other as protection) and sets up Styles in a true Hollywood way. Washington was the highlight of the film although Lithgow was truly over the top Hollywood bad guy.

---

---

Page 1 of 5:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Add another review

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Amazon.com summary	Ratings
Newsgroup reviews	External reviews	Parents Guide
Plot keywords	Main details	Your user reviews
Your vote history