To be perfectly honest, the expectations weren't all that high with this one, but it certainly exceeded. "The Negotiator" is a tight, well-written cop thriller with solid pacing and the huge benefit of Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey; the former is a cop that's desperate to expose a frame-up before he's abused by the legal system, and the latter is just trying to get hostages out of the building. But both of these actors are pros and elevate the already decent material.
As much as I tried, I couldn't really poke holes in the story's setup; and then all of a sudden, things really take off and I was along for the ride til the end. It certainly helps that both characters are hostage negotiators trying to read one another and adds a certain tension to their scenes. It's funny, I remember seeing the TV spots back in '98 and thinking "well, that doesn't look good at all." And I stand humbly corrected.
As much as I tried, I couldn't really poke holes in the story's setup; and then all of a sudden, things really take off and I was along for the ride til the end. It certainly helps that both characters are hostage negotiators trying to read one another and adds a certain tension to their scenes. It's funny, I remember seeing the TV spots back in '98 and thinking "well, that doesn't look good at all." And I stand humbly corrected.