Striking Distance (1993)

"Striking Distance" is an action-thriller with little action and no thrills. It's another movie where reportedly Willis took over production, and apparently, not for the better.It's also another movie where he plays a cop with a tragic past; the typical lone wolf outcast who ends up redeeming himself and saving the day. Of course, he's paired with a sexy young chick he doesn't get along with at first, but ends up bedding.As a big budget action flick, of course it has dependable character actors, such as Tom Sizemore, Dennis Farina and Brion James.It also has a bunch of dependable clichés, such as Willis's cop being demoted after failing to solve a murder case he is obsessed with, and then finding that the murders seem to follow him to his new station.The problem with all this is that it is so badly done it fails to generate any tension, thrills, or interest from the viewer. Willis reportedly also took over the filming of "The Last Boy Scout", and I'm not saying that was a great movie, but it was much more entertaining than this.

Striking Distance (1993) is a thriller/mystery/action film that stars Bruce Willis and Sarah Jessica Parker. Now this film is not a shining glory, but it's not as bad as some critical reviews reflect. Bruce Willis is very good in his leading man role, it's an action movie, so it's kinda his turf. Now this is a different kind of role for Sarah Jessica Parker, I don't think I've seen her in any other action film, this is probably her only one, but nonetheless she was great in her role! Sarah was probably my favorite aspect of this movie, she was just so intense and dramatic, as needed for her role. The script was alright, the lines of dialogue were a bit lazy in a few scenes, overall as a whole the dialogue was pretty good, but just in a few scenes in particular, it came across as weak and lacking, that's one of the main reasons the rating for the film isn't higher. The action sequences were pretty standard and run of the mill action scenes, they weren't badly done or wonderfully hit out of the ballpark. Sarah and Bruce had good on screen chemistry, that was a big thumbs up for the film. You could really see their awesome chemistry during their short sex scene, it was really showcased and brought out into the open during that intimate scene. The mystery side to the movie was well done and just FYI, I guessed who the culprit was before the ending, I might take a little pride in that lol, but seriously, that faction was pretty well put together. Overall, I give striking distance a 7/10.

Pittsburgh police homicide detective Tom Hardy (Bruce Willis) is an outcast after testifying that his partner and cousin Jimmy Detillo (Robert Pastorelli) used excessive force. His uncle Capt. Nick Detillo (Dennis Farina) and cousin Danny Detillo (Tom Sizemore) are both fellow officers. Tom and his father chase after the serial killer Polish Hill strangler. His father is killed. He suspects the strangler is a police officer. The police make an arrest based on a questionable witness. Jimmy jumps off a bridge to escape prison time and presumed dead. Two years later, Tom has become a drunk and transferred to River Rescue. Jo Christman (Sarah Jessica Parker) is his new diver. The killings start up again and this time, the killer is directly taunting him.This is an overwrought unreal police thriller. The opening car chase is crazy. It's borderline joyous fun and I'm willing to go with it. However that's not where this movie is going. When Jimmy jumps off the bridge, all of a sudden the heaven opens up and rain pours down. The movie keeps pushing everything over the top. Dennis Farina and Tom Sizemore never stop yelling or talking intensely. Sarah Jessica Parker is playing a hottie in this one. There are some unbelievable things going on that feel unrealistic. This movie could use a little simplification and a lot more believability.

I had heard the title and who starred in somewhere, I am pretty sure it was from seeing the DVD cover, I guess I watched it just to see some reasonable action fun with the two lead stars I knew. Basically Det. Tom Hardy (Bruce Willis) comes from a generation of cops, and he is devastated when his father Vince (John Mahoney) dies during the chase of a serial killer, and after he gets himself in an argument with his partner and cousin Det. Jimmy Detillo (Robert Pastorelli). Two years later Tom is working as part of the river rescue police, but is pulled back into action with new partner Jo Christman (Sarah Jessica Parker) when possibly the same killer, nicknamed the Polish Hill strangler, is on the loose again. The victims seem to be women that Tom knew, making him a prime suspect, and no-one apart from maybe Jo believes it is the same killer from the past, and he will have to find the right clues to prove his innocence. Keeping an eye on him is Capt. Nick Detillo (Dennis Farina), an acquaintance from two years ago, and Tom and Jo and do come across some small clues, it is obvious that they are slowly falling for each other. Eventually when trapped, Tom finally gets the truth from Nick, that Jimmy was the killer, he has been copycatting the crimes, and he was the one who killed his father, but in the end of course the guilty are caught and the good guys go back to the better life. Also starring Tom Sizemore as Det. Danny Detillo, Brion James as Det. Eddie Eiler, Timothy Busfield as Tony Sacco and Poseidon's Andre Braugher as Dist. Atty. Frank Morris. The acting was a little flat in parts, and they could have been a few more explosive and gun filled chase and action sequences, I will admit as well I didn't exactly pay the fullest attention while watching, but I guess as a cop looking for a serial killer story is is okay, an alright crime thriller. Worth watching!