The Apocalypse Watch (1997)
Review by HTQ4
Film:
DVD:

Written by John Goldman & Christopher Canaan, based on the novel by Robert Ludlum
Directed by Kevin Conner
Starring Patrick Bergin, Virginia Madsen & John Shea

Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format

My Advice: Don't Even Think About It

CIA agent Harry Latham (Shea) has had a computer chip implanted in his brain by a neo-Nazi group. This chip allows them to manipulate his memories and control his thoughts and actions whenever they want. His older brother, a conspiracy theorist named Drew (Bergin) has to take over his investigation of this same neo-Nazi group along with Harry's old flame Karin de Vries (Madsen).  Together they have to stop the world from being destroyed.

Boy, what a mess this film is. Bergin spends the entire film showing us he is upset about his brother's death. The problem is, he's trying too damn hard. I thought he was going to blow a gasket somewhere when he got the news of his brother's death. He simply overacted a role that needed to be a lot more subtle. Shea is only in the first half hour or so, but apparently, he and Bergin went to the same acting school, if you catch my drift. Both of them seemed to agree to adopt a kind of "I'm a CIA agent and this is my serious face." approach to the script. Madsen was, I'm sorry to say, the strongest part of the film, but I caught her taking quick peeks at the camera when she was not supposed to be the main focus of the shot...several times.

Let me say something about blocking for a minute. When there is a fistfight, it is so poorly blocked for the camera--not only can you see about three feet between the attacker and victim, the victim's reaction is so overacted it's not even funny. For example, at one point Harry slaps Drew across the mouth and Drew throws himself against the wall like he was kicked in the gut. I mean, this is no-brainer stuff here. That, along with the fact it's obvious they were low on budget for all the explosions required for this film--you wind up with extremely low-action action sequences. Also, I guess the production designer didn't think anyone would notice that they were using a set directly out of A Fish Called Wanda. Remember the house that Cleese and Curtis visit to have their little fling? You know, the one with the red brick walls and exposed wood supports for the balcony? Well, that's Harry's house. And it doesn't look like they changed a thing in it.

But it's not all the actors' or the director's fault. The writers are just as guilty as anybody else. This script is ridden with gaping plot holes. The example that leads readily to mind is the fact that Drew goes from being an egghead nerdy guy to a meathead action hero with no transition at all. We are supposed to believe that the CIA just hands him a gun and lets him run around shooting at people (and getting shot at in response) with not a single ounce of training. de Vries' character is so poorly written, I couldn't find any through line for her whatsoever.

Here's another example, just to while away the time: this neo-Nazi group has an insignia. Well, halfway through the movie, Drew and Karin are told by one of Harry's infomants that "if you look closely" the insignia looks like a swastika. First of all, you'd have to be from another planet not to see it from the first time they show it. Let me see if I can describe it for you: take a Nazi flag, turn the swastika about forty-five degrees to the left and make the bars fat and round instead of straight and angled. Wow, what a camouflage job, eh?

I guess the film was too bad to have any special features, anyway. I mean a re-write would have qualified as a special feature for this film. That would have been certainly worthwhile for me, anyway.

So, when you see this one on the shelf at your local Blockbuster, take it to the counter and tell the manager that he should be ashamed of himself for carrying anything this pointless in his store.