The $8.99 DVD Review: Nick of Time worth it

by: Sam Bailey
Staff Writer

In a post-9/11 world, it’s difficult to imagine anything even remotely sinister taking place in any mass-transit terminal.

If Grandma can’t even get on a plane without being strip-searched, it seems impossible that anyone who looks as inherently evil as Christopher Walken would even be allowed inside a train station!

However, this 1995 thriller from director John Badham makes the scenario seem, if not terribly realistic, at least theoretically possible.

Johnny Depp stars as Gene Watson, an anonymous everyman accountant who arrives in L.A. for a business meeting with his young daughter (Courtney Chase) in tow. After disembarking from his train, Watson is approached by two officials who identify themselves as police officers. The "officers", played by Walken and Roma Maffia, escort Watson and his daughter to a van parked at the curb. Once inside the van, with the doors locked and his daughter distracted, Watson is given the score: he has 90 minutes to make his way to a hotel across the street, where he will kill the visiting governor of California.

If he fails, his daughter dies.

In the first of many great lines, Walken’s character, Smith, gives his victim some friendly advice.

"Not just shoot her, mind you, kill her. I recommend you empty the gun into her, close up."

Predictably, the movie follows the hapless Watson as he attempts to find a solution to his predicament. Around every corner, however, waits Smith, keeping an eye on him.

The film uses the novel plot device of unfolding in real time, meaning that a minute of screen time equals a minute of time in the real world. The director was apparently so proud of this little bit of ingenuity that he reminds us constantly with shots of clocks.

The plot of the movie is enough to keep the viewer interested, and even manages to work in some great plot twists. Like many thrillers, however, the storyline fails to pass the realism test, and much of what happens defies, if not logic, outright common sense.

Because the film deals with a conspiracy to assassinate a high-ranking government official, it’s natural that Depp’s character will invariably find that no one can be trusted.

Overall, the plot of the movie is interesting and even exciting occasionally, as long as the viewer doesn’t think about it too much.

Despite any other flaws it may have, Nick of Time is redeemed by its excellent casting and performances. Depp’s Watson is easily believable as the "normal" guy caught in an extraordinary situation.

Marsha Mason does a fine job as the intended target of the plot, and Charles S. Dutton turns in a great performance as the one person Watson finds to trust. However, the largest share of the praise must go to Christopher Walken as the demented Smith.

Looking like a used car salesman from hell, Walken absolutely explodes. With his characteristic flat-eyed stare and unpredictably bursts of anger, he not only has the most interesting performance of the movie, but also the best lines.

His portrayal of the ringleader of the assassination plot alone is worth the price of the DVD! Walken doesn’t really cover any new acting territory here, as his adeptness at playing evil, deranged characters is well documented. However, he single-handedly makes the movie worth a watch. Unlike other admittedly great "evil" actors like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, Walken is able to transform what would otherwise be a mediocre-at-best thriller into a movie suitably for repeat viewing.

Nick of Time, while by no means a great movie, is a very entertaining movie that more than holds the viewer’s attention. With a decent plot, interesting direction and a top-notch cast, this movie is certainly worth the $8.99 and, unlike many movies in the bargain section of the movie store, this one holds up to repeat viewing. Just don’t think about it too much

One-Time Viewing: Yes
Repeat Viewing: Yes
Worth Full Price: Probably
Worth $8.99: Yes