I'm a fan of Tom Berenger, and I'm not alone since he was a great leading man of the late 80s and 90s. He's younger here, cast as a priest, which stretches credulity a bit, but it's convincingly played and written by someone who clearly had a background in catholicism, which really permeates the entire film. Berenger being Italian doesn't exactly jibe with reality either, but again, its made plausible.
The film has some decent action and surprises, with all the hallmarks of an 80s movie that relies on its plot, characters, some back lot sets, and period grit and debased attitude as well as slightly substandard film stock that still looks great. There's something about films that used to have to rely on characters and plots because they couldn't afford to blow tens of millions on effects.
Regardless, Berenger as a priest, his friends, his awful sister, and his mob family are all played well. There are some issues with a third party female who plays a convincing damsel in distress that then does a 360. This is a bit much to take, as is Berenger's brutally manipulative and devious reaction, which seems so terribly out of character. However, when you give it some thought, a convincing rationale can come to mind, one of innocence lost, one in regards to family coming first and the mania of that within the mob taking over even a good son. There's a real subtext about the good or bad side to women that is taken a bit far, and makes the director/producer seem like a possible misogynist, but maybe that's how life went for him. Or maybe it's the destiny for Berenger's life as a priest. Regardless, it's better a film to me than a 5 or even 6. Popcorn fare that provides some angles to thoughtfully explore
It's not ironclad as a film, and it's no landmark, but it's an 80s film that has aged well, and is entertaining, and the only parts that go wrong are mostly towards the end and don't go completely astray, though the twists are a bit heavy-handed.
The film has some decent action and surprises, with all the hallmarks of an 80s movie that relies on its plot, characters, some back lot sets, and period grit and debased attitude as well as slightly substandard film stock that still looks great. There's something about films that used to have to rely on characters and plots because they couldn't afford to blow tens of millions on effects.
Regardless, Berenger as a priest, his friends, his awful sister, and his mob family are all played well. There are some issues with a third party female who plays a convincing damsel in distress that then does a 360. This is a bit much to take, as is Berenger's brutally manipulative and devious reaction, which seems so terribly out of character. However, when you give it some thought, a convincing rationale can come to mind, one of innocence lost, one in regards to family coming first and the mania of that within the mob taking over even a good son. There's a real subtext about the good or bad side to women that is taken a bit far, and makes the director/producer seem like a possible misogynist, but maybe that's how life went for him. Or maybe it's the destiny for Berenger's life as a priest. Regardless, it's better a film to me than a 5 or even 6. Popcorn fare that provides some angles to thoughtfully explore
It's not ironclad as a film, and it's no landmark, but it's an 80s film that has aged well, and is entertaining, and the only parts that go wrong are mostly towards the end and don't go completely astray, though the twists are a bit heavy-handed.