Old-Man Movie Reviews - A 36-Year-Old Classic

Midnight Run (1988) - A Very Short Review

My high school years and the few years that followed were immersed in the world of movie theaters. I even had a tempting offer to relocate to Victorville, CA after high school and make managing movie theaters my career. The allure of movies and the joy of that job were undeniable, but I also recognized that a college degree would open up a world of possibilities beyond the realm of butter flavoring. So, I reluctantly turned down the offer. Yet, my love for movies was so profound that I found myself pondering the idea of spending my life taking tickets, perhaps more than I should have at the time.

Reflecting on my time spent in theaters during the 1980s, it’s a surprise when I stumble upon a film that I didn't catch at the time. 'Midnight Run' is one such film. It was a little past my theater career days, and I had a very young son, which might explain why I missed this gem. However, the question of why I never watched it later remains a mystery. Recently, I decided to rectify this oversight and delve into the world of 'Midnight Run '.

I should also mention as a side note, I’ve become very picky about the movies I see that are rated R (or higher). I watch very few anymore. There needs to be a reason for me to watch them at this point in my life. I’m not a prude or crazy about it, and I don’t want to sound like an old curmudgeon, but so many items have become gratuitous in films. If violence, sex, language, or other such things in the film are used simply to titillate or for no real reason, or if they are overdone, I will stay away. I don’t want to support the lowering of standards. It can be hard to judge sometimes since the ratings movies were given decades ago may look like the same ratings, but they are not. There are PG movies from the 80s that I have no idea how they got that low of a rating. There are also R-rated movies with no discernable reason for that other than a topic that a child should probably not see alone. In general, there is enough to see without pushing the envelope. In this case, this movie has no sex or nudity, small amounts of mild violence with no gore at all, no real frightening scenes, and very little drug or alcohol use. There is a lot of basic cigarette smoking - but it was made in a day when there were still smoking sections in restaurants (yes, my young friends, that was a thing), so times have changed on that front. What is does have is some profanity. A few characters curse a lot (mostly minor characters in the Mafia). Those characters are not on screen for long, but it becomes obvious when they are. Be warned if that bothers you.

I’m a big fan of Charles Grodin. His deadpan straight way of delivering comedy I’ve always loved. And the chemistry between him and Robert De Niro is really fun in this movie. The Short summary of the story is Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) is a “tough bounty hunter” sent to find “The Duke” (Charles Grodin), who is a “sensitive criminal.” The Duke is a mafia accountant who has jumped bail. Jack will get $100,000 if he finds The Duke and takes him from New York to Los Angeles. Comedy ensues in the process of finding him and driving him across the country. Jack repeatedly embarrasses the FBI, which is now out to get them both. The Mafia obviously has other plans and wants to take care of this situation in their own way. A rival bounty hunter wants the fee. Even local law enforcement gets involved in this action-comedy. Everything goes wrong on the trip to Los Angeles as they almost kill each other - both by accident and on purpose.

Directed by Martin Brest, who may be most well-known for “Beverly Hills Cop” or “Scent of a Woman”. The timing, stunts, and acting were all very well done, and I think we have to give some of that credit (if not all of it) to Martin Brest. Bringing these talents together, and getting the dialogue, stunts, laughs, and action all working together is a big ask. They all came together in this one.

Released in 1988. IMDB review - 7.5/10. Rotten Tomato Review - 94% (audience score of 87%)

My ratings (1-5 on each):

Overall Enjoyment: 5

Out Loud Laughs: 2

Tears: 0

Surprise Factor: 2

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Definitions:

Overall Enjoyment is my overall rating of the film; 5 was a great film, and 1 is not worth finishing at all. “

Out Loud Laughs is my comedy review of the film. Some movies are fun and have great funny moments; others are so funny you laugh out loud even when alone. This is the laugh-out-loud index.

Tears is based on how many times the movie brought tears to my eyes.

Surprise Factor is a rating on if and how many items surprised me in the film. If I knew where the story was going, it would be a zero; if there were twists and turns, I didn’t expect the score to go higher.