The stage curtains open ...
The film opens with Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood), an FBI profiler, hot on the case of a serial killer known as the "code killer" who is bent of playing the ever popular cat and mouse game - the "try and catch me if you can" back and forth game. It's easy to see from the get-go, that these two have a bit of history behind them and when McCaleb nearly catches his man, he suffers a near fatal heart attack which forces him into retirement, which he spends restoring his boat.
A couple of years later, he is the recipient of a heart transplant and has a new lease on life. However, when he is approached by the sister of a murder victim and apparent donor that supplied McCaleb with his new heart, he feels compelled to solve his donor's murder which takes things a little too close to home. The code killer once more has emerged and the game is afoot again. Against the wishes of his doctor and the police department, he puts everything at risk to discover the identity of this ruthless killer once and for all.
Already an established name in Hollywood, fans of Clint Eastwood already had a good feeling for what to expect going in. The story is intelligent, as implausible as it is, with good development and solid acting. It has that all too familiar Eastwood laid back style with pacing that is in no hurry to go anywhere. The characters are flushed out well and the plot keeps you watching to find out the who's and the why's behind the crimes.
I enjoyed this one. It isn't one of Eastwood's best films, and the ending does leave a little to be desired, but I liked the story. I felt the premise was pretty original and carried along decently. This is certainly worth a watch, worth the time and effort. Maybe, it's not a keeper, but if you are into this sort of thing and are an Eastwood fan, it's one to have in your own collection. I give this outing a strong 7 stars out of 10.
The film opens with Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood), an FBI profiler, hot on the case of a serial killer known as the "code killer" who is bent of playing the ever popular cat and mouse game - the "try and catch me if you can" back and forth game. It's easy to see from the get-go, that these two have a bit of history behind them and when McCaleb nearly catches his man, he suffers a near fatal heart attack which forces him into retirement, which he spends restoring his boat.
A couple of years later, he is the recipient of a heart transplant and has a new lease on life. However, when he is approached by the sister of a murder victim and apparent donor that supplied McCaleb with his new heart, he feels compelled to solve his donor's murder which takes things a little too close to home. The code killer once more has emerged and the game is afoot again. Against the wishes of his doctor and the police department, he puts everything at risk to discover the identity of this ruthless killer once and for all.
Already an established name in Hollywood, fans of Clint Eastwood already had a good feeling for what to expect going in. The story is intelligent, as implausible as it is, with good development and solid acting. It has that all too familiar Eastwood laid back style with pacing that is in no hurry to go anywhere. The characters are flushed out well and the plot keeps you watching to find out the who's and the why's behind the crimes.
I enjoyed this one. It isn't one of Eastwood's best films, and the ending does leave a little to be desired, but I liked the story. I felt the premise was pretty original and carried along decently. This is certainly worth a watch, worth the time and effort. Maybe, it's not a keeper, but if you are into this sort of thing and are an Eastwood fan, it's one to have in your own collection. I give this outing a strong 7 stars out of 10.