I understand from what I read about this movie that the original script concentrated more on talk and less on action, and I would have liked to see that movie. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Sure, it's a formula film, but there's nothing wrong with formula films when they're done well, and this one was. It helps, of course, when you have two great character actors like Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey in the lead roles. Not to mention the other cast members, like the late, lamented J.T. Walsh, David Morse, and Paul Giamatti, who also appeared in two of the year's best films, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and THE TRUMAN SHOW. The film even had a fresh spin on the "bad guy kills himself rather than face prosecution" cliche.
Review of The Negotiator
