The Negotiator

Name: The Negotiator
Released: 1998-7-29
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse

The Negotiator

R
2h 20m
1998

74%

Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey star in this tense thriller about a hostage negotiator who, after being framed for murder, tries to clear his name by taking people hostage.

Director:

F. Gary Gray

Producer:

Arnon Milchan, David Hoberman

Writer:

James DeMonaco, Kevin Fox

Cast:

Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse

Rotten Tomatoes® Score

TOMATOMETER®

74%

Critics Consensus: The Negotiator's battle of wits doesn't wholly justify its excessive length, but confident direction by F. Gary Gray and formidable performances makes this a situation audiences won't mind being hostage to.

Reviews

Herald Sun (Australia)

Leigh Paatsch

A big, dumb, lumbering cop thriller that works through a very familiar, very basic formula, very, very slowly indeed.

It's not perfect, but it's enjoyable enough to be one of those movies I might stop channel surfing to watch on late-night television.

This highly incredible story lives and dies on its leading performances, so it's a damn good thing someone hired Jackson and Spacey to go toe to toe. [Blu-ray]

...may lack a certain degree of common sense but makes up for it with plenty of excitement and suspense.

What makes this talk-heavy actioner work is the intriguing battle of wits between two formidable, intelligent opponents.

June 21, 2017

FULL REVIEW