Michael Keaton and Andy Garcia are perfectly matched in this generally absorbing action thriller; you can sense right away that they had great chemistry working together, and they manage to create two characters more three-dimensional than the ones typically found in the genre. The film does have some plot holes (okay, Garcia can't kill Keaton. But why can't he shoot him in the leg or something?), and the last 20 minutes are pretty overblown, but the concept is thought-provoking and the filmmakers deserve credit for avoiding a cliched moralistic conclusion; indeed, the final scene of the film is very amusing. (**1/2)
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gridoon20 June 2003
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Andy Garcia and Michael Keaton star in the classic policeman vs bad guy story, but with a twist. Garcia is Frank Conner, a cop with a son named Matt who desperately needs a bone marrow transplant. Keaton is Pete McCabe, a hardened prisoner who seems to be the only person in the world who matches little Matt's bone marrow type. So eventually, Pete is talked into giving the marrow transplant, but in reality has a plan for escape, leaving Matt and his father, Frank, with nobody, Frank has no other choice but to find Pete and bring him back alive. This is where the cat and mouse plot begins, after nearly an hour of setting it up.
Desperate Measures had the potential to be so bad. I never would have imagined myself enjoying it this much. Thanks to a rainy day and a few hours to kill, I decided to watch this movie and it exceeded my expectations (which were not very high).
I still would not say this is a great movie. In fact, it is pretty average but Michael Keaton gives an enjoyable performance as a hardened prisoner. Normally, I would expect Garcia to be the bad guy and Keaton to be the cop, but Keaton honestly works out better as the bad guy.
The worst part of the movie has to be the kid, Matt, played by Joseph Cross. Nothing he says or does is what a young child his age would actually be thinking or saying. I am not even really disappointed so much with that, but his delivery was terrible. I know he is just a kid, but there are much better child actors who could have portrayed this much better. All in all, worth about a 7/10. -
Barbet Schroeder doesn't fare well in this directorial attempt. "Desperate Measures" is a film that has been seen in other forms before, better made. The screen play by David Klass doesn't make sense at all.
With that out of the way, this hospital thriller is fun to watch because of the intensity of both lead men performances. Michael Keaton, the bad guy in this film, shows an evil side not found in any of his performances before. He is equally matched by Andy Garcia, not one of our favorite actors. Mr. Garcia tends to shout and get incomprehensible at the most dramatic moments.
The last sequences of the film pack a lot of action, and once we have settled back to accept the silliness of the whole thing, we go for the ride. The chase and bridge scenes are staged well; they'll keep the viewer glued to the screen.
Watch Michael Keaton as we haven't seen him before. -
bazdol10 March 1999Although following the formula for films in its class, including a saved dying child, a brave female doctor, a psychopath, and a dedicated detective trying to save his son, even the mandatory car chase sequence, I still found "Desperate Measure" an exciting and enjoyable thriller. The locations and presumably some sets are effective as is the dialogue and general situation set ups. It has great stunts, some by Keaton and Garcia themselves. The movie has not been well received by jaded critics who too easily criticize the formula elements, in my opinion. It has the high production values often found in many such films.
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rmax30482328 March 2017Many reviewers have mentioned "cat and mouse games." I think what they mean is that everybody seems to be pursuing everybody else and nobody ever stops to take a breath, including the viewer.
Garcia's nine-year-old boy has leukemia and his life can be saved only by a bone marrow transplant from a compatible donor. Only one such donor is available and he's a lifelong murderer with an IQ of 150. That means he's eligible for MENSA but I doubt they have a chapter in the San Francisco prison system.
San Francisco doesn't have a hospital like this one either. It's the emptiest, darkest hospital you've ever imagined, and it's full of laundry chutes, steam pipes, cross-highway walkways, underground tunnels, and varied niches. If you had to characterize the movie with one still shot, there would be a man pressed against a brick wall, next to a corner, forearm cocked upward, pistol in hand. After evacuation the hospital is nothing more than a gray gaunt shell.
There's that kid, too. Kids are usually a big nuisance in a movie, but this one manages to get by -- no more than that. The kid, Garcia's son, is kidnapped by escaped killer Michael Keaton. He's a strong, brave kid despite his leukemia and we can see the bond between him and Keaton in the offing.
Andy Garcia's character is the most complex because he's torn between two allegiances -- his son and the values of the society that both he and his son are members of. Would you let your child die or would you rather save his life by loosing a killer on the city street? You see what I mean? Keaton's not bad, by the way. I mean, his character is pure evil until his redemption but Keaton's performance is pretty good. He plays the villain as mean, not suave. He's not given any unique traits but that's the writers' problem, not the actors.
It's a curious coincidence but when Keaton first begins to make demands on the corrections officers in return for agreeing to the transplant, he complains that the cigarettes he's given are stale. He and I worked in a movie together, the unforgettable Whatever It Was. I was a bar tender and Keaton was a customer and when the cameras weren't rolling he examined a pack of Property Department cigarettes on the bar and asked if they were stale. "Only if you call a year old 'stale,'" I said.
Little use is made of the Bay Area locations. Nobody hangs by a thread from the Golden Gate bridge or races through Chinatown. Not until the end, anyway, when there is an explosion of action on highways and bridges.
Very little of the story is actually plausible and if constant tension is your thing then your thing is congruent with this movie. -
BatStarIndyFreak11 April 2003Keaton's portrayal of a psychopath was believable (although that "SULFURIC ACID!" was a bit forced), as was Garcia's sympathetic role. It's just you couldn't escape the anger you have for Conner for what he puts everybody through just to save his son. Multiple lives lost to save just one, not good math. It was intense, dramatic, but too many things threw it out of balance to make it anything special. And what's with Keaton exercising with sandbags at the start? Is that supposed to impress us?
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alisonperelman1 April 2021There are several very talented actors in this movie; unfortunately, it is just too fantastical. You'll find yourself saying, "Yeah, right," and "Sure," while rolling your eyes at certain moments. The acting is very good, but it's just too fantastical and takes away from the movie. Too many "coincidences" and "perfect" planning and/or execution of events. A few factual errors but tons of movies do this. I've seen it a few times because I absolutely love Michael Keaton. It's not a bad movie!
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byron-11615 November 2020Michael Keaton gives a sterling performance as the baddie with hints of a soft heart. The film keeps you on edge every minute with a ""Will he or won't he" question.
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MovieAddict201611 December 2005I really wanted to see this film - I thought the plot was really unique and intriguing. A cop (Andy Garcia) has a son who is dying and needs bone marrow replacement in order to live. The only match is a convicted serial killer, who escapes from jail. To save his son he has to track down the killer.
Michael Keaton plays the convict in one of many disappointing aspects of the film. Keaton is a great actor at times but here he is pretty much boring. It's over-the-top to the point where you just stop caring.
Garcia is better but tries too hard for a film that isn't up to par. Barbet Schroeder (at one time such a promising director with films like "Barfly" that amounted to pretty much nothing in the American market) directs well enough - I honestly thought the script was the culprit here...it's just a big mess.
The film ultimately wastes a lot of good material, good actors and a good director - all because of a faulty script. What should have been a tense and thought-provoking film is just a Hollywood action dud. -
luckyhouse9 February 2002This is an excellent script, and some good acting. The boom operator should be shot, as it is in 60 percent of the shots. The attention is often turned from a good scene with dramatic punch, to comic because the mic lowers in and out of frame. It makes it look like an elementary school production. Other than that it's a great movie. The Denzel Washington movie John Q seems to be a worked over remake of this movie. I hope John Q has a better person operating the boom mic.
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PyrolyticCarbon24 November 1999Garcia, fantastic. Keaton, superb. The rest of the film has its problems, but also some really good moments. Keaton's character is a poor man's Lector, but he comes across as a psychopath really well, imagine meeting him down the pub! Garcia is always good, and plays his part with ease.
Good action and thrills with a lovely nice moral, although I can't help but feel that everything fits in too neatly. For a start Keaton is the only donor available? Mmmm...The rest, well you'll see what I mean. -
ccthemovieman-12 May 2006Here's an underrated suspense movie that's good. It's "good" in that fact it delivers what it promises: suspense. I'm sure there are a number of holes in this far-fetched tale but it's fun to watch nevertheless.
Michael Keaton is almost mesmerizing in his role as the sick killer. There is some decent action in here, too, but suspense is the name of this game. Once you've started in, it's very difficult to put down. Andy Garcia and Marcia Gay Hayden turn in solid performances as well.
It was nice to see a tough-but-loving father (Garcia) go to any lengths to save his kid. Speaking of the kid (Joseph Cross), they show this very little soft-spoken boy that is trying be saved and all of sudden he says the word "a-hole." What is the purpose of inserting that? Only in the world of film. -
mycatslyone28 May 2005Andy Garcia is the desperate father of a young son who needs a medical donor. The only one who matches is an incarcerated killer played by...MICHAEL KEATON??!?! I can only see this guy as FUNNY! I mean, look at Multiplicity (hilarious), Gung Ho (so funny), Night Shift (talks 'Fonzie' into providing hookers w/medical insurance!) & others! Even tho this film really belongs to Keaton, to see him as a killer is just odd to me. Actually, Andy's part could have been played by just about anybody. He only revels when he can speak or act on something to do w/his heritage. (NOT including his VERY believable turn playing Italian in Godfather III!! EXCELLENT!!) Sorry, Andy! But we still love ya!
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wpsandberg27 February 2001They give you the set up then bore you to death with a constant cat and mouse chase. The main characters are involved in one constant stand-off where they threaten each other, every five minutes or less. And I'd like to see the police force that would let one of their cops pull off the A. Garcia bit. It's like some local cop walking Charlie Manson out of prison to go get a cup of coffee. Get real!
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Special-K8814 March 2002Well-crafted but overly contrived thriller about a man driven to desperate means to try and save his dying son. García is convincing as a San Francisco cop who's forced to choose between doing his job and being a good father when he discovers that his ill son can be saved with a bone marrow transplant. The only compatible donor: imprisoned convict and multiple murderer Keaton (in a cunning performance). The story is intriguing, and there are plenty of good performances, but the script just becomes more and more far-fetched as it goes along. Watchable thanks to the talented cast, and a witty cat-and-mouse game between the two leads. **
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daviec34 January 2001after reading the majority of comments about this movie i thought i'd put my 2 cents in.... alot of you seem to have taken this movie way to seriously....don't look at it as the thriller it should have been..but as the comedy it is or even watch it in the sense of a mindless action movie...keaton was funny as hell (maybe not intentionally) but funny none the less....garcia seemed oddly out of place but this added to the hilarity....so if you like shoot em ups with funny one liners....watch desperate measures....you'll still be laughing the next day
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Scotty_Ranking1 April 2005I remember first seeing this movie back when it was released in 1998. My expectations of it weren't too high, because at the time I did not think that Andy Garcia was that much of an actor.
However, I was pleasantly surprised that the movie was as entertaining as it turned out. Michael Keaton, as the villain, really carried this picture, reminiscent of his performance in the second Batman movie. So, you may now be wondering why I only gave it a 6 ...
The plot was in my estimation a little weak. That is to say ... you take a psychopathic killer whose profile shows that he will be hell bent on escaping, and yet no real provisions were made to prevent said escape from a very 'escapable' facility! That made the show a bit far-fetched for me, giving the 'humanitarian sacrifice' of the criminal the benefit of the doubt.
Other than that, the action sequences, and pacing of the movie was very tight with very few slow parts - even for the emotional scenes featuring Andy Garcia's character and his terminally-ill son. Even the sequel-friendly ending was not all that bad in my book. -
daumas20 May 1999Thriller on the first grade. Garcia and Keaton are excellent. Garcia knew how to transmit fear, anger. Keaton is better than in his other film in San Francisco... The locations are incredible and 100% action. Don't miss it.
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Fieracha14 February 1999I found the first 40 minutes or so of this movie a little dull... They set the plot up, but some of it I found a little too obvious, especially the Narcain ampule etc. etc.
However, the rest of the movie was excellent, and quite worth the $6 I rented it for. I'd be a bit hesitant to pay $12.50 to see it at the movies, however.
I had to suspend my disbelief at several points throughout the movie. Why didn't McCabe wait until after the operation before making his getaway, when his captors thought him weak and harmless? (Much as he did at movie's end). Why didn't the police in the op room draw their guns as soon as McCabe didn't go under the anaesthetic.
But enough negativity. It is a good film, and I gave it 7 out of 10. -
Leofwine_draca7 April 2014DESPERATE MEASURES is one of those "high concept" thrillers that the 1990s were so fond of: an entire movie written around a single sentence premise guaranteed to garner interest. This time around, it's simple: a cop's dying child needs a bone marrow transplant and the only matching donor is a jailed killer.
What follows is a movie that starts out on a fairly tense level before gradually become more and more preposterous as it goes on. It soon transpires that the killer, played with relish by Michael Keaton, is intent on using the opportunity to escape, and of course to take down anyone that stands in his way. Said cop Andy Garcia must do everything in his power to stop him.
Much of the film involves a tense stand-off inside a hospital and it's during this section that it starts to get silly. Garcia does things like assisting a criminal to escape and driving his stolen motorbike through glass doors yet at no time do any of the detectives or police force attempt to apprehend him, preferring to let him get on with it.
The plot gradually breaks down and in the end becomes one long chase sequence, filled with all of the over-the-top stunts you'd expect from a '90s-era action movie. The ending is both schmaltzy and expected. While Keaton is good value for money, I always find the staid Garcia a bit of a bore and he's no exception here. Still, if you take it for what it is - and you have a soft spot for laughably OTT direction and nostalgia for the late '90s - then DESPERATE MEASURES does contain a few nuggets of merit along the way. -
Andreas_N9 November 2005Yeah, it's the emotional father-son aspect that carries much of the story's quality. I remember that a) the action was okay, b) the storyline was clearly presented, c) the acting was also okay, d) the outcome was somehow predictable, but the pace and the suspense makes me connive some apparent flaws. Joseph Cross did play a substantial part in terms of his illness propelling all the other events, but as an actor and concerning his importance on screen his character lacked some sort of real depth. The emphasis was clearly on the thriller-aspect, less on the drama-aspect, which describes it best I guess. The cast was nice and added some quality.
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kardinian28 May 2002I haven't seen Ishtar, but I did have the misfortune of seeing Kevin Costner's Postman, This is worse. Maybe the absolute worse piece of garbage I have ever seen, and if you look at my review for Moulin Rouge? that is saying something. Bad plot, acting was substandard and even wasted (even though, yes, Michael Keaton has been in some of the worst movies I have ever seen), and this movie has no redeeming value to anybody with more than half a brain. DO NOT SEE IF YOU HAVE GRADUATED THE 4TH GRADE as you will find this an insult to your intelligence.
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buzznzipp199528 July 2006I originally saw the previews and wasn't really paying attention, but I wasn't impressed. Then finally some years later I had the video and I watched it. It's a gripper. A shocker too.
From movie viewer to movie viewer, everyone has a different opinion. However I was astounded by Keaton's dead on 'lunatic' performance in "Desperate Measures" he is bigger than life.
In addition Garcia is quite the believable character as Frank Conner. Nurturing his son, Mathew through his debilitating illness and trying to cope with life and work despite the circumstances with his son. He is a fighter, a scrapper, who doesn't back down. Looking for a 'donor' for his son, searching and finally finding a match. Then he meets his match. A nightmare is about to unfold, here is a scrapper and a fighter, who kills and won't back down, either. McCabe is smarter than the average prison inmate. Keaton is full on and worse than even the 'pshycotic' renter that he played in 'Pacific Heights'. He is raw, at times caustic and most of all numb. If you look in his eyes, the only thing that registers from his pupils is 'Death'. He's strong and bound by a piercing determination. He is looking for a 'payback' for something or 'things' that have happened to him in his younger life.
'Captain Cassidy', played by Brian Cox is worthy of praise. Cox always seems to add more color to everything that he's in. And as he looks like a 'fitting' candidate, he convincingly brings himself to the forefront. Again, once it looks good and everyone is vulnerable, Keaton's- Peter McCabe, focuses and attacks, leaving his surroundings and the area he was occupying, in a state of debris. And when the fight is fought and it looks like he is defeated think again...(***) -
MrPlumberman30 January 2006Exceptionally bad! I don't expect much from Garcia since he is one of the most overrated actors today but Keaton really should have known this movie would suck and gotten out while he could (not that I'm especially fond of him but hey, he did batman).
In one scene Keaton is transported to a hospital chained down and wearing a Hannibal Lecter kind of face mask when two attack dogs bark at him (dogs can sense evil you know (puke)) and Keaton growls back at them making them back off and whine with their tails between their legs. Did the movie turn comedy right there? Garcia makes a fool out of himself in an interrogation scene with dialogue only a complete retard could find plausible and the kid is too annoying to feel sorry for..
If you are gonna make a movie with as poor a plot as this you need some charm, humour, some solid action. Take Die Hard for example which is great despite its rather crappy plot.
Even though Keatons character was a joke i routed for him all the way. I wanted to see Garcia cry over his dead kid and Keaton sipping martinis on some paradise island, however! This movie makes for a good laugh.. Watch it with a witty friend and you can have some fun as this movie begs for wisecracks in almost every scene.
All in all its an insult to one's intelligence and a huge waste of money. Greed made this movie and thank god it bit its own ass. -
Piston_Smash29 January 2004Andy Garcia is the "hero" in this predictable and ludicrous film. He plays Conner, a cop with a son who needs a bone marrow transplant to stay alive. Enter Michael Keaton as McCabe, a mad psychopathic criminal genius (aren't they all?) whose bone marrow is a perfect match. What follows is an irritating battle of wits between Conner and McCabe, who decides he'd like to bust outta the hospital using nothing but a half-swallowed ampoule of a magical elixir, a dislocated thumb and a cigarette lighter flint. Move over MacGuyver.
Garcia is particularly annoying as actor and character. His character is devoted to his son. Nothing wrong with that. Unless your devotion for your son means that EVERYONE ELSE'S life is meaningless and expendable. As McCabe tries to escape from the hospital Conner has to save McCabe's life many times because once dead, his bone marrow is no longer useful. Conner causes a cop to get shot as well as motorway carnage in his attempts to capture McCabe unharmed. I got increasingly more angry watching Garcia as Conner risk everyone he comes into contact with so that his son may have a chance of living. What about the rest of us? Don't we deserve a chance at life too? The Conner character seems to be rooted in the maverick cop tradition, playing by his own rules and deciding what is and isn't right. It's a world where a bully makes the rules and you follow them or face the consequences. Something along the lines of what happened in Germany in the Thirties...
Garcia as actor is annoying to the extreme, spending most of the film tearing about the place in a semi-crouch with one arm stiff by his side for some reason. He trots out his usual bits of actor's business that appear in most Garcia films. He does the scene where he grabs someone's head in both of his hands and speaks/shouts right into their face. He does the scene where he explosively loses he temper and kicks some furniture only to immediately regain control of himself and instantly become the ice-man. He does the scene where he shouts in anger at the top of his lungs, while his face looks as if he has just spent an afternoon staring at the test card. You know the stuff. We've seen it all before.
The film goes on for far too long and credibility is stretched time and again until even the densest viewer's intelligence is insulted. We're encouraged to sympathise with the Garcia character: his wife is dead, his son's dying, he's a cop, he's pretty, he is a devoted father etc etc, but really, all he is, is a self-centred fascist bully.
Keaton has to make flesh a one dimensional cliché of a character and he has a go but is on a losing wicket from the outset. How can you put a new and imaginative slant on the stock Mad Criminal Genius character? And Barbet Schroeder, what were you thinking? From the classic Barfly to this? Pity...